Crouching China, Hidden Taiwan

By Mike | Wednesday, August 29, 2007 | No Comments

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This just in – Ang Lee movie caught in political spat:

Taiwan criticized the Venice International Film Festival on Tuesday for listing a movie by Oscar-winning Taiwanese director Ang Lee as originating in “Taiwan, China,” a label that suggests the self-ruled island is part of mainland China. …

In a statement on its Web site, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council protested the Venice event’s use of “Taiwan, China” to identify movies from the island and blamed China for the move.

As of the publication of this post, the Venice International Film Festival’s web site (more properly called La Biennale di Venezia) still lists Ang Lee as such:

Ang LEE (LI An) Se, jie (Lust, Caution) – USA / China / Taiwan, China, 156’
Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Joan Chen, Tang Wei

Ang Lee’s movie, “Lust, Caution” (more properly called Se jie) is “an espionage thriller set in WWII-era Shanghai”, according to IMDB. It’s not the only movie listing that Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council is protesting either.

Among the movies showing in Venice with Taiwanese investment are Lee’s new spy thriller, the U.S.-China-Taiwan co-production “Lust, Caution;” the John Woo-produced gangster thriller “Blood Brothers,” a Hong Kong-China-Taiwan co-production; and the Taiwanese art-house movie “Help Me Eros.”

On the Venice International Film Festival’s official Web site, “Help Me Eros” is listed as being from “Taiwan,” while the Taiwanese involvement in “Lust, Caution” and “Blood Brothers” is identified as “Taiwan, China.”

No one involved in the festival or movies has commented on this story. Could it a simple mistake? A politcally-minded interpretation? Or a bigger conspiracy? Hmmm.

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