Taiwan: A Digital Democracy in China's Shadow

A tv programme

Created by

Directed by

Produced by

フランスを代表する放送局

製作年2020

ジャンルドキュメンタリー

上映時間 52 分

あらすじ

“One country, two systems? Never!” The Taiwanese have made it clear loud and clear: they will not accept coming under China’s control, whose coastline lies less than 200 kilometers from their island. For under President Xi Jinping, Taiwan is more than ever a target of its powerful neighbor’s ambitions—a neighbor that has never recognized Taiwan’s independence and intends to bring it back into its fold, just as it did with Hong Kong. To ward off pressure from Beijing, this “de facto” nation—with a population of 24 million and its own flag, anthem, currency, language, and institutions—is countering it with an innovative, digitally driven democracy that has developed alongside the Internet.
In 2014, the world discovered the multifaceted nature of Taiwanese citizenship during the occupation of Parliament, known as the “Sunflower Revolution”: students, alternative rockers, hackers, programmers, developers… Their icon: Audrey Tang, an anarchist, transgender activist, and Minister of Digital Affairs since 2016. This LGBT activist works every day to bring the Taiwanese executive branch closer to the people. Her weapon: lines of code. Her goal: to make Taiwan the global laboratory for direct democracy, capable of withstanding the 5 million daily cyberattacks orchestrated by the Chinese central government. With its “fake news,” armies of trolls, and increasingly sophisticated viruses, Beijing is demonstrating its ambitions to become a global digital superpower in yet another way. Taiwan’s democratic experiment now finds itself on the front lines of the global cyberwar. Combining on-site footage, archival material, and interviews—notably with the remarkable Audrey Tang—this documentary chronicles the epic journey of a generation that refuses to back down, perhaps foreshadowing the politics of the future…