Peggy Chiao Hsiung-p’ing’s encouragement

Many people and organizations have lent their support, inspiration, and
assistance to this project. In Taiwan, Peggy Chiao Hsiung-p’ing’s encouragement led to a generous research grant awarded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange. We thank the
filmmakers for taking time to answer our questions and share their insights
with us: Wu Nianzhen, Wan Ren, Wang Tong, and Xu Ligong, all of whom
provided valuable information at crucial stages. At the Taipei Film Archive,
Jady Long and Xue Huiling helped to source many rare illustrations, and we
thank Winston Lee, director of the Archive. Li Yamei of the Golden Horse International Film Festival provided key information and introductions. To Jennifer Jao, CMPC, Lin Mengshan, Liu Zhenxiang (Liu Chen-hsiang), and Hou
Hsiao-hsien, we are grateful for your kind assistance. Still in Taiwan, we thank
Robert Ru-shou Chen and Lin Wenchi for invitations to two conferences on Taiwan
cinema, along with many stimulating discussions. In Australia, David Yuyi Wang
provided translation and other valuable research assistance, under the auspices
of a University of New South Wales Faculty Research Grant. Darrell Davis thanks
his colleagues and students at the erstwhile School of Theatre, Film and Dance,
especially the able administrative assistance of Kathy Arnold and Jennifer Beale.
In Hong Kong, we acknowledge the research support of Hong Kong Baptist UniAcknowledgments
versity, and especially Monna Lau at the department of Cinema-TV for her technical dexterity. Thanks also to Georgette Wang, Chen Ling, and Huang Yu of Hong
Kong Baptist University. Hwang Hua Information and Culture Center in Hong
Kong supplied graphic materials and a key screening of That Day, on the Beach.
In the United States, we thank David Bordwell for his careful reading and suggestions on the manuscript. Likewise, John Belton, Sheldon Hsiao-peng Lu, and
Gina Marchetti offered constructive comments and criticism. Dudley Andrew and
James Tweedie graciously invited us to the excellent conference “Double Vision:
Taiwan’s New Cinema, Here and There” at Yale University in late 2003. Special
thanks goes out to Michael Curtin and Nicole Huang of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Yang Yuanying of the Beijing Film Academy. Verdy Wai-yee
Leung and Zero Yan-ling Yiu have helped us in too many ways to count. At Columbia University Press, we have enjoyed strong, consistent support from Jennifer
Crewe, Juree Sondker, and the indefatigable copyediting of Roy Thomas.
All these people and many more have contributed their expertise and enthusiasm for a body of films that deserves more scholarly attention. We apologize to
those we may have overlooked and we take full responsibility for errors in fact or
emphasis. Finally, we extend deepest thanks to our families in Taiwan and in the
United States for their unflagging support and patience