'Twa-Tiu-Tiann': a time-travel comedy about Taiwan's cultural resistance to Japanese rule

The 2014 Taiwan film "Twa-Tiu-Tiann" is a light-hearted comedy that transports a modern times university student, Jack, back to 1920s, a time when Taipei was under Japanese colonial rule.There, he meets anti-colonial leader Chiang Wei-shui and gets involved in the activities of the Taiwan Cultural Association led by Chiang.

Set in the historic Dadaocheng district of Taipei, the story highlights the non-violent resistance of the 1920s and 1930s. Intellectuals used speeches, newspapers and theater to raise awareness and awaken national consciousness.

Chiang Wei-shui was one of the leaders of the anti-colonial movements. He famously proclaimed, "Taiwan people are clearly part of the Chinese nation," and urged, "Compatriots must unite, for unity brings true strength," all in the effort to resist Japanese colonial rule and fight for the freedom of the Chinese nation.

As the cradle of Taiwan's social movements, Dadaocheng is the birthplace of the "Taiwan Cultural Association," where merchants at the time also frequently used tactics such as market strikes to resist the economic oppression imposed by the Japanese colonial government.