| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, October 5, 2012 | 4:00PM - 6:00PM | Seminar Room 208N, Munk School of Global Affairs 1 Devonshire Place |
An initial attempt to explore Taiwanese identity politics in the context of cross-strait relations with China would almost always lead to the following categorization of Taiwan’s two dominant parties: Kuomingtang (KMT)/blue represents unification with China, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)/green represents Taiwan independence. However, when five University of Toronto student delegates travelled to Taipei to witness the election in January 2012, their preconceived notions about the two political parties and their supporters quickly broke down.
In the week leading up to election day, Betty Xie, Aaron Wilson, Melinda Jacobs, Mimi Liu, and Remi Kanji conducted interviews with scholars, students, and other voters. They eagerly observed the political debate between incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou from KMT and DPP Chairman Tsai Ing-Wen. Their conversations revealed that the divide between unification and independence did not necessarily dictate voters’ decision about which party to support. While “deep-blue” and “deep-green” supporters stood firmly in their positions, there was also a wide spectrum of opinions that fell between the two extremes, revealing the complexity of cross-strait relations.
In their documentary film, Untag Taiwan 2012, the student delegates interrogate whether the long-presumed association between Taiwanese voters’ political affiliation (KMT or DPP) and cultural identity (Chinese or Taiwanese) still persists. “Blue,” “Green,” “ROC,” “Taiwan” – do these tags still bear the categorical significance that international observers of Taiwan assume? The film offers its audience an invitation: “before you tag Taiwan again, untag it first.”
*Note: A rough cut version of the film will be screened.
Film Credits:
Directed by: Betty Xie
Produced by: Betty Xie, Aaron Wilson, Melinda Jacobs, Mimi Liu, Remi Kanji
Editing and Postproduction: Betty Xie, Jessie Lau, Zhiying Zhang
Original Music Scores: Charles Wong
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