Representation of Intersectional and Cultural Identities in Taiwanese-Language Port City Cinema with Dr. Ming-yeh Rawnsley

This talk contributes to two relatively under-researched areas in the existing literature of Taiwan studies and film studies—Taiwanese-language films (taiyupian) and port city cinema. We compare five case studies in Taiwanese-language port city cinema: Nostalgic Song of Anping ([Anping zhuixiang qu], 1969, dir. Chen Yang), Back to Anping Harbor ([Huilai anping gang], 1972, dir. Wu Feijian), The Boys from Fengkuei ([Fenggui lai de ren], 1983, dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien), Cape No.7 (Haijiao qi hao, 2008, dir. Wei Te-sheng), and Gatau (角頭 [Jiao tou], 2015, dir. Li Yunjie). Across each case, we analyse how the cinematic representation of port cities may have reflected social and cultural developments, changing (and unchanged) Taiwanese intersectional and cultural identities from the 1960s to the twenty-first century.

 

 

Dr. Ming-yeh Rawnsley received her PhD (on the topic “Public Service Television in Taiwan”) from the Institute of Communications Studies (ICS), University of Leeds in 1998. Since then, she has worked as a researcher at the University of Nottingham (1999–2005) and became Head of Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC, 2005–2007). Before she  joined SOAS as Research Associate, she researched and taught East Asian film industries at the ICS, University of Leeds (2007–2013).