Upcoming Events -- Sept. 14, 2009
Congressional Screening of Formosa Betrayed
Film Offers Lawmakers Glimpse of the Battle to Create Taiwan's Democracy 
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Formosa Foundation will present to members of Congress and their staff a private screening of the new political thriller Formosa Betrayed, which is inspired by actual events surrounding the investigation of the murder of a Taiwanese-American professor on U.S. soil.
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) will be making remarks at the event. Also present at the September 14 screening will be writer/producer Will Tiao, lead actor James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek, Varsity Blues), actor Tzi Ma (The Quiet American, 24), and award winning cinematographer and director Adam Kane. (Click here for Event Program and Supplemental Material)
The film Formosa Betrayed illustrates a critical turning-point in the democratization of Taiwan and its relationship to the United States. “The screening is designed to raise awareness about the historic struggle of Taiwanese and their American friends to build a democratic society,” said Terri Giles, Executive Director of the Formosa Foundation. “While the film depicts the tumultuous political situation in the 1980’s, the underlying theme of human rights and freedom is all the more relevant today in view of recent developments in Taiwan.”
Formosa Betrayed is funded through grassroots efforts by Taiwanese Americans who supported democratization in Taiwan, enjoyed their newfound freedoms in the US and who remain politically active in both countries. “We are proud to support this film as it is an important piece of both US and Taiwan history,” said Enoch Chang, Chairman of the Formosa Foundation. “Unfortunately the democracy and human rights that we fought for are once again under siege. Now more than ever it is important that leaders in Congress understand our shared past and stand firm in support of Taiwan’s young democracy.” 
The screening will take place on Monday, September 14, 2009, starting at 6:30 p.m. at The Newseum in Washington D.C. Attendance is by invitation only.
For more information about the film, including the official “Formosa Betrayed” trailer, visit www.formosathemovie.com.
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Featuring:
James Van Der Beek, Wendy Crewson, Will Tiao, John Heard, Leslie Hope, Tzi Ma and Kenneth Tsang
Formosa Betrayed is a feature film detailing the murder investigation of a Taiwanese-American professor at a Midwestern college in the early 1980s. The detective assigned to the case is a young FBI agent whose search for the killers takes him to Taiwan, where he discovers that the true reason for the professor's murder was a political one. The hit was sanctioned by those at the highest level of power, to silence an outspoken advocate of Taiwanese democracy and independence and who was thus seen as a threat to the legitimacy of the government on Taiwan.
In his efforts to bring the killers and their accomplices to justice, the FBI agent finds himself on a collision course with the U.S. State Department, the Chinese Mafia, and ultimately the highest levels of the Nationalist Chinese Government in Taiwan. In the end, the detective begins to understand the complex nature of politics, identity, and power in Taiwan-US-China relations – and how this relationship affects the lives and destinies of the citizens of all three countries. Formosa Betrayed is a compelling motion picture that captures the historical importance of its story.
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