[EFF2017S8] Session 8: About The Island, curated by George Clark
Description
For this screening, artist George Clark presented and discussed his film Sea of Clouds as part of his broader research into Taiwanese politics and moving image culture. The illustrated talk ranged from the Japanese colonial period to the avant-garde journal Theatre Quarterly and the work of artists such as Chen Chieh-jen and Kao Chung-li, ethnographer Hu Tai-Li and independent filmmaker Huang Ming-chuan. Filmmaker Ya-Li Huang and George Clark took part in a discussion on cinema in Taiwan chaired by researcher and curator Julian Ross.
Films: Sea of Clouds (雲海), George Clark, UK/Taiwan, 2016, DCP, 16 minutes, Mandarin and English
The Pursuit of What Was (物的追尋), Ya-Li Huang, Taiwan, 2008, digital, 22 minutes, Mandarin with English subtitles
The Boat-Burning Festival (王船的祭典), Chang Chao-Tang, Taiwan, 1979, digital, 20 minutes, Mandarin with English subtitles
Spanning the Tropic of Cancer, the island of Taiwan is located south of Japan with the East China Sea to the north, the Philippine Sea to the east, the Luzon Strait directly to the south and the South China Sea to the southwest. The history of the island can be read in its complex landscapes. Filmed across central Taiwan, Sea of Clouds approaches landscape as a contested terrain marked by changing histories of interpretation and occupation. The film is structured around an interview with contemporary artist Chen Chieh-jen. In order to describe the approach to his work, Chen recalls the tradition of using screenings as a means of covert political assembly during the Japanese colonial period. In bringing these materials together the film attempts to map the contours, slippages and broader resonances within the mountain landscapes in order to find ways into the complex history of labour, colonisation and cinema in Taiwan.
Previews
1 - EFF17S8 Discussion (EFF17S8 About The Island George Clark.MP3)
Collection Method
Data Objects
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Metadata
| Dataset Title: | [EFF2017S8] Session 8: About The Island, curated by George Clark |
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| Creators: | Temple, Michael and Barrington, Matthew |
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| Data collection method: | The Essay Film Festival ran between 2015 and 2023, and presented a global range of contemporary and restored essayistic works. The events are now archived here for research purposes. |
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| Statement on legal, ethical, and access issues: | All film stills were provided by participating artists. |
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| Depositing User: | Emma Yapp | ||||||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 11 Aug 2026 14:37 | ||||||||||||
| Last Modified: | 11 Aug 2026 14:37 | ||||||||||||
| Publisher: | Birkbeck College, University of London |
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2916-9876Impact & Reach
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