Battle-Scarred Taiwanese Islands Shine in Oscar-Nominated Film, Reports Reuters

By Ben Blanchard and Fabian Hamacher

TAIPEI – A film centered on the frontline Taiwanese islands that were fiercely contested by China during the Cold War is competing for an Oscar this year. The director hopes the film will help shed light on the ongoing tensions surrounding Taiwan for a wider audience.

S. Leo Chiang, a Taiwanese-American filmmaker, has created a 19-minute documentary titled "Island in Between." The film tells the story of Kinmen, a small group of islands located near the Chinese coast.

Since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, Kinmen has been under Taiwan’s control and was the site of intense battles during the 1950s when Beijing launched numerous attacks.

Chiang emphasized that revisiting Kinmen’s history is particularly pertinent given the rising tensions with China, particularly following military exercises conducted by China in 2022 after the visit of a prominent U.S. political figure to Taipei.

China views Taiwan, which operates as a democracy, as part of its territory, a claim that is firmly rejected by the Taiwanese government.

"I believe there is greater interest in Taiwan than ever before. We are certainly capitalizing on that interest," Chiang remarked.

"Life here is quite normal. People are not living in constant fear. However, in Kinmen, the atmosphere is different," he added.

The remnants of Kinmen’s turbulent past, including old bunkers and buildings peppered with bullet holes, serve as stark reminders of its history. The film begins with the image of an abandoned tank partially buried in the sand, its gun facing out to sea. Martial law on the islands remained in effect until 1992, five years longer than in Taiwan itself.

Chiang aims to use Kinmen as a symbol of the tensions with China while also sharing a broader narrative about Taiwanese identity. "Personally, I cherish my Chinese cultural, historical, and ethnic ties, but when it comes to national identity, I am very clear in identifying as Taiwanese," he explained.

"Island in Between" has been nominated for Best Documentary Short Film, with the Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for March 10.

Looking ahead to future projects, Chiang mentioned the possibility of creating a film about the late Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng, known for her staunch anti-Communist stance. Teng’s songs were famously broadcasted into China from Kinmen, and her music continues to resonate throughout the Chinese-speaking world.

"I don’t think people fully appreciate how iconic she truly was," he noted.