Edward YANG's acclaimed classic The Terrorizers (1986), which earned the director his first Golden Horse Award for Best Narrative Feature, was screened on October 8 as the closing film of the special program “Under the Same Roof: The Taiwanese New Wave” in the Czech Republic. The film kept the entire audience riveted throughout the screening, with many expressing their admiration afterward: “Who would have thought that Taiwan was already making such mind-bending and captivating films 40 years ago!”
Co-organized by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture, the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI), the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague (TECO), and the Czech Republic's Národní filmový archive (National Film Archive), “Under the Same Roof: The Taiwanese New Wave” ran from September 17 to October 8 in Prague, the Czech capital renowned as one of Europe's cultural and artistic centers. The program featured restored classics by Taiwan New Cinema masters such as Edward YANG, HOU Hsiao-hsien, and TSAI Ming-liang, whose distinctive visual styles, atmospheres, and subject matter treated Czech cinephiles to an eye-opening cinematic experience.
The Terrorizers received an enthusiastic response from audiences at both of its program screenings. During the post-screening discussion, event curator David HAVAS praised the film for its postmodern, metafictional approach, and political allegories, describing it as one of his favorite Taiwanese films. TFAI Chairman Arthur CHU, who also attended the event, reminded the audience that The Terrorizers is a Taiwanese film made 40 years ago. With his incisive eye and bold, forward-thinking storytelling, Edward YANG broke away from conventional narrative formulas, casting a detached gaze on the social atmosphere of that time, which appeared alienated and indifferent on the surface yet was internally on the verge of collapse.
A local audience member shared that watching The Terrorizers was just as fascinating as watching the mind-bending films that have become popular in recent years, expressing amazement that Taiwan could have produced such a masterpiece 40 years ago. In response, TFAI Chairman Arthur CHU remarked that the mind-bending nature of Edward YANG's films is by no means a product of pure imagination, but stems from his penetrating observations of Taiwanese society. Looking back today, his films seem more like urban prophecies.
Many audience members expressed a desire to see more, hoping to have opportunities to watch the latest Taiwanese films in the future. Arthur CHU also emphasized that this event has laid a strong foundation for collaboration with the Czech National Film Archive. Moving forward, both sides will work even harder to bring both classic and contemporary Taiwanese films to Czech audiences.
This year’s “Under the Same Roof” Taiwanese film program centered on the theme of “family,” with more than a year of planning and film selection involving close coordination between the Czech National Film Archive and TFAI. The final lineup featured restored classics exploring family-related themes, including Edward YANG's The Terrorizers (1986), HOU Hsiao-hsien's The Time to Live and the Time to Die (1985), TSAI Ming-liang's Rebels of the Neon God (1992) and The River (1997), and Teenage Fugitive (1984), directed by CHANG Pei-cheng and written by TSAI Ming-liang.
Curator David HAVAS remarked: “The breakdown of family relationships and the severing of emotional bonds are actually quite common in Czech society. However, compared with Taiwanese cinema, Czech films perhaps have not explored these themes in such depth.” He added that “Under the Same Roof” takes family relationships and shared living arrangements as its starting point, while also reflecting broader changes in society and international affairs.
The Terrorizers won Best Narrative Feature at the 23rd Golden Horse Awards. Its enigmatic screenplay, blurring the lines between reality and fiction, was highly unusual in Taiwanese film history and remains one of Edward YANG's signature mind-bending works. YANG once explained: “The most exciting aspect of The Terrorizers is WANG An's real-life experience of making prank calls. Since the story revolves around this, there must be a married couple and a mother. This is a logical development, like a puzzle game.”
Taiwan New Cinema emerged against the backdrop of rapid social transformation in the 1980s, as filmmakers experimented with new narrative approaches and alternative cinematic language to portray emotions and everyday life more authentically. By bringing stories of family relationships, generational differences, and social change to the screen, the movement attracted international attention at the time. TFAI will continue its mission of digitally restoring classic Taiwanese films, with the hope that Taiwan‘s boundless creative energy and rich cultural heritage will bring a refreshing sense of discovery to contemporary international audiences.
➤ Edward YANG's acclaimed classic The Terrorizers (1986), which earned the director his first Golden Horse Award for Best Narrative Feature, was screened on October 8 as the closing film of the “Under the Same Roof: The Taiwanese New Wave” special program in the Czech Republic. (Courtesy of TFAI)
➤ The Terrorizers (1986) received an enthusiastic audience response at both of its special screenings during the “Under the Same Roof: The Taiwanese New Wave” program. TFAI Chairman Arthur CHU (right) attended the post-screening discussion. (© Zuzana Homolka Fedorová)
➤ Local Czech audiences expressed amazement that Taiwan could have produced a masterpiece like The Terrorizers (1986) 40 years ago. (© Zuzana Homolka Fedorová)
➤ Curator David HAVAS described The Terrorizers (1986) as one of his favorite Taiwanese films. (© Zuzana Homolka Fedorová)
➤ TFAI Chairman Arthur CHU remarked that The Terrorizers (1986), a Taiwanese film made 40 years ago, showcases director Edward YANG's incisive eye and forward-thinking storytelling. (Courtesy of TFAI)
➤ The Terrorizers (1986) won Best Narrative Feature at the 23rd Golden Horse Awards and remains one of Edward YANG's signature mind-bending works. (Courtesy of TFAI)