A Taiwanese film about the White Terror era has just been submitted as Taiwan’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. It is also the kind of film that millions of people have chosen to watch.
That raises an important question: Why do we watch stories about painful history?
A Foggy Tale (大濛), directed by Chen Yu-hsun, tells the story of a girl who travels to northern Taiwan to retrieve her executed brother’s body. Along the way, she befriends a former soldier who helps her raise the money she needs.
The story is difficult. But discussing difficult stories is an important part of real English conversation. In this lesson, you will practice giving your opinion about whether openly sharing a nation’s dark past can help society heal and prevent history from repeating itself.
Context: Why Is A Foggy Tale Significant?
A Foggy Tale is set during Taiwan’s White Terror era, a period of political repression that lasted from 1949 to 1992. The Ministry of Culture said the film’s title is a subtle metaphor for the uncertainty ordinary Taiwanese people felt during that time.
The film focuses not only on political events, but also on the everyday people living through them, their fear, compassion, powerlessness, joy, and sorrow. Much of the dialogue is in Taiwanese Hokkien, with some Beijing-dialect Mandarin, which gives the film a strong connection to Taiwan’s language and cultural history.
The film was released in November 2025. By July 2026, it had earned more than NT$1.192 billion at the box office and attracted over 4.4 million moviegoers. It also won four major awards at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards:
- Best Narrative Feature
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Makeup and Costume Design
- Best Art Direction
It has also appeared at international festivals in Udine, Hong Kong, San Diego, and Singapore. From seven domestic films, it was selected as Taiwan’s Oscars submission. The 99th Academy Awards will take place on March 14, 2027.
The film’s success suggests that many people are willing to engage with a painful dark chapter in Taiwan’s history. This is part of a broader global pattern. Countries worldwide have used truth commissions, museums, memorials, documentaries, novels, and films to confront the past.
These efforts do not always produce agreement. People may disagree about responsibility, political interpretation, or how much detail to remember. Some may feel that repeated discussion creates division. Others believe censorship and injustice
This is where ideas such as transitional justice, reconciliation, and historical memory become important. Transitional justice refers to the ways a society responds to serious human rights abuses after a period of political violence or authoritarian rule. Reconciliation does not necessarily mean forgetting or pretending that everyone agrees. It can mean creating enough space for truth, responsibility, grief, and a shared future.
For many societies, this process is connected to national trauma. A film cannot solve that trauma by itself, but it can give people a way to see, feel, and discuss experiences that were once hidden.
The Opinion Framework
When you discuss a sensitive topic, it can be difficult to organize your thoughts. You may have a strong feeling, but you might not know how to explain it clearly in English.
Try this four-step Opinion Framework:
- State your opinion
- Give a reason
- Offer an example
- Invite the other person’s view
Here is a simple model:
I think films about painful history can help society heal.
The reason is that they make difficult experiences easier to discuss.
For example, A Foggy Tale shows how political repression affected ordinary families, not only political leaders.
What do you think? Can films like this help with healing, or can they create more division?
Notice how the speaker does not simply say, “It is a good film.” The speaker gives a clear view, explains why, provides a concrete example, and opens the conversation.
You can also soften your language when the topic is sensitive:
- “In my view…”
- “I tend to think that…”
- “One reason I feel this way is…”
- “I can understand why some people disagree.”
- “That’s an interesting perspective. How did you reach that conclusion?”
- “Would you say the same thing about your own country?”
Guided Practice: Discussing Painful History
1. Do You Think Films About Painful History Help Society Heal?
Start with a clear opinion:
“Yes, I think they can help society heal, although the process may be uncomfortable.”
Then explain your reason:
“When people talk openly about the past, younger generations can understand what happened and why it should not happen again.”
You can add an example from the film:
“In A Foggy Tale, the story shows the human cost of the White Terror through one family’s experience. That makes history feel personal rather than distant.”
If you want to show a more balanced perspective, use although, at the same time, or however:
“I think these films can support healing. However, if people use them only to blame one another, they may increase conflict instead of encouraging reconciliation.”
2. Some People Say We Should Focus on the Future, Not the Past. What’s Your View?
This prompt asks you to compare two perspectives. You can begin by acknowledging the other side:
“I understand why some people want to focus on the future. Constantly revisiting painful events can feel exhausting.”
Then state your own position:
“However, I don’t think moving forward requires forgetting the past. I believe a society needs to understand its mistakes before it can build a healthier future.”
You can talk about the connection between remembering and preventing repetition:
“If people do not learn about political repression, censorship, or the abuse of power, they may not recognize the warning signs when similar problems appear.”
You can also mention regret or remorse carefully:
“Public discussion may not produce the same level of regret or remorse from everyone, but it can still create greater awareness and responsibility.”
3. How Would You Explain to a Foreign Friend Why A Foggy Tale Matters to Taiwan?
Try to explain both the film and the reaction to it:
“The film matters because it tells a story about Taiwan’s White Terror era through the lives of ordinary people. It is not only about politics. It is about family, fear, kindness, and the struggle to recover someone’s dignity after an execution.”
Then describe its wider impact:
“The film was a major box-office success in Taiwan, which shows that audiences were willing to watch a serious story about the past. It also received important awards and was selected for international festivals.”
Finally, explain why its Oscars submission is meaningful:
“Choosing this film sends a message that Taiwan is willing to share its history internationally. It shows that Taiwanese filmmakers can tell a local story with universal themes.”
You can connect this topic to another example of art creating cultural conversation in Taiwan by reading Only This Green: A Dance Drama That Sparked a Cultural Conversation. The subject is different, but the communication skill is similar: explaining why a creative work matters beyond entertainment.
Case Study: Lisa Discusses the Film at Work
Lisa is a Taiwanese project manager. After watching A Foggy Tale, she discusses it with an overseas colleague during a video call.
Her colleague asks:
“Why would Taiwan choose such a heavy film as its Oscars submission? Wouldn’t it be better to send something more entertaining?”
Lisa feels that he has misunderstood the film. Her first reaction is to defend it quickly, but she pauses and uses the Opinion Framework.
“I think choosing A Foggy Tale makes sense. The film is serious, but it is also emotionally powerful and accessible. It tells an important part of Taiwan’s history through the experience of ordinary people. For example, the main character is trying to recover her brother’s body, so the story focuses on family and human dignity rather than only political ideas. I can understand why some people prefer lighter films, but I think this story is important for Taiwan to share. How do other countries decide which historical stories to present internationally?”
Lisa does several things effectively:
- She states her opinion: “I think choosing A Foggy Tale makes sense.”
- She gives a reason: “It is emotionally powerful and accessible.”
- She offers an example: the girl’s journey to recover her brother’s body.
- She acknowledges another perspective without becoming defensive.
- She invites her colleague’s view.
That final step is especially useful in professional English. You are not trying to win an argument. You are trying to keep the conversation open.
Key Vocabulary Glossary
| Term | Meaning | Example | 中文說明 |
|---|---|---|---|
| dark chapter | A painful or shameful period in history | The film explores a dark chapter in Taiwan’s history. | 黑暗的一段歷史；常用來委婉描述國家或社會曾經歷過的苦難。 |
| White Terror | Taiwan’s period of political repression from 1949 to 1992 | The story is set during the White Terror. | 白色恐怖；指台灣1949年至1992年間的政治高壓與迫害時期。 |
| healing | The process of recovering from pain or trauma | Open discussion can be part of social healing. | 療癒、修復；可用於個人，也可用於社會從創傷中慢慢恢復。 |
| confront the past | To face and discuss difficult historical events | A society must confront the past honestly. | 面對過去；通常指不逃避、不隱瞞歷史問題。 |
| reconciliation | The process of rebuilding peace after conflict | Truth can be an important step toward reconciliation. | 和解；指衝突或傷害之後，重新建立理解與和平。 |
| transitional justice | Responses to human rights abuses after political change | Transitional justice may include investigations and memorials. | 轉型正義；指社會轉型後，處理過去人權侵害的制度與行動。 |
| national trauma | Deep emotional suffering experienced by a society | The event remains part of the country’s national trauma. | 國家創傷、集體創傷；指整個社會共同承受的深層傷痛。 |
| box office | The amount of money a film earns from ticket sales | The film was a major box-office success. | 票房；也可指電影售票收入或票房表現。 |
| submission | A film officially entered for consideration | The film became Taiwan’s Oscars submission. | 參賽作品、提名送件；此處指代表台灣送交奧斯卡評選的電影。 |
| historical memory | How a society remembers and understands its past | Films can shape historical memory. | 歷史記憶；指社會如何記住、理解與傳承過去。 |
| censorship | Control or restriction of information or creative work | Censorship can prevent people from discussing history openly. | 審查制度、言論審查；指政府或權力機構限制資訊與表達。 |
| regret / remorse | Sadness or guilt about something wrong in the past | Public discussion may lead to regret or remorse. | 後悔／懊悔、自責；regret較廣泛，remorse通常帶有更強烈的道德愧疚感。 |
Your Turn
The next time someone asks you about A Foggy Tale, or about a painful part of Taiwan’s history, you do not need to give a perfect academic explanation. Start with one clear opinion. Give one reason. Add one example. Then ask what the other person thinks.
That is how a difficult topic becomes a real conversation.
If you want more practice organizing your ideas and speaking with confidence, Teach Thinking, Not English explains why strong conversation skills require more than memorizing correct sentences.
Book a trial lesson with IMC English and practice turning your thoughts about work, culture, history, and everyday life into clear, natural English.
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