Uni Tübingen

20th Taiwan Documentary Film Festival: 4 -5 December

The 20th Taiwan Documentary Film Festival of the ERCCT focuses this year on the memories and stories that have shaped Taiwan’s path to the present day. At its heart are Taiwan’s democratic awakening, the coming to terms with political repression, and questions of identity, home, and social responsibility. The films offer different perspectives on Taiwan’s past and present: they tell the stories of those who fought for a free public sphere, of the long-overlooked victims of authoritarian rule, and of individual lives whose experiences continue to resonate today.

This year, we welcome two guest directors to present their work - Richard Chung 鍾宜杰 and James Huang 黃子明 in Tübingen, both of whom explore these themes in their own distinctive ways. An exhibition of opposition magazines from the 1980s will complement the festival program, organized by Dr. Isabelle Cockel from the School of Area Studies, History, Politics & Literature at the University of Portsmouth, an expert on oppositional publications and propaganda during the Cold War in East Asia.

The programme in detail can be downloaded here.

Friday, December 04, 2026

14:00 – 14:15  Opening Ceremony 開幕儀式
14:15 – 15:25  Eyes on Democracy 民主之眼 - Richard Chung
15:25  – 16:00  Q&A with director Chung
16:10 – 16:50  Behind the Scenes 幕後呐喊
16:50 – 17:20  Q&A with director James Huang
17:20 – 17:45  Break with Pretzeln
17:45 – 18:25  Finding Formosa: Laying Waste
18:30 – 20:00  Ohong Village 蚵豐村
 

Saturday, December 05, 2026

10:30 – 11:45 Surprise Documentary
11:45 – 12:15 Q&A
12:15 – 14:00  Lunch break
14:00 – 15:30  Memories Frozen in Time 冰封的記憶
15:30 – 16:00 Q&A and Closing Remarks
 

All films are shown in Chinese with English subtitles.

The festival takes place at Kino Atelier, Vor dem Haagtor 1, 72070 Tübingen and starts on Friday, December 4, at 2 pm (14 Uhr).
Tickets for the five documentary films are 8,- EUR, 6,- EUR for students. Only cash payments accepted, no cards possible. (Sorry!)
Entrance to the feature film “Ohong Village” is free. 

Taiwan Documentary Film Festival

The annual Taiwan Documentary Film Festival (TDFF) is jointly administered by the ERCCT and the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, Department of Chinese Studies, at Tübingen University. The first festival took place in May 2006. Every festival centers on either a particular topic, often related to socially marginalized groups in Taiwan, or on the work of an invited guest director.