Formosa Betrayed is a 2009 American political thriller film directed by Adam Kane, written by Charlie Stratton, Yann Samuell, Brian Askew and Nathaniel Goodman, with a story by Will Tiao and Katie Swain and starring James Van Der Beek. Set in Chicago and Taiwan in the 1980s, the story follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent investigating the murder of a Taiwanese professor at a Midwestern college. The search for the killers takes the agent to Taiwan, where he discovers there is more involved in this murder than he ever anticipated. Although Formosa Betrayed has been regarded as a "pan-green movie," its writers say they did not take sides over the Pan-Blue/Pan-Green political divide.
Formosa Betrayed opened in four cities the weekend of February 28, 2010: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. Eventually, it was released in 20-25 cities across North America.
Plot
Inspired by two actual events, one surrounding the death of Professor Chen Wen-chen of Carnegie Mellon University in 1981, and the other the 1984 assassination of journalist Henry Liu in California by Chen Chi-li and his fellow Bamboo Union members, Formosa Betrayed is the story of FBI Agent Jake Kelly's (James Van Der Beek) investigation of the murder of Henry Wen (Joseph Foronda), a Taiwanese professor in Chicago. With the help of partner Tom Braxton (John Heard) and a sharp Chicago police detective (Leslie Hope), Agent Kelly discovers that the murderers have fled to Taipei, capital of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Agent Kelly is sent overseas to assist the Taiwan government's search for the killers. Initially guided by an American diplomat (Wendy Crewson) and a Kuomintang official (Tzi Ma), he soon realizes that not only is he an unwelcome guest in a foreign land but that something more treacherous is happening beneath the surface.
With the help of Ming (Will Tiao), a Taiwanese activist, Agent Kelly discovers the unsettling truth about the island, once described as "Ilha Formosa" ("beautiful island") by Portuguese sailors, leading to dangerous and painful consequences. Agent Kelly finds himself on a collision course with the U.S. State Department, the Chinese Mafia, and ultimately the highest levels of the Kuomintang, where he discovers how a complex web of politics, identity, and power affects the lives and destinies of all the citizens.
Cast
James Van Der Beek as FBI Agent Jake Kelly
Wendy Crewson as Susan Kane
John Heard as Tom Braxton
Will Tiao as Ming
Tzi Ma as Kuo
Leslie Hope as Lisa Gilbert
Kenneth Tsang as General Tse
Chelcie Ross as Daltry
Adam Wang as Lee
Mintita Wattanakul as Maysing
Production
Filming began in March 2008 in Chicago, Illinois, and then moved overseas to Bangkok, Thailand, and finally Taiwan. Despite the film's events taking place in Taiwan, and in the face of some criticism from Taiwanese communities in America, the production chose to film in Thailand mainly due to its established infrastructure for shooting film and television. The availability of film equipment, crews, and sets offered the production a more cost-effective solution to filming than did Taiwan, where it would have been necessary to ship film equipment in from Japan. The producers also realized that present-day Taiwan no longer resembles Taiwan in the 1980s, so another major production cost relating to set design was avoided by shooting in Thailand.
Release
Festival screenings
Formosa Betrayed had its world premiere at the Asian American International Film Festival on July 24, 2009, to a completely sold-out theater. The film also screened at the 32nd Annual Montreal World Film Festival where scouts from Screen Media Films first saw the film.
In the rest of 2009, Formosa Betrayed screened at the 8th Annual San Diego Film Festival where the film won Best Film and Best Actor for James Van Der Beek's work. The film was also screened at the 10th Annual DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival, the 13th Annual Hollywood Film Festival, the 33rd Annual Sao Paulo Film Festival, and the 18th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival, and was featured as the centerpiece presentation at the 2nd Annual Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, where it was honored with the festival's Audience Award.