Invisible Nation

Strong portrait of Taiwan’s struggle to preserve its hard-won democracy, with unprecedented access to the country’s first female president Tsai Ing-wen. Tsai performs an impressive tightrope walk as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the US and China.

Ever since becoming Taiwan’s first female president in 2016, Tsai Ing-wen had to carefully navigate the country’s increasingly precarious position in the region and on the world stage. The dispute between Taiwan and China seems irreconcilable. Taiwan maintains it has the right to follow its own path. ‘We don’t have a need to declare ourselves an independent state. We are an independent nation,’ says Tsai. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, however, claims that ‘Taiwan is part of China’.  

With a direct and clear approach, director Vanessa Hope guides us through major historical and contemporary events that have made Taiwan such a political hotspot. With fascinating archive footage and TV news excerpts illustrating the long history of this constantly colonized island, and providing context for the current situation.