Taiwan's Cinema History Taiwan's film industry emerged from Japanese colonial and Chinese nationalist influences to develop a distinctively introspective cinema. The 1980s "New Wave," spearheaded by directors like Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang, revolutionized world cinema with elliptical narratives and long takes exploring identity and modernization. Taiwan's poetic, formally inventive approach profoundly influenced contemporary filmmaking globally, establishing the island as a major creative force despite its small market.