Reviews Taiwanese Reviews

Documentary Review: The Price of Democracy (2019) by Jian-Hua Liao

A documentary about two political activists in Taiwan, their past and their present struggles as well as the relevance of their ideals.

While many citizens of the world take democracy for granted in their home countries, it is often that people forget the struggles and hardships others had to go through in order to install democratic ideals in society. As the protests and fights of the past become the source material for history lessons, seminars and factual books, few of us seem to forget or do not understand how our lives would change if past generations had not realized the need for change, and the necessity to fight for it. While working on a different project, Taiwanese filmmaker Jian-Hua Liao came upon two core figures of past political movements, activists, who continue their commitment for social change even though the majority of people marching with them are now far younger than they are. For his documentary “” the director recorded numerous conversations with Tseng Hsin-I and Kang Wei-Rang, talking about the past, their sacrifices but also about their lives now, and the ways the fight which shaped their home country has also defined them.

The Price for Democracy” is screening at Taiwan Film Festival

One of the most interesting aspects of Jian-Hua Liao’s approach to the subject is his choice of perspective. Given his young age and his confusion about whether to commit to a movement such as the ones the people he encounters have started or joined in the past, the view presented in his feature seems to differ with each segment, going from being fascinated and nostalgic, to being hesitant and quite thoughtful, especially considering the toll their commitment has taken on Tseng Hsin-I and Kang Wei-Rang. However, there is something which is a current theme running through each frame and that is the search for ideals, the need for it but also the question of how far you are willing to go for your goals. Even though there is no denying in the respect we have in the sacrifices each of them had to make, there is also the question if you can go that far as well.

Additionally, the documentary explores the differentiation between the political and the private person. During the conversations with both activists, supported by a great amount of archival footage, the journey of democratization in Taiwan goes hand in hand with a convergence of the political and the private person, eventually turning them into one. At the same time, there are these moments during which you feel a sense of trepidation in the interviewee, for example, when Hsin-I expresses her sorrow and grief for the lack of compassion in protesters upon seeing one of their own committing suicide for their cause. As the camera follows Kang Wei-Rang around the apartment he shares with other men, all of whom have also been part of a social movement at one point in their lives, there is the question of whether one should fight for these goals – a fight which is, to use Kang’s own words “better than sex”.

Nevertheless, this kind of skepticism, or confusion, for lack of a better word, is what makes “The Price of Democracy” such an engaging watch. Undoubtedly, there is the interest in the struggle and the past, but there is also the image of what the cost is to engage in such a life, it is a view which drives the documentary and makes it bolder than any account of historical facts can possibly be, by showing the ideals of the past and their worth for the present. In the middle of this skepticism or confusion, perhaps a commitment is born, but most certainly respect for those willing to risk their lives for a higher goal.

In the end, “The Price of Democracy” is a very interesting and, as mentioned before, a very engaging documentary about the price as well as the need for idealism in our world. By choosing the lives of two political activists, presenting their lives, past and present, director Jian-Hua Liao manages to create a very gripping feature which, hopefully, sparks the right kind of discussion about the role of idealism today, within Taiwan but also wherever the documentary will be watched.

About the author

Rouven Linnarz

Ever since I watched Takeshi Kitano's "Hana-Bi" for the first time (and many times after that) I have been a cinephile. While much can be said about the technical aspects of film, coming from a small town in Germany, I cherish the notion of art showing its audience something which one does normally avoid, neglect or is unable to see for many different reasons. Often the stories told in films have helped me understand, discover and connect to something new which is a concept I would like to convey in the way I talk and write about films. Thus, I try to include some info on the background of each film as well as a short analysis (without spoilers, of course), an approach which should reflect the context of a work of art no matter what genre, director or cast. In the end, I hope to pass on my joy of watching film and talking about it.

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