Modeling Taiwan (1995~2000 )
( Golden-Horse Award Nominated Best Documentary) A Documentary by Taiwanese Filmmaker Huang TingfuFormat: 16 mm color film
Length: 78 minutesNote: Contains nudity. Viewer discretion is advised.
Story || Trailer || About Filmmaker ||Chinese(BIG5) || Other links
The nude art model has been the subject of more fantasy than fact in the Western consciousness. Although some models have gradually come into the limelight in the West for the people they are, in the East they still are "figures"¨ working on the fringes of society and often in the shadows. This film portrays a group of seven female models in Taiwan's first studio run by and devoted to professional figure models. During the course of the film, we see not only the problems that models all over the world face, but also those peculiar to the East. The film shows how these models, many of them professionals and figure artists in their own right, are struggling to "model" and create a new role for the field in Taiwan's rapidly changing society.Taiwan, like much of Asia, is a land of contrasts. Rice paddies coexist with concrete jungles, traditional values mingle with the latest foreign fads, and Western art is practiced side by side with Chinese painting and crafts. Despite the deconstructivist tendencies of 20th-century thought, the human body has long been a focus of Western art with the role of the model well established (though not always quite firmly). With China's more prudish background, the influx of body-oriented Western culture creates conflicting viewpoints. Furthermore, in Chinese art, the body served only as a vehicle for the human spirit.When Taiwan artists turned to Western art in the 20th century, they came to admire the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, (in)famous for their overwhelming preference for female models. While female models in the West have emerged from the Judeo-Christian shadow of sin, in China they are often still bound to the "model" of feminine virtue revered by society for ages. To this effect, this film shatters many of the stereotypes of models, revealing them as talented both on and off the stage (art, theater, or otherwise). Though the ideals of these models remain firm, this film exposes the facts of reality (social acceptance, chauvinistic artists, and inferior working conditions). A serious effort is underway in Taiwan to raise the status and conditions of figure modeling, but many models are still left hiding in the closet, fearing that they will be ostracized by their friends and families.This film does not document these models per se, but cuts into and creates a montage of their life, work, and art--both as individuals and as a group. Some of the questions they face include, ¡§What is figure modeling about? What does it mean to be a figure model? Is it about money? Art? Nudity? Is it pornographic? Or just a part of life? What rights do they have? What is their role in creating artwork? Though their answers differ, Tingfu Huang offers a candid portrayal of the present and future for modeling Taiwan.
-Donald Brix
About the Filmmaker
Ting-fu Huang graduated in film from the National Taiwan University of the Arts(NTCA, also Ann Lee's Alma Mater of Taiwan). In addition to working full-time for the National Institute of Film Archives in Taipei, he has been a recognized independent filmmaker since 1988 with a particular interest in documentaries. Any questions, comments, or related materials may be directed to him at liyu8888@ms23.hinet.net
Other links:
Modeling Taiwan at IMDB
Body Landscape
BACK
All Right Reserved1998~2000©NYC/Taipei
