2026 ANU TAIWAN UPDATE

The Sandwich Man《兒子的大玩偶》
Directors | Hou Hsiao-hsien 侯孝賢 Wan Jen萬仁 Tseng Chuang-hsiang 曾壯祥
1983 | 105 mins | Mandarin, Taiwanese, Chinese + English Subtitles | UNCL 15+

Adapted from three of Huang Chun-ming's short stories, this episodic film portrays the struggles of marginalised individuals during challenging times. It skilfully blends moments of self-doubt with dignity, humour with sorrow, and hope with despair, capturing the emotional turmoil and innocence of people confronting the intrusion of foreign influences in a developing nation. Widely regarded as foundational in Taiwan’s New Cinema, this film reflects the social realities of the era with deep empathy and sharp satire.

The Sandwich Man won Best Supporting Actor, Child Actor, and Original Song Nominations at the 1983 Golden Horse Awards.

We are delighted to have Andrew Pike OAM introduce The Sandwich Man at the Canberra screening!

Andrew Pike OAM is a film distributor, film historian and documentary film-maker. With Ross Cooper, he co-authored Australian Film 1900-1977. His company, Ronin Films, was formed in 1974 and has distributed over 500 Australian films including Strictly Ballroom and Shine. In addition, Ronin imported many cutting-edge East-Asian films for general release in Australia, including key films by Hou Hsiao-Hsien. He operated the Electric Shadows Twin Cinema in Canberra for 27 years, 1979 to 2006, showing an eclectic range of world cinema to large audiences of enthusiasts. In 2007, he received an Order of Australia Medal and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Canberra for services to the film industry and to the community. For ten years until 2012, he served on various iterations of the Board of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. As a documentary director, his films include Angels of War, The Chifleys of Busby Street, Emily in Japan, Message from Mungo, and most recently Japarta - A Journey to the Gurindji Way. He was the Director of the Canberra International Film Festival (2017-2024), and from 2010 to 2024 chaired the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund (a program of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy), to provide development grants to film-makers across the Asia-Pacific region.

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Photo supplied by Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute.

Contact the host of Film Screening | The Sandwich Man《兒子的大玩偶》

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