On Saturday, October 26, the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York will feature a special screening of Wei Jane Chir’s latest documentary, Stories from a Coal Mining Town - Jingtong.
Completed in 2023 under the visionary direction of Wei Jane Chir, Stories of a Coal Mining Town – Jingtong is a powerful documentary that spans three years of production to chronicle the poignant tale of Jingtong – a once bustling coal mining town. Known as the “coal of Taiwan” during its heyday, Jingtong’s streets thrived with thousands passing through daily. But as coal mining gave way to new energy sources, the town faced abandonment, its population dwindling to just a hundred residents.
From 2019-2021, in the midst of a global pandemic, Chir ventured deep into the mountains of Pingxi District, New Taipei City, to capture the fading memories of the town’s last miners, photographers, urban planner, and locals who witnessed Jingtong’s prosperous past. Through their stories, the documentary brings to life a lost way of living, painting a vivid portrait of a community’s resilience in the face of change.
This film is the third episode in Chir’s celebrated Portraits of the Place series, exploring the rich histories of Taiwanese towns. Despite its 28-minutes runtime, its emotional depth and historical insight leave a lasting impression. Having spent four decades creating abroad – from Taipei to San Francisco, Berlin, and now New York – Chir infuses her work with personal reflections on nature, nostalgia, and the passage of time.
Over twenty years ago, Chir directed the highly acclaimed The Legent of Lily Yeh, which tells the inspiriting story of a Taiwanese artist who helped rebuild Germantown, Norther Philadelphia. That film earned her the prestigious Chris Award at the 2003 Columbus International Film & Animation Festival.
This event is part of a cultural series co-hosted by Hello Taiwan, TAAC, and Asian in New York, and is co-sponsored by the Overseas Community Affairs Council, R.O.C
Moderator, Cathy Hung, is the Executive Director of the New York City Children’s Theater. Named by the “City and State: Arts and Culture Power 100” in October 2024, Mrs. Hung has over 25 years of executive experience in arts administration. She is also the author of “Performing Arts Administration,” a widely used college textbook in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong. Ms. Hung holds an MA in Performing Arts Administration from New York University.
Panelist, Bryan Ke, film director, born in New York and raised in Taiwan, his works have been shortlisted for many domestic and foreign film festivals. He is good at depicting delicate emotions. His works include short films, documentaries, commercials and music videos. A photo album is currently under development.
Panelist, Gigi, a journalist, editor, and film critic who’s passionate in Asian cultural arts. She grew up in mainland China, then lived & studied in Taiwan & Hong Kong in her 20s. Today, Gigi lives in New York. She grows wherever life’s beautiful journeys take her.
Director, Wei Jane Chir (Nongshen), born in Taiwan, is living and working in New York since1993, She studied painting and printmaking at San Francisco State University and then went to Germany to study painting and obtained MFA from Berlin University of Art in 1992. She uses a wide range of media. Including oil painting, printmaking, ink painting, and egg-tempera, documentary film. She has making art for over three decades.
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