Cinematic Taiwan
台灣電影櫥窗
Silenced Sunrise: Taiwan's Music vs. The China Factor
噤聲的天光
Aug 23
8月23日
12:30pm - 1:30pm
About the Program
Silenced Sunrise: Taiwan’s Music vs. The China Factor is a 30-minute documentary produced and directed by Chen-Yu Lin with the support of TaiwanPlus. Co-presented by TaiwanPlus and Cardiff University, the film explores how music becomes both a voice of hope and a target of control in today’s Taiwan.
The story centres on Island’s Sunrise, a protest anthem born during the 2014 Sunflower Movement. Once a symbol of youth and democratic resistance, the song was later blacklisted from Chinese platforms—its visibility erased, its creators silenced.
Through the voices of Fire EX., the Bluebird Troubadours, and other Taiwanese musicians, Silenced Sunrise looks at what happens when art meets politics. It reveals the quiet pressures artists face: when speaking out may cost their careers, and staying silent comes at a different kind of price.
Filmed across Taiwan, the documentary blends personal stories, protest footage, and live performances to show how music carries the weight of memory, identity, and resistance. It’s a powerful reminder of why creative freedom matters—and what’s at stake when it’s under threat.
CHEN-YU LIN
CHARLOTTE SAWYER is a Documentary Filmmaker who captures cinematic stories that cross cultures and boundaries. With a First Class Degree in Law and Community Theatre, Charlotte combines community advocacy and facilitation skills with filmmaking to convey human-centred journeys. For the past ten years Charlotte has built trust with contributors in conflict zones and areas vulnerable to climate change, mostly notably Iraq, Ethiopia and Nigeria. As a Shooting Producer Director, Charlotte has created documentaries used for advocacy with Oxfam Iraq and music documentaries in Taiwan. Her portfolio of films include independent documentary films, NGO online campaigns and brand films.
CHEN-YU LIN is a Documentary Filmmaker, Researcher, and Lecturer in the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University. Her work explores music censorship, cultural politics, and the transnational circulation of popular music, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary methods including filmmaking and mapping. She has directed and produced several research documentary films, including Chasing the China Wind (2016), George Harrison: The Story of the Beatles and Indian Musicians (2017), and Go Ahead Remix! (2021), all of which were shortlisted for the AHRC Research in Film Awards. Her films tackle themes such as musical memory, marginalised artists, and the politics of music festivals. She is also Non-resident Fellow at the University of Nottingham’s Taiwan Research Hub. Chen-Yu regularly collaborates with festivals, labels, and policymakers to bridge research, film, and the music industries.
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