This September, the Taipei-based Taiwan Film Institute will screen four classic martial arts movies from the 1960s to explore the portrayal of female protagonists by Taiwanese wuxia auteurs King Hu (胡金銓), Chen Hung-min (陳洪民), and Sung Tsun-shou (宋存壽).
On Sept. 5, "Dragon Inn (龍門客棧)" will draw viewers to the plight of the children of a general who was condemned to death by an influential warrior eunuch. Pitting corrupt imperial forces against a loose-knit collection of travelers, the 1967 film offers Japanese dramatic elements, Western editing techniques, and Chinese opera flair.
On Sept. 12, "Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters (三鳳震武林)" will see three siblings united in a quest for avenging their murdered parents. Swordsmanship, chivalrous acts while disguised as a male, and romance with a handsome stranger pave the way for a final bloody showdown with unscrupulous bandits in this 1968 Taiwanese-language film.
On Sept. 19, "Iron Mistress (鐵娘子)" will depict not only a warrior's heroic spirit and the deceptive scheming between enemies, but also the inherent weakness and devotion of the human heart. Set during the Jin invasion of China in the Southern Song dynasty, the 1969 feature follows a heroine leading a rebellion with her upstanding character and masterful kung-fu.
On Sept. 26, "A Touch of Zen (俠女)" will return with its masterful story of passion, plotting eunuchs, revenge, and redemption. The 1970 wuxia masterpiece follows Hsu Feng's enigmatic noblewoman in disguise as she battles both nefarious swordsmen and the most powerful and vicious of all secret police forces in Chinese history.
The program will be screened with English subtitles at No. 7 Qingdao Road in Taipei, which is about a five-minute walk away from Shandao Temple Station Exit 2. Reservations for the free Wednesday screenings can be made online here: https://www.tfi.org.tw/News/NewContent?PageId=1157