I’ve been a big fan of the documentary Invisible Nation ever since I first saw the film back in October 2023 at the Mill Valley Film Festival. I have even become friends with the director/producer Vanessa Hope. I am excited now that the documentary will be broadcasted on PBS this month:
“Beginning May 1, 2026, the acclaimed documentary Invisible Nation will air on PBS stations across the United States, bringing Taiwan’s democratic journey, its geopolitical tightrope walk, and its pivotal role in the global technology order into American living rooms during Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and Taiwanese American Heritage Week. The film will also be available for streaming on the PBS App and PBS.org, expanding access to audiences nationwide.Directed and produced by Vanessa Hope, Invisible Nation invites viewers on an unprecedented journey with Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, as she works to secure her nation’s future. Through intimate observational filmmaking, the documentary offers an in-depth look at Taiwan’s past, and present as a young democracy with robust civil liberties and fair elections, navigating pressure from China, relations with the United States, and its place on the world stage.
Premiering on public television at a time when Taiwan is central to geopolitics yet still underrepresented in American media, Invisible Nation reframes the country not as a distant flashpoint, but as a frontline democracy whose future is deeply intertwined with the United States.”
This documentary does a great job of profiling Taiwan’s long journey towards democratization and highlighting the first female president of Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen (a fellow Cornell alum – Cornell Law LLM ’80).
If you want to watch the film immediately, it can be streamed here. Check your local listings here for when it will appear on PBS. As the press release above stated, you can also watch now via the PBS App.
