The rural Taiwanese outer islands of Kinmen sit merely 2 miles off the coast of China. Kinmen attracts tourists for its remains from the 1949 Chinese Civil War. It also marks the frontline for Taiwan in its escalating tension with China.
Latterly, due to Covid, the island’s relationship with China has changed yet again, making for an interesting postscript. What really makes this film appealing, however, is the way in which Liang weaves together the personal and the political, reminding us that no matter the stories which those in power like to tell, on either side, they are meaningless in the face of actual human interconnection.Island In Between packshot. A personal perspective on the recent history of Kinmen, which lies between Taiwan and China. Director: S Leo Chiang.
Island In Between (2023) Director: S. Leo Chiang Screenwriters: S. Leo Chiang, David Teague.The film doesn’t for a moment even attempt to find a political controversy to pin its narrative to, nor does it wildly speculate on the importance of Taiwan in an international context. Instead, it focuses on the people of this place, and particularly on the filmmaker himself, S. Leo Chiang, through whom we experience this unique part of the world through a style of filmmaking similar to a high end YouTube travel vlog or an on-the-ground Vice video documentary.
