Green Team (1986-1990) is regarded as the most important guerrilla media collective in Taiwan from the period prior to and after the lifting of martial law.
With early electronic video cameras, its members documented the waves of social movements, including political, environmental, farmer, labour, indigenous and Chinese mainlander veteran movements during the period. Through their lens and physical involvements, they captured the truth of these events, broke through the news blackout by mainstream media, and inspired younger generations with their legacy of three thousand hours of rare historical footage. Simultaneously facing political interference and repression, Green Team made documentary films in the easiest and quickest way and sent out VHS tapes to be screened and sold at venues of social movements or election rallies. They even set up their own TV station in their later years, broadcasting the truth to people blinded by state media.
If there is a colour for documentary, can we present the visual language, position, perspective and spirit that 'green' stands for, through re-examining, arranging, screening and viewing their works more than thirty years later? This selection of 8 films shot by the Green Team is not only a search for the origin of modern Taiwanese documentary, but also, more importantly, an attempt to understand the past and see the future.
Available for free until November 14. Main photo credit: TSAI Ming-de.
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