From Taipei to LA: What I'm Bringing Home with Me
A cinematic dispatch on freedom, and finding the future in Taiwan
We just landed back in Los Angeles. Our heads are still spinning. Our hearts are still full. INVISIBLE NATION, our documentary about Taiwan’s democracy through the leadership of President Tsai Ing-wen, just premiered in 65 theaters across Taiwan on its opening weekend — and what happened next was beyond anything we imagined. It was beyond anything that’s ever happened before for any American filmmaker with a feature film in theatrical release in Taiwan.
We’re being called a phenomenon. A blockbuster. A movement. On opening weekend, we passed 5 million NTD at the box office. One week later, we crossed 10 million. But the real numbers that matter are the number of sold-out screenings. The number of people of all ages in Taiwan so moved they came up to us after screenings and discussions and told us how much the film meant to them.
President Tsai herself posted on Facebook and Threads encouraging audiences to see the film in theaters on opening weekend:
“This is not a documentary about me — it’s a documentary about Taiwan.
Through our steadfast commitment to democratic values... the world is finally beginning to see Taiwan.”
That one sentence — the world is finally beginning to see Taiwan — is why I made this film. Why we boarded a 13-hour flight the same day Trump deployed military force in Los Angeles. Why I’ve given interviews in Mandarin, stood on red carpets in Taipei, and wept backstage with people who know what democracy costs.
There are so many meaningful posts being shared about INVISIBLE NATION all over social media, but here is one particularly memorable one, describing a Q&A I was in, that I too will never forget (note this is a rough translation from the Chinese and our film title often gets translated as INVISIBLE COUNTRY:
I got up early last weekend and went with my husband to watch the long-awaited documentary "Invisible Country". This is a movie I have been looking forward to since it was released in the United States and Canada. Book your tickets and make adequate preparations, fearing that you will miss it if you are not careful. The cautious and prudent mood is just like when I was preparing to release the results of my experience, I was both nervous and looking forward to it.
After the movie ended, no one in the audience was in a hurry to leave. Everyone sat quietly, watching the list of thanks flowing slowly on the screen, as if they were settling in, or thinking. Such tacit understanding and tranquility are rare and very touching.
Just when I thought this was the most special experience, director Ge Jingwen actually showed up! She personally shared every detail of the filming process with everyone, and was also open to questions on the spot. This surprise, which was not included in the ticket price, made the entire movie-watching experience extra precious. Well~ of course there is that Taiwanese girl in the audience. When speaking on the spot in the Q&A, she couldn't help crying while speaking, and mentioned that eight years ago, she and her Hong Kong husband watched Hong Kong being oppressed and swallowed up step by step, and finally decided to return to Taiwan. The excitement and heartache made me listen so deeply and profoundly.
This is not just a documentary, but a piece of modern Taiwan history that we cannot ignore, and we are all the protagonists in the story. It allows us to see those people who have been forgotten in the tide of history, their scars, their persistence and courage; it also makes us rethink the relationship between "country" and "people". And as Taiwanese, how should we position ourselves? What else can we do for this land?
I remember that when I was studying in the Philippines ten years ago, several students from different countries sat together and chatted, and the topic naturally turned to the relationship between Taiwan and China. Chinese students take it for granted that Taiwan is part of China. This is taught in textbooks. Even Korean students think so. They even said: "How can there be winter in Taiwan? How can your temperature be called winter?" But at that time, several of us Taiwanese responded in unison: "Taiwan is not part of China, Taiwan is Taiwan." As for winter, I smiled and replied: "Does your winter have to be exactly the same as mine? Doesn't it have to be below zero to be considered winter?"
At that moment, I felt the unity of the Taiwanese people, and I also truly felt Taiwan's neglected situation in the world. And this feeling was awakened again in the movie today.
So what I want to say is, if you love this land, if you consider yourself a Taiwanese living on this land, then go watch this movie! This is not just watching a movie, but giving yourself a chance to understand, empathize, and see the history and people that have been deliberately obscured.
The movie is not long, but it has a strong staying power. It will quietly plant something in your heart and make you unable to put it down easily. Those voices, those eyes, and those gaps in history all remind us that Taiwan should not be defined by others. We Taiwanese have the final say ourselves.
Where We Premiered: More Than Cinemas, They Were Sanctuaries
Our press conferences and some of our screenings, including the VIP premiere, were held at SPOT Huashan — Taiwan’s first national-level art-house cinema — and SPOT Taipei, located in the former U.S. ambassador’s residence. Both curated by the legendary director Hou Hsiao-Hsien, these venues aren’t just theaters. They’re safe houses for memory, for resistance, for slow cinema in a sped-up world.
In his films — A City of Sadness, The Puppetmaster, The Assassin — Hou redefined how a nation could be filmed. Now, through SPOT, he’s redefining how a nation remembers itself. It felt fitting. Sacred. Like we were placing Taiwan’s story exactly where it belonged: in the center of its own frame.
What I Brought Home With Me
I brought back gifts, our film’s ingenious merch (by our distributor, Swallow Wings, a stellar t-shirt, playing cards, fans, postcards, pins) and many photos. I’ve posted on Instagram @vhopeful, and you can find more pics on the film’s two Instagram accounts: @invisiblenationfilm and @invisiblenationtw. But more than that — I brought back lessons from four women who anchor INVISIBLE NATION, and who now live in my bones.
Tsai Ing-wen: Leadership Without Spectacle
She governed with moral force, not media frenzy. She brought marriage equality, transitional justice, and green energy to Taiwan — all while facing down one of the most powerful authoritarian regimes in the world. And she did it with calm, clarity, and class.
Chen Chu: Resistance Is Daily Work
Imprisoned under martial law, later a mayor, and most recently head of the Control Yuan, Chen Chu’s story reminds us: freedom is not inherited. It’s earned. And it’s defended — through community, through public service, through pain.
Hsiao Bi-khim: The New Face of Feminist Diplomacy
Taiwan’s Vice President coined “cat warrior diplomacy” — a contrast to China’s “wolf warriors.” She doesn’t shout. She builds. She’s redefining power, and quietly showing the world that courage can be strategic, and grace can be geopolitical.
Wu Pei-yi: Youth, Queerness, and the Politics of Showing Up
A former student activist turned legislator, Wu stood at our Taipei screening and said:
“我們不要放棄任何一個溝通的機會。”
“We must not give up a single opportunity to communicate.”
That’s what democracy sounds like. Not domination — dialogue.
From Juneteenth to “No Kings Day”
We flew home the week Americans marked Juneteenth and staged the largest protest since 2017: over 5 million people marched for No Kings Day on Trump’s birthday.
The parallels were stark. In Taipei, audiences wept at the sight of democratic dignity. In Los Angeles, protestors faced down military raids. The world feels upside-down. And yet — something is shifting.
What Taiwan showed me is this: freedom isn't abstract. It isn’t theory. It’s practice. It’s refusal. It’s community. It's the courage to say we exist when powerful forces insist you don’t.
This Film Wasn’t Made for Experts. It Was Made for You.
Too many people stay silent on Taiwan because they’re afraid they’ll get it wrong. They’re not policy wonks. They don’t have the “right” language. But that fear — that hesitation — is what authoritarianism feeds on.
INVISIBLE NATION was made to break that spell. To help people feel smarter, not smaller. Empowered, not overwhelmed. This is not just Taiwan’s story. It’s yours. It’s mine. It’s about anyone who’s ever been erased — and everyone who has dared to reappear.
We stand with Taiwan in all its bravery. Right now, in a world cracking open under the weight of disinformation, disenfranchisement, and dictatorship — brave is enough.
“Hope locates itself in the premises that we don’t know what will happen, and that in the spaciousness of uncertainty is room to act.”
— Rebecca Solnit
Thank you, Taiwan. I see you.
And I’m bringing your courage home with me.
xVanessa
Showtimes for theaters across Taiwan:
https://reurl.cc/W06VZO
Weekend crowds are large, so please reserve your tickets early on official theater websites!
INVISIBLE NATION — Now playing nationwide with additional screenings added:
Watch the trailer: https://reurl.cc/yRAOKE
Buy group tickets: https://reurl.cc/EVQmbk
我們剛從台北返抵洛杉磯。腦袋仍在旋轉，心中依然滿溢。INVISIBLE NATION——一部透過蔡英文總統領導下的台灣民主為主題的紀錄片——在台灣首週末於 65 家戲院首映，接下來發生的一切超出了我們的想像，也從未在任何美國導演的電影在台上映時出現過。
媒體稱我們是現象級，是重磅，是一場運動。首週末票房突破 500 萬新台幣，一週後更衝破 1,000 萬。但真正有意義的數字是：場場秒殺、各年齡層觀眾在映後與我們交流、說出這部片對他們的深刻意義。
蔡英文總統本人在她的 Facebook 和 Threads 上留言，鼓勵大家首週末進戲院觀賞：
「這不是一部關於我的紀錄片，而是一部關於台灣的紀錄片。透過我們堅定不移的民主價值……世界終於開始看見台灣。」
正是這一句——世界終於開始看見台灣——成為我拍這部片的原因。那天，我們登上橫跨大西洋的 13 小時飛機，剛好特朗普在洛杉磯調動軍力那天。我接受普通話訪問，踏上台北紅毯，在幕後與懂得「民主代價」的人共同落淚。
網路上對《INVISIBLE NATION》的分享無數，但有一則關於我參與的 Q&A 特別令我印象深刻（以下為中文轉譯，片名常被譯作《看不見的國家》）：
「上週末一早，我和先生提早去看了備受期待的紀錄片《看不見的國家》。這部片從美、加拿大上映後我就一直期待，訂了票，做好萬全準備，怕錯過不敢大意。那種既緊張又期待，就像自己要公布生命經歷成果時的心情。
片尾字幕下完，觀眾一動也不動，靜靜地看著片尾致謝名單緩緩流動，彷彿在沉澱，或在深思。這樣無聲的默契與寧靜罕見，也令人動容。
就在我以為這已經很特別了，導演葛靜文竟然現身了！她親自和大家分享拍片點滴，還當場開放提問。這份超出買票價值的驚喜，讓觀影體驗更加珍貴。當然也包括那位台灣女生觀眾。她一開口就哭了，說八年前她和香港老公目睹香港漸漸被壓迫、被蠶食，最終選擇回到台灣。她的激動與心痛，讓我聽得好深、好景仰。
這不只是一部紀錄片，而是一段我們不能忽略的現代台灣史，我們都是主角。它讓我們看到被歷史浪潮遺忘的人們，他們的傷痕、堅持與勇氣；也讓我們重新思考「國家與人民」的關係。作為台灣人，我們如何定位自己？我們還能為這片土地做什麼？」
十年前我在菲律賓讀書時，和不同國家的學生聊到台灣與中國的關係。中國學生理所當然地認為台灣是中國一部分，韓國學生也這麼說：「台灣怎麼會有冬天？什麼溫度才算冬天？」當時我們幾位台灣學生立刻異口同聲說：「台灣不是中國的，台灣就是台灣。」至於冬天，我笑著回：「你們的冬天一定要跟我一樣嗎？一定要低於零度才叫冬天？」
那一刻，我感受到台灣人的團結，也真正體會到台灣在世界上的被忽視，而今日在電影中，這股感覺再次被喚醒。
所以我要說的是，如果你愛這片土地，如果你認同自己是住在這片土地上的台灣人，那就去看這部電影吧！這不只是看一部電影，而是給自己一次理解、同理、看見那些被刻意忽略的歷史與人們的機會。
電影不長，卻穿透力強，會悄悄在心裡種下一種力量，讓你難以忘懷。那些聲音，那些目光，那些歷史空白，提醒我們：台灣不該讓他人定義，我們才是最終的定義者。
我們在哪裡首映：不只是電影院，而是庇護所
我們的記者會和部份場次（包括 VIP 首映）在 SPOT Huashan（台灣第一所國家級藝術電影院）與 SPOT Taipei（美國前大使館官邸改建）舉行。兩者皆由傳奇導演 侯孝賢規劃策展，這些空間不只是電影院，而是記憶的庇護所、抵抗的基地、快節奏世界中的慢電影聖地。
在他的電影──《悲情城市》、《戲夢人生》、《刺客》──中，侯導重新定義了一個國家的影像；如今透過 SPOT，他也重新定義了一個國家如何記憶自己。儀式感強烈，宛如神聖，彷彿把台灣的故事放在它應該被看見的中央。
我帶回家的禮物
我帶回了禮物──由台灣發行商 Swallow Wings 打造的創意周邊（精選 T‑shirt、撲克牌、扇子、明信片、胸章）和許多照片。我已在 Instagram @vhopeful 分享，你也可以在兩個電影帳號上看到更多：@invisiblenationfilm 與 @invisiblenationtw。
更重要的是──我從四位置於《INVISIBLE NATION》核心的女性身上帶回了課題，她們如今深植我心：
蔡英文：不靠噱頭的領導力
陳菊：每天的抗爭是工作的一部分
蕭美琴：柔性外交的新臉孔
吳沛憶：行動中的青年、酷兒、溝通政治
「我們不要放棄任何一個溝通的機會。」——吳沛憶
從六四到 No Kings Day
我們返美那週正值美國紀念 Juneteenth，並在川普生日當天迎來自 2017 年以來最大的抗議：逾 500 萬人走上街頭舉行 No Kings Day。
這兩地的對照令人震撼：在台北，觀眾為民主的尊嚴落淚；在洛杉磯，抗議者抵抗軍隊鎮壓。世界彷彿已翻轉。然而——值得欣慰的是：某些力量正在改變。
台灣教會我：自由不是抽象，也不是理論；它是實踐、拒絕、社群，是當強權否認你存在時，仍勇敢說「我存在」的勇氣。
這部影片不是為專家而拍，而是為你而拍。
太多人因害怕出錯而不敢談台灣；他們不是政策老手，沒有「正確」說法。正是這種恐懼與猶豫，是威權最愛的養分。
《INVISIBLE NATION》就是為打破這種迷思而來。讓人感覺更聰明，不更渺小；更有力量，不更被壓迫。這不只是台灣的故事，是你的，是我的，是所有被抹去過，又勇敢選擇重現的人們的故事。
我們與台灣一同勇敢。在一個被假訊息、剝奪與獨裁撐開縫隙的世界裡——勇敢，就是足夠。
「希望植根於我們無法預見未來的前提，而在這不確定中，有行動的空間。」——Rebecca Solnit
謝謝你，台灣。我看見你。
而我，也帶著你們的勇氣回到家。
── Vanessa Hope 葛靜文
全台戲院時刻表查詢：
https://reurl.cc/W06VZO
週末人潮眾多，敬請提早前往各戲院官網訂票劃位！
《看不見的國家》全國加場熱映中：
預告搶先看：https://reurl.cc/yRAOKE
團票買起來：https://reurl.cc/EVQmbk