BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- A landmark historical epic depicting Taiwan compatriots' resistance against Japanese colonial rule is arriving on mainland theaters in its full form for the first time.
"Seediq Bale," the two-part epic by Taiwan director Wei Te-sheng, opened across the mainland on Friday, with the second part following on Saturday.
Widely regarded as one of Taiwan's most ambitious cinematic projects, the film dramatizes the 1930 Wushe Incident, in which the indigenous Seediq people, led by chief Mona Rudao, staged a desperate uprising against Japanese colonial rule. In the Seediq language, "Seediq" means "human," and "Seediq Bale" translates to "true human."
Originally released in Taiwan in two parts in 2011, the film reached mainland audiences in a heavily edited, single-feature version in May 2012. Friday's restored release marks the first time the complete two-part original is being shown on the big screen in the mainland. It coincides with nationwide commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration to China.
"Seediq Bale" has enjoyed enduring popularity among Chinese audiences, with the earlier edited version earning an 8.8 rating on review platform Douban, while both parts of the complete edition score 8.9.
In a June 2012 interview with Xinhua in Taipei, Wei, then 43 and fresh from the film's mainland release, joked, "if one day I pass away, my epitaph should probably read: 'This is the man who made Seediq Bale.'" The remark, half in jest, reflected how deeply he had tied his identity to a project he once thought would never be completed. ■
