Social-Psychological Perspectives on Gender Power in Contemporary Taiwanese Cinema

Entering the 2020s, in addition to facing the negative impacts of globalization and neoliberalism, an ongoing problem since the 21st century, we must face the severe test of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film industry has been greatly affected, with slowdowns in film production and postponements of film festivals becoming the norm. However, Taiwanese contemporary cinema has managed to progress steadily and maintain a positive, creative momentum despite the years of the epidemic’s spread. As an important research topic in the field of interdisciplinary studies, gender studies have been inextricably linked to film studies for many years. This paper focuses on the study of gender power in Taiwanese contemporary cinema. Through an extensive literature search, there is a virtual gap in research on gender power in Taiwanese contemporary cinema into the 2020s. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the gender power relations presented in Yen and Ai-Lee, a Taiwanese film focusing on domestic violence released in 2024, through the three aspects of family, workplace, and self-emotional expression portrayed in the film, centred on theories of social psychology, and with due consideration to the social and cultural context of Taiwan. Through qualitative research methods involving case study and textual analysis, film data are collected, collated, and analysed to reveal the recurring and complex portrayals of gender power within cinematic narratives. This endeavour aims to address gaps in Taiwanese contemporary cinema studies concerning gender power dynamics, while offering fresh perspectives and methodologies for interdisciplinary research spanning film studies and social psychology.