Lund: Organizers of the Taiwan International Democratic Film Festival (TIDFF) marked the 228 Memorial Day with a screening of the film "Detention" at Sweden's Lund University. The event showcased the 2019 fantasy horror film, which is set against the backdrop of Taiwan's White Terror era, a period marked by severe political repression.
According to Focus Taiwan, "Detention" is based on a 2017 Taiwanese game and employs horror and fantasy to address the White Terror era, during which individuals perceived as political threats by the Kuomintang regime faced violent repression. The film follows a high school girl who wakes up alone in her classroom and, as she searches for her teacher, encounters demonic spirits and is forced to confront her own demons related to the political climate of the 1960s.
The TIDFF chose 228 Memorial Day to screen the film, linking it to Taiwan's February 28 Incident of 1947, which some view as a precursor to the White Terror period. Lund University student Li Yu-tung, who was instrumental in organizing the event, highlighted the importance of valuing Taiwan's democracy after experiencing life abroad.
Attendees, including Linn Alexandersson, expressed interest in learning more about Taiwan's history after watching the film. Alexandersson noted that while she was aware of China's and Japan's colonial histories, the film was her first exposure to Taiwan's internal conflicts.
Post-screening, a discussion was held featuring Jinyan Zeng, a senior lecturer at Lund University's Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, and Lin Fang-ru from Cosmopolitan Culture Action Taichung. The discussion centered on whether commercial films like "Detention" could effectively convey historical events. Lin argued that such films could indeed spark an interest in historical knowledge among audiences.
The event also provided information about the 228 Incident for attendees interested in further exploring the historical context. In addition to the screening at Lund University, "Detention" was shown in Paris by the Formosa Association in France. A post-viewing forum was held at the Forum des Images, where Taiwan's representative to France, Hao Pei-chih, discussed the 228 Incident and its implications for Taiwan's pursuit of freedom.