INVISIBLE NATION

With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s sitting head of state, director Vanessa Hope spent months investigating and documenting the election and tenure of Dr. Tsai Ing-wen, the first female President in Taiwan history. Tsai’s rise to the presidency is a remarkable achievement --she’s also the first female head of state in Asia who was not born into a political family, having grown up in an auto repair shop run by her parents. Thorough, incisive, and bristling with tension, Invisible Nation is an inside account of Tsai’s tightrope walk as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the United States and China.  Hope’s keen observational style captures Tsai at work in her country’s vibrant democracy at home, while seeking full international recognition of Taiwan’s right to exist. At a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the ever-present threat of authoritarian aggression, Invisible Nation brings a timely and urgent focus to the struggle of Taiwan as it fights for autonomy and freedom from fear.  Q and A with Director Vanessa Hope and Producer Ted Hope following screening.

85 min.