再見，台灣激情年代

In the wake of the Tienanmen Square Incident in1989, Taiwanese students organized a demonstration at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, where they raised their voices in support of their Beijing comrades. They wanted democracy, freedom and human rights. The passion of their youth penetrated the society of that time. The mobilized a thousand students to mourn the students who died at Tienanmen and to celebrate news of the death of DENG Xiaoping, but was it not only in order to pat themselves on the back? Once the tumult had passed, what help had it brought to society?

At the outset, the film informs the audience of its intention to both document and support the student movement. In March 1990, students from all over the universities, colleges and volitional schools throughout Taiwan raised their voices in unison to call for old National Assembly members to retire from office. There were four points to their demand: dissolve the National Assembly; abolish the Temporary Measures for Suppression of the Rebellion; convene a conference to discuss national affairs; and provide a timetable for democratic reform.

In 1982, TaiPower, a major industrial firm, decided to use Orchid Island as a dumping ground for nuclear waste. In 1987, the Dawus decided to protest formally against the dumping of nuclear waste on their beloved island. In 1988, the infamous 220 action to ‘rip the evil out of Orchid Island’ took place. It was a historic moment marking the first time the Dawus demonstrated against the nuclear waste. It has been 15 years since the documentary was made, but the evil spirit still invades this beautiful island.

This video work can be regarded as a chronicle of the 100 Union Action, which, founded in Sep 21 1991, appealed for the abolition of article 100 of the Criminal Law. On Oct 9 and 10, the members of the union protested behind the Taiwan University Medical School for the abolition of this unfair law. After the protest, the union’s members, including scholars, doctors, were interviewed and spoke on reflection of the positive and negative outcomes of their action.

In the 520 event, 5000 farmers marched on government office in order to propose their 7 requests - farmers’ health insurance, the promise of the rice price guarantees, and the release of farmland sale, etc. Their actions have become the most radical since 1979. Like urban-guerrilla warfare, the violence between the storm department and the farmers continued into the night, with students and civilians coming out in sympathy with the farmers. With the encouragement of the social movement of workers, the farmers self-help event was enlarged into a big democratic movement.