Course Information
Course title
 Exploring Taiwan: Film and Social Culture in Taiwan 
Semester
 106-1 
Designated for
  
Instructor
 KUO JEN-FENG 
Curriculum Number
 LibEdu1050 
Curriculum Identity Number
 H01E05000 
Class
  
Credits
 2.0 
Full/Half
Yr.
 Half 
Required/
Elective
  
Time
 Thursday 8,9(15:30~17:20) 
Remarks
 The upper limit of the number of students: 80. 
Ceiba Web Server
 http://ceiba.ntu.edu.tw/1061LibEdu1050_ 
Course introduction video
 
Table of Core Capabilities and Curriculum Planning
 Association has not been established
Course Syllabus
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Course Description

In this course we look closely at several Taiwanese films over the past two decades, and through them we intend to understand what prominent phenomena and changes have been taking place in Taiwan’s social culture. As some of the films speak to the current socio-political conditions on this island, some reflect an emerging cultural trend, while others indicate social problems and propose what we can do in response. In any case, those films present themselves as various attempts to make conversations with Taiwanese society and Taiwanese people, and in this course we “read” those films as we also consider and discuss crucial social issues in Taiwan. 

Course Objective
 Through this course we expect to understand the social development vis-a-vis cinema in Taiwan. We look closely at the emergence of Taiwan New Cinema in the 1980s as well as the socio-political and -cultural contexts in which it emerged. This course moves on to discuss various subject matters and social trends in Taiwan from the 1990s on; we also look at the films produced in Taiwan in relation to those matters and trends. 
Course Requirement
 Each week the students will be asked to engage the recommended readings or films, most of which will be topics of class discussion. They will be encouraged to pursue readings/films beyond the recommendations. How the students respond to the discussions will be considered their overall performance in this course. 
Student Workload (expected study time outside of class per week)
  
Office Hours
 Appointment required. 
Designated reading
 待補 
References
 待補 
Grading
  
No.
Item
%
Explanations for the conditions
1. 
 Midterm presentation/paper 
30% 
  
2. 
 Final paper 
70% 
  
 
Progress
Week
Date
Topic
Week 1
 9/14  Introduction 
Week 2
 9/21  Taiwan of the 1980s: 1) economic growth;
2) socio-politics, movement & democratization 
Week 3
 9/28  Taiwan of the 1980s: 1) Taiwan in search of a “national” culture;
Taiwan New Cinema: the movement and key members 
Week 4
 10/05  Film Appreciation & Discussion: Terrorizers (1986) 
Week 5
 10/12  Taiwan New Cinema: aesthetics & politics
Film appreciation & discussion: Dust in the Wind (1986) & Hou Hsiao-hsien 
Week 6
 10/19  Taiwanese Film of the 1990s: The Decline & the Second Wave
Film appreciation & discussion: Vive L’Amour (1994) 
Week 7
 10/26  Taiwanese Film of the 1990s: Awards & Festivals
(student presentation) 
Week 8
 11/02  Identity Politics: Gender/Sexuality, Feminist Movement & the 1980s
(student presentation) 
Week 9
 11/09  MID-TERM EXAM WEEK
Film appreciation & discussion: When Love Comes (2010) 
Week 10
 11/16  Identity Politics: Gender/Sexuality & LBGT Issues
Film Appreciation: clips from Drifting Flowers (2008) 
Week 11
 11/23  Identity Politics: Ethnicity, Hakka, and Indigenous Taiwanese 
Week 12
 11/30  The Making of Taipei: urban landscape, history, and collective memory 
Week 13
 12/07  The Rise of Documentaries in Taiwan & In Search of Social/Land Justice
Film Appreciation: Viva Tonal – The Dance Age (2003) 
Week 14
 12/14  Search for a Sense of Root in Space and Time:
Westernization/Modernization and Colonial History 
Week 15
 12/21  Film Appreciation: The Other Side (2013) or Pinoy Sunday (2010) 
Week 16
 12/28  A Multi-racial/cultural & Immigrant Society:
Immigrant Spouses and Migrant Workers in Taiwan 
Week 17
 1/04  Film Appreciation: Hip-Hop Storm (2010) 
Week 18
 1/11  FINAL EXAM WEEK: final paper due
Epilogue & Trends in Taiwanese Film of This Decade