Troubling Chineseness: Indigenous Taiwan in Film and Literature

In Taiwan, Indigenous heritage has become a marker of national identity, yet Indigenous communities remain socially marginalized. This course examines this paradox through films and literature from the 1980s to present. How does indigeneity define Taiwan? What is Chineseness from an Indigenous perspective? What happens when indigeneity incorporates colonial practices? We'll explore documentaries, shorts, feature films, novels, short stories, essays, and poetry about Taiwanese Indigenous peoples, created by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. Through these works, we'll engage with issues of colonization, national identity, cultural stereotypes, gender, Indigenous worldviews, and Indigenous movements and cultural production. All course materials will be in English translation or have English subtitles.