Private Project

Island in Between

The rural Taiwanese outer islands of Kinmen sit merely 2 miles off the coast of China. Kinmen attracts tourists for its remains from the 1949 Chinese Civil War. It also marks the frontline for Taiwan in its escalating tension with China.

Filmmaker S. Leo Chiang weaves lyrical vignettes of tourist visits and local life with his own narrative as someone negotiating ambivalent personal bonds to Taiwan, China, and the US. ISLAND IN BETWEEN explores the uneasy peace in these islands, and contemplates Taiwan's uncertain future.

  • S. Leo Chiang
    Director
    Asian Americans, Our Time Machine, Out Run
  • Jean Tsien
    Producer
    Hidden Letters, Free Chol Soo Lee, 76 Days
  • Yorke Wu
    Producer
  • Yulan Chang
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    first person, essay film
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    75,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Taiwan
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    English, Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Academy Awards 2024, Short List - Best Documentary Short Film

    Short List (15 films)
  • Hawaii Int'l Film Festival
    Honolulu
    United States
    October 22, 2023
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • SFFilm Doc Stories
    San Francisco
    United States
    November 3, 2023
    West Coast Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • New York Times Op-Docs
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Internet
Director Biography - S. Leo Chiang

S. Leo Chiang is a filmmaker based in Taipei & San Francisco. His film, Emmy- & Gotham-nominated OUR TIME MACHINE, has played at over 75 film festivals worldwide, winning 10 awards. He directed two episodes of the Peabody-winning PBS series, ASIAN AMERICANS. His previous films include the Emmy Award-nominated A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES, OUT RUN, MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON, and TO YOU SWEETHEART, ALOHA. Leo has been a Sundance-Time Warner Fellow, a Rockwood JustFilms Fellow, and a Co-Chair of New Day Films. He has served as a mentor/trainer for the Hot Docs CrossCurrent & Blue Ice Fellowships, the CNEX Chinese Documentary Forum, and the CAAM Fellowship. He is the Co-Director of A-Doc, the Asian American Documentary Network, and a documentary branch member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Director Statement

So much of the world's attention has focused on the escalating conflict between the US and China, especially after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022. Yet few people internationally have much understanding of what life is actually like for the Taiwanese people caught in between these two superpowers. As someone born & now based in Taiwan, raised in the US, and worked in China, I made this film seeking to contribute to a deeper understanding of the Taiwan Strait Crisis through the eyes of the people who live in it, including myself. With the world struggling to make sense of the horrors of wars between Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Hamas, I hope that our film can play a small part in advocating for peace.