Saw the golden September elegance: Japanese director makes documentary for Taiwan

By / Reported and compiled by Li Xinyi

The JiuFen Shengping Theater, which reopened last year (2011) in September, has restored its former glory, screening classic films from the 1950s to allow visitors to JiuFen to truly experience the lively days of old. Starting in January, in addition to weekends, weekdays from Monday to Friday will begin screening two documentaries shot and produced on location by Japanese director Masayuki Hayashi: "Listening to the Wind – The Tale of Taiwan’s JiuFen" and "Dancing Rain – The Last Light of Jinguashi." Some of the interviewees in these two films are over 80 years old, and most are elderly Taiwanese and Japanese who worked in the mines of JiuFen and Jinguashi during the Japanese colonial period. The films faithfully reflect the colonial history, quietly recording the miners’ stories, school life, and changes in the community as told by the elders.

Since its reopening on September 16 last year, the Shengping Theater has sought to revive the multifunctional art and culture space it once was. In addition to static nostalgic exhibits, glove puppet shows, narrated stage performances, community art performances, and lectures, classic old films are also shown every Friday to Sunday afternoon. In January, popular classic films from the 1950s such as "My Daughter Roulan" (1/7), "The Duck Herder’s Family" (1/8), "The Silent Wife" (1/14), "Cousin Wanjun" (1/15), "The Lonely Seventeen" (1/21), "The Bride and I" (1/28), and "Home in Taipei" (1/29) will be screened on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Starting in 2012, in addition to weekends, weekday film screenings will also be increased. From Monday to Friday, at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM, the theater will screen "Listening to the Wind – The Tale of Taiwan’s JiuFen" (produced in 2007 by Japanese documentary director Masayuki Hayashi, focusing on the rise and fall of the JiuFen mines) and "Dancing Rain – The Last Light of Jinguashi" (produced in 2009, themed around the rise and fall of the Jinguashi mines).