When it comes to the Taiwanese New Wave (or New Taiwanese Cinema as some call it), Edward Yang (楊德昌) is a name that is almost synonymous with the movement. The computer-engineer-turned-director’s magnum opus, A Brighter Summer Day, is one of the most significant films of the movement (and often lauded as one of the greatest films of modern cinema). It is not only one of the largest projects of its time, but it most potently reflects the spirit of the Taiwanese New Wave to realistically present the lives of Taiwanese people, by returning to a period when reality itself is a sensitive subject.

“Millions of Mainland Chinese fled to Taiwan with the National Government after its civil war defeat by the Chinese Communists in 1949. Their children were broughtcomprised of various dialects and accents. The millions of people who fled from China brought with them the not only their speech, their customs, but also their provincial baggage. Tension and tribalism arise when different people are confined to an island. The gangs of Janguo high school (it’s hard to imagine that it’s the most prestigious high school of the country today) closely follow their provincial ancestries, and the gangs are just a microcosm of the society at large. Workplaces and social circles are separated by class and borders which the refugees will never see again for the rest of their lives.

In A Brighter Summer Day, the students unleash their pent up frustration through gang violence, but the Lord of the Flies style campus is just a product