Event | UVA Arts

A group of Taiwanese students and professors are organizing a screening of the acclaimed documentary "Invisible Nation" at the Drama and Theater Department.

This film offers a powerful and timely examination of Taiwan’s democracy, resilience, and identity, and we believe it will foster meaningful dialogue among students, faculty, and the broader Asian community at UVA. The event is free to students and the public.

The Film

Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, centers this portrait of the constantly colonized island, as it struggles to preserve its hard-won democracy, autonomy and freedom from fear of authoritarian aggression. SYNOPSIS

With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s sitting head of state, director Vanessa Hope investigates the election and tenure of Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan. Thorough, incisive and bristling with tension, Invisible Nation is a living account of Tsai’s tightrope walk as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the U.S. and China. Hope’s observational style captures Tsai at work in her country’s vibrant democracy at home, while seeking full international recognition of Taiwan’s right to exist. At a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the ever-present threat of authoritarian aggression, Invisible Nation brings punctual focus to the struggle of Taiwan as it fights for autonomy and freedom from fear.