Cinematic Motif

Wanson Wang,Rti
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Welcome to Cinematic Motif, your weekly guide to the fascinating realm of movies in Taiwan and beyond. Each week, Wanson, a film columnist and content creator, introduces a film and discusses how it relates to our society. Occasionally, he welcomes guests from the film industry to talk about festivals, filmmaking, and everything in between. If you would like to share your feedback, please send your words or voice notes to: wanson@rti.org.tw You can also find Wanson on Instagram (@wansonscafe) and YouTube (阿善Café/Wanson's Café)

  1. 3D AGO

    A Screen for All: Is a lucky draw effective at defending Taiwan’s democracy in cinemas?

    Since 2000, Taiwan has maintained strict import quotas on Chinese films. The Ministry of Culture limits theatrical releases to 10 titles per year. While this policy is intended to protect the local industry and democratic society from political propaganda, the selection process, which relies on a lucky draw system, has sparked debate about its fairness and efficacy. In this third and final episode of the A Screen for All series, we examine the structural and legal challenges facing Chinese cinema in Taiwan. We ask: Why does the current system allow political propaganda to slip in while blocking independent films that criticise the Chinese government? The episode features film critic and festival programmer Wonder Weng (翁煌德), who discusses the practical failures of the current lottery draw, including the recent Black Dog controversy. We are also joined by Wesley Huang (黃品惟), a cinephile and law school graduate student, who proposes a reform toward a risk-based content review to defend Taiwan's democracy while protecting artistic expression. 【A Screen for All】Series Catalogue EP 1｜Why did China boycott the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan? EP 2｜How Taiwan becomes the new home for Hong Kong’s banned stories EP 3｜Is a lucky draw effective at defending Taiwan’s democracy in cinemas?

  2. MAR 6

    A Screen for All: How Taiwan becomes the new home for Hong Kong’s banned stories

    Imagine you are a documentary filmmaker in Hong Kong. In 2016, you released a film about the Umbrella Movement, where protesters were met with excessive police force. By 2022, you released another documentary that discusses the history and future of Hong Kong, following the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law movement. At some point, your works were all banned from being screened in the city that raised you. Would you leave your homeland to find the space to create? In the second episode of the A Screen for All series, host Wanson is joined by director Chan Tze Woon (陳梓桓), the filmmaker behind Yellowing (2016) and Blue Island (2022), to discuss his new journey in Taipei. We dive deep into why Taiwan has become a place for filmmakers who can no longer film in their homeland, and explore how Taiwan can support these filmmakers in diaspora. While political oppression may force a filmmaker to censor their own heart, freedom is the only thing that gives their vision life. 【A Screen for All】Series Catalogue EP 1｜Why did China boycott the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan? EP 2｜How Taiwan becomes the new home for Hong Kong’s banned stories EP 3｜Is a lucky draw effective at defending Taiwan’s democracy in cinemas?

  3. FEB 27

    A Screen for All: Why did China boycott the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan?

    In 2025, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) was named Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards (金馬獎) in Taipei for her role in the Malaysian film Mother Bhumi. Yet, Fan wasn't there to accept her trophy, only participating via phone call. Since her 2018 tax-evasion controversy, Fan has worked almost exclusively outside China. Meanwhile, Beijing continues its years-long boycott of the Golden Horse Awards—once the undisputed "Oscars" of the Chinese-speaking world. If you look at the official photos of the Golden Horse Awards from a decade ago, you’ll see a bunch of A-list stars from China. Today, those seats are often filled by different faces, including independent directors from Kuala Lumpur, documentary filmmakers from Hong Kong, and local Taiwanese creators. This is the first episode of the A Screen for All series, in which we examine the resilience and freedom of Taiwan's film industry and how Taiwan is becoming a creative hub for Chinese-speaking films in Asia.  This week, we start with how China’s boycott is reshaping the Golden Horse Awards, and why the Taiwan market remains a vital safe room for filmmakers across Asia. Wanson explains the context of China's boycott, and is joined by Wonder Weng (翁煌德), a film critic and festival programmer, to discuss the aftermath. 【A Screen for All】Series Catalogue EP 1｜Why did China boycott the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan? EP 2｜How Taiwan becomes the new home for Hong Kong’s banned stories EP 3｜Is a lucky draw effective at defending Taiwan’s democracy in cinemas?

  4. FEB 20

    My Lunar New Year Film Repertoire

    Happy Lunar New Year! What is your favourite thing to do during the holiday? For Wanson, it has always been watching movies. This week, Wanson shares his New Year film repertoire, including 4 DVDs directly from his bookshelf—perhaps some of these films will be your cup of tea!

  5. FEB 13

    2026 Oscars Trend Breakdown

    The Academy Awards ceremony will take place on 15 March. As we count down to the big night, Wesley Pin-wei Huang, a cinephile who writes film reviews, joins us again this week to discuss some of the key trends at this year’s Oscars. Is the Academy becoming more international? Does the nomination list reflect new aesthetics in cinematic language? Tune in to find out! If you would like to share your feedback, please send your words or voice notes to: wanson@rti.org.tw You can also find Wanson on Instagram (@wansonscafe) and YouTube (阿善Café/Wanson's Café)

  6. FEB 6

    Highlights of the Oscars 2026 nominees

    The Oscar nominees for 2026 have been announced. As the award ceremony approaches, let’s go over some of the strong contenders with our friend Wesley Pin-wei Huang, a cinephile who writes reviews for several platforms in Taiwan. We talk about Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and more! If you would like to share your feedback, please send your words or voice notes to: wanson@rti.org.tw You can also find Wanson on Instagram (@wansonscafe) and YouTube (阿善Café/Wanson's Café)

  7. JAN 30

    It Was Just an Accident: Iran's authoritarian regime and Jafar Panahi's resistance

    This week, we’ll discuss "It Was Just an Accident," Jafar Panahi’s 2025 Palme d’Or–winning film made under repression. At a moment of unrest in Iran, this is cinema as a form of resistance. If you would like to share your feedback, please send your words or voice notes to: wanson@rti.org.tw You can also find Wanson on Instagram (@wansonscafe) and YouTube (阿善Café/Wanson's Café)

  8. JAN 23

    The Smashing Machine: Is Dwayne Johnson finally acting?

    You’ve never seen him like this. This week, we’re talking about the film "The Smashing Machine," the winner of Best Director at last year's Venice Film Festival, and breaking down Dwayne Johnson’s unrecognisable transformation into the MMA legend Mark Kerr in the movie. If you would like to share your feedback, please send your words or voice notes to: wanson@rti.org.tw You can also find Wanson on Instagram (@wansonscafe) and YouTube (阿善Café/Wanson's Café)

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About

Welcome to Cinematic Motif, your weekly guide to the fascinating realm of movies in Taiwan and beyond. Each week, Wanson, a film columnist and content creator, introduces a film and discusses how it relates to our society. Occasionally, he welcomes guests from the film industry to talk about festivals, filmmaking, and everything in between. If you would like to share your feedback, please send your words or voice notes to: wanson@rti.org.tw You can also find Wanson on Instagram (@wansonscafe) and YouTube (阿善Café/Wanson's Café)

Information

  • Creator
    Wanson Wang,Rti
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2018-2026 Rti - For Personal Use Only
  • Show Website
    Cinematic Motif