With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s first female president Tsai Ing-wen, director Vanessa Hope crafts a fascinating portrait of Taiwan and the country’s struggle to preserve its hard-won democracy. Invisible Nation is a living account of Tsai’s tightrope walk as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the US and China. Archive footage and TV news excerpts illustrate the long history of this constantly colonised island, and provide context for the current political situation.
CREW:
Director: Vanessa Hope
Producer: Vanessa Hope, Ted Hope, Cassandra Jabola, Ivan Orlic, Sylvia Feng Executive producers: Geralyn Dreyfous, Ming Chiang, Patrick Huang, Patrick Pfupajena, Danielle Turkov-Wilson, Mike Veldstra, Doug Blush, Lauren Mekhael
Cinematographer: Laura Hudock
Sound: Yu-Ting Su
Sales:
Autlook Filmsales
Awards
Best Documentary Feature at the Middleburg Film Festival (2023), Grand Jury Award Best Documentary Feature at the Sonoma International Film Festival (2023)
Director
Vanessa Hope
Vanessa Hope is an award-winning producer and director. Vanessa has produced multiple acclaimed films in China including the Berlin International Film Festival selection, Wang Quanan's The story of Ermei, and the Cannes Film Festival selection, Chantal Akerman's Tombée du nuit sur Shanghai, part of an omnibus of films, The State of the World. She has also produced her own short films, including China in Three Words, an official selection at DOC NYC. Hope’s additional producing credits includes the award-winning film, Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America. She served as executive producer of Paula James-Martinez’s Born Free. Hope made her directorial debut with the documentary All Eyes and Ears, an exploration of the complex links between the US and China as told through the stories of US Ambassador Jon Huntsman, his adopted daughter Gracie Mei, and civil advocate Chen Guangcheng. Hope’s latest film, Invisible Nation, is about the first female president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen.Selected Filmography
Born Free (2022), Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (2021), All Eyes and Ears (2015), China in Three Words (2013) 
