Taiwan epic on resistance against Japanese colonial rule hits mainland screens in full

by Xinhua writers Zhang Yunlong and Huang Shuo

BEIJING/TAIPEI, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A landmark historical film depicting Taiwan people's resistance against Japanese colonial rule is arriving in mainland theaters in its full form for the first time, more than a decade after its original release.

"Seediq Bale," the two-part epic by Taiwan director Wei Te-sheng, opened on the mainland on Friday with part one, followed by the second part on Saturday.

Widely regarded as one of Taiwan's most ambitious cinematic projects, the film dramatizes the 1930 Wushe Incident, in which people from the Seediq ethnic group, led by chief Mona Rudao, staged a desperate uprising against Japanese colonial authorities.

Originally released in Taiwan in two parts in 2011, the film reached mainland audiences as a shorter, single-feature version in May 2012. Its restored release marks the first time the complete two-part original is being shown on the big screen in the mainland.

The timing coincides with nationwide commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration to China.

"Seediq Bale" has enjoyed enduring popularity among Chinese audiences, with the earlier edited version earning an 8.8 out of 10 rating on review platform Douban, while both parts of the complete edition score 8.9.

One Douban user from Guangdong praised the film on Friday for eschewing the didactic tone of many historical dramas. "It presents that history with raw authenticity," the user wrote. "Every character feels real -- flesh and blood -- reminding us of the profound power of belief. History should never be forgotten!"

Wei revisited the film's origins during a screening event at the Golden Rooster International Film Festival in Xiamen last month, recalling how he felt his blood boil after reading a comic book about the Wushe Incident in one sitting.

The path from inspiration to production was anything but straightforward. The project stretched about 12 years, during which many in Taiwan's film industry doubted it could ever be completed. Wei finished the script in 2000. Facing uncertain financing, Wei made the romantic drama "Cape No. 7" to demonstrate that he could deliver a commercial success. Released in 2008 in Taiwan and the following year on the mainland, "Cape No. 7" became a major hit.

At the Xiamen event, Wei likened the grueling production process of "Seediq Bale" to raising a child. "Even if you are unprepared, once the child is born, you must nurture it," he said.

Shot across 28 locations in Taiwan, the film is known for its meticulous reconstruction of the 1930s Wushe region -- down to architectural materials and interior objects -- and for its immersive training regimen for actors portraying Seediq fighters.

This year's commemorations have lent the release a new layer of resonance. Speaking to mainland media in Xiamen, Wei said he hopes the film would help mainland audiences better understand Taiwan's resistance against Japanese occupation.

Commenting on the film's release at a press briefing this week, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said Japan "bears historical responsibility to the Chinese people on the Taiwan question," adding that during its 50-year colonial rule of Taiwan, it committed "grave crimes." He urged Chinese people on both sides to "remember history, honor the martyrs, defend the fruits of victory, and open a better future."

The Wushe Incident is a key episode in Taiwan's anti-colonial resistance history. Under Japanese colonial rule, Seediq communities in Wushe were forced to abandon their customs and surrender the shotguns and ammunition they had relied on for generations for hunting. Men were turned into laborers for the Japanese, while many women were married to Japanese policemen and later abandoned.

In 1930, after more than three decades of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan, members of six villages belonging to a branch of the Seediq ethnic people launched an uprising in Wushe -- now part of Taiwan's Nantou County -- following long-term harsh governance and discriminatory treatment by the colonial authorities.

They were swiftly and brutally suppressed, with Japanese forces deploying artillery and poison gas. In 1931, the survivors of the six villages were forcibly relocated to what is now Qingliu, dozens of kilometers from their homes, and they never returned to their ancestral lands.

For many viewers, the history depicted in "Seediq Bale" has become a symbol of Taiwan people's courageous fight against colonial rule. In the Seediq language, "Seediq" means "human," and "Seediq Bale" translates to "true human." In one of the film's most cited lines, Mona Rudao declares, "If civilization means bowing and kneeling, then let me show you the pride of the uncivilized."

Wei himself has spoken about the film's defining role in his life. In a June 2012 interview with Xinhua in Taipei, the director, then 43 and fresh off the film's mainland release, joked, "if one day I pass away, my epitaph should probably read: 'This is the man who made Seediq Bale.'"  ■