If you Google “the most dangerous place on Earth,” you might land on Ilha da Queimada Grande, off the coast of Brazil, better known as Snake Island - home to thousands of venomous pit vipers.
But if you consult The Economist, you'd be directed to a different island, one inhabited not by deadly snakes, but by 23 million people. It boasts stunning natural beauty, a booming semiconductor industry, and a vibrant democracy. The real danger of this island lies not within its borders, but in the geopolitical tensions that surround it.
Taiwan was relatively isolated until the 17th century, when Portuguese explorers dubbed it Ilha Formosa, or "Beautiful Island." Over the following 400 years, it became a target of colonial and imperial conquest.
In 1949, the Chinese Civil War led to the retreat of the Kuomintang (KMT) government to Taiwan, where they established a separate government. But Beijing has since insisted that the mainland and Taiwan are one nation, a stance that President Xi Jinping has recently threatened to enforce, “reunifying” them by force if necessary. Should he succeed, China would destabilize the first island chain of defense of the United States, and in doing so, tip world power toward China. And so Taiwan dangles in the balance, like the pin of a grenade.
Since the 1990s, Taiwan has blossomed into a thriving democracy. It is the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, and Taiwan’s legislature is composed of 42 percent women. In 2016, voters even elected their first female president, Tsai Ing-wen.
“We don’t have a need to declare ourselves an independent state - we are an independent nation,” said President Tsai, who is the subject of Vanessa Hope’s enthralling new documentary, Invisible Nation. It’s a David versus Goliath and Goliath story about a small, proud nation stuck between the world’s two biggest superpowers, and the unlikely leader who refuses to back down.
Over the course of seven years, Hope, who previously served on the Council on Foreign Relations, managed to secure rare access to President Tsai. Those interviews are the nexus of the film. Alongside legendary producer (and husband) Ted Hope - known for championing breakout films by Ang Lee, Todd Solondz, Sean Baker, Todd Field, and known here on Substack for his phenomenal Hope For Film - Vanessa Hope has finally shared Invisible Nation with the world, garnering critical praise (86 percent on The ‘Mato, with a 100 percent audience score) and even a glowing endorsement from filmmaker Park Chan-wook.
But despite the buzz and early Oscar conversations, the film faces a challenging road ahead. Global streaming platforms have been squeamish to distribute "difficult" documentaries, especially those that could upset foreign governments with large populations of potential subscribers.
I had the privilege of speaking with Vanessa Hope about those challenges, as well as her experience making Invisible Nation. You can watch that interview here:
Invisible Nation (2024)
Where To Watch Invisible Nation
Invisible Nation is still playing in select theaters. Find listings here.
Subscribe to Vanessa Hope’s Substack, A Question of Peace.
Ted Hope’s Hope For Film is essential. Subscribe to that one as well, if you haven’t already.
News Reel
- makes the provocative case that No, Culture Is Not Stuck: “Culture isn’t stagnating; it’s evolving in ways that we’re struggling to recognize and appreciate. The challenge lies not in reviving what’s dead, but in developing the language to understand what already exists.”
“Every Daily Show episode since Jon Stewart took over as host in 1999? Disappeared. The historic remains of The Colbert Report? Disappeared. Presumably, one hopes, those materials remain archived internally somewhere, but for the general masses, they’re kaput.” A chilling piece from the Guardian about Hollywood’s digital demolition.
- proposes we Make Moviegoing Casual Again. “Whatever the ‘solutions,’ the long-term goal should be for a film like Wolfs to be entirely acceptable to general consumers as a low-cost ($5-$7 a ticket), low-effort (a five-to-ten minute drive), lazy Saturday afternoon theatrical outing. Because making such films theatrically-worthy to moviegoers is crucial in making them potentially profitable to those who produce and release them.”
Underexposed turns two months old
When I launched this odd little weekly experiment in August, I was fully expecting to hear crickets. I’m so happy to be wrong.
At press time, Underexposed has 873 subscribers and climbing, 9K monthly page views, and an open rate tickling 70 percent. With so much to gawk at in this crazy world, I am truly humbled. Thank you for reading.
What’s happened to movies is part of a wider blight, I believe, and it’s a problem we need to confront. We’ve lost so much so fast. Now is the moment to speak up for the things that matter to us, even frivolous things like movies, and attempt to pass them along - before they’re wiped from the hard drive. Before there’s no one left to care.
What features are you enjoying most: interviews, essays, new films or old? What would you like to see more (or less) of? Let me know in the comments, or in Substack Notes, where we’ve been talking about Hitchcock’s lesser-known best hits.
Beyond the paywall, we have a bonus article - Occupational Hazards - as well as a video of Vanessa Hope’s Underexposed Guest Picks. Earlier this week, paid subscribers also received a bonus edition of Underexposed with my thoughts on Megalopolis. To unlock all that good stuff, or simply to support what I’m doing here, please consider upgrading to premium.
Occupational Hazards
Good cinema condenses global conflict to a human scale, allowing us to reflect on struggles for power the crucible of drama. With war raging and the election looming, it’s tempting to retreat to mindless comforts. I say, do what you gotta do. But if you're so inclined, here are a few phenomenal-yet-under-seen films that offer insight into human resilience, political tension, and the fight for freedom.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Underexposed to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.