Taipei: The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall will screen eight Taiwanese Hokkien (TSi-g) films as part of its annual human rights program, which also aims to promote the language, with free admission, the memorial hall's management said Monday.
According to Focus Taiwan, the series is the second of its kind, following its debut last year after the renovated auditorium reopened in August 2025. The eight films explore different aspects of human rights and equality and will be screened from Aug. 16 to Sept. 4. The memorial hall said six screenings will feature introductions before the films, followed by discussions with the directors.
The series opens Aug. 16 with director Lin Cheng-sheng's 1999 period romance "March of Happiness." The film reflects the series' human rights theme, with its Chinese title referring to Tianma Tea House, the site of an incident preceding the Feb. 28 Incident in 1947. Other films featured in screening events with their directors include "Little Big Women," "The Great Buddha+," and "Ohong Village."
Joseph Hsu's "Little Big Women" explores family relationships in a female-centered household, while Huang Hsin-yao's "The Great Buddha+" uses dark comedy to examine the struggles of Taiwan's underprivileged social classes. Lim Lung-yin's "Ohong Village" focuses on young people returning to their rural hometowns and the effects of land subsidence in Taiwan's coastal areas.
The program also includes two documentaries. Huang Hui-chen will screen and discuss "Small Talk," exploring the relationship between a mother and daughter through the lens of equal rights, while Elvis Lu will introduce "A Holy Family," examining faith and reconciliation with one's birth family. The memorial hall said the six films whose directors will attend have all been selected for international festivals or competitions.
For example, "Small Talk" won the best documentary award at the 2017 Taipei Film Awards and the Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, while "The Great Buddha+" was screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The remaining two films are newly restored classics from 1965, dating from what is regarded as the golden age of TSi-g cinema.
Although their directors are no longer living, film experts from the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute will provide introductions and lead post-screening discussions for Hsin Chi's "The Bride Who Has Returned from Hell" and Lin Tuan-chiu's "Six Suspects." The memorial hall said those interested can register through its events webpage. Attendees with reservations must arrive at the auditorium at least 30 minutes before each screening to receive their seat assignments.