The Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI) announced on Dec. 28 that it will be launching a film series and audiovisual exhibition in January 2022 titled "Wuxia Genre in Taiwan (島嶼江湖：武俠在台灣)" to present Taiwanese classics from the 1950s to the present.
Curated by Director of the Taiwan Film Institute Dr. Wang Chun-chi (王君琦) and renowned film critic Steven Tu (塗翔文), the exhibition presents martial arts classics that span over 60 years from 1950 to the 21st century.
Steven Tu expressed that martial arts films are the most iconic genre among Chinese-language films. This time, 29 works produced and filmed in Taiwan were selected, so as to present the developmental history of Taiwanese martial arts films.
Among the works on display, "The Daring Gang of Nineteen from Verdun City (青城十九俠)" and "The Heroic Lovers from the Tomb (古墓俠侶)" can be traced back to the 1950s. The audience can get a glimpse of Josephine Siao Fong-fong (蕭芳芳), who was only 12 years old at the time, on the big screen as an agile and charming woman. There will also be a special screening of "Vengeance of Snow-maid (雪嶺劍女)" performed by Golden Horse Award’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner Zhen Zhen (甄珍).
The list of films includes "Dragon Inn (龍門客棧)” by the late famous director King Hu (胡金銓)," "Iron Mistress (鐵娘子)" by director Sung Tsun-shou (宋存壽), Han Hsiang-chin (韓湘琴) and Miao Tien (苗天), and "Big Land, Flying Eagles (大地飛鷹)" directed by Golden Horse Award-winning director Tsai Yang-ming (蔡揚名). Others include "The Dream Sword (夢中劍)," "Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters (三鳳震武林)," "The Fly Dragon Mountain (飛龍山)," "Chor Lau Heung (楚留香)," and "Demon Fighter (午夜蘭花).”
In addition to the common themes of revenge and chivalry, the film festival also selected representative works of martial arts such as "刺蠻王 (She'd Hate Pather Love)" and "Black Invitation (黑帖)."
"Wuxia Genre in Taiwan" will take place at the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute from Jan. 21 until April 25, 2022.