FILM REVIEW: ISLAND IN BETWEEN (DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM) ⭐⭐⭐

THE FILM

TITLE: Island In Between

RELEASE DATE: 29 Sep 2023

WATCH DATE: 17 Feb 2024

TYPE: documentary short film

ACCESS: streaming on YouTube (published by The New York Times)

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THE PEOPLE

DIRECTOR: S. Leo Chiang

PRODUCER: Jean Tsien, S. Leo Chiang, Betsy Tsai, Yorke Wu, Yulan Chang, Lala Chung

ACTORS: NA

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THE STORY

RUNTIME: 20min

STORYLINE: Kinmen Island (Taiwan) lies merely five miles from the Chinese mainland, but the political and military conflict feels even closer

GENRE/THEMES: documentary, Asian culture & history, war, division

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THE CRITIQUE

A jarring realization of how much history is omitted from our education, and the current world events that are not covered by our American media. There are important things happening in our world that we ought to know about, and it is left to filmmakers to tell the stories that no one remembers or cares to tell.

Kinmen Island (Taiwan) lies a mere five miles from the Chinese mainland, but the political and military conflict feels so much closer. Striking cinematography and scenic composition of the island accompany a brief history of Taiwanese and Chinese conflict. The filmmaker/narrator explains this history without being overwhelming in 20 minutes. I feel like I learned something… I actually want to rewatch it to pay closer attention to the history. I enjoyed the first watch for the visual storytelling. The last shot of the sunken tank on the beach pointing at the setting sun will live in my memory for a while.

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THE RECEPTION

TOMATOMETER: NA

IMDB: 6.1/10

NOMINATIONS

• Academy Award for Documentary Short Film

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THE IMPRESSION

IN A SINGLE WORD: jarring

MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: un-taught history

REWATCH: yes

RATING: 3 // 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐

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