Cooking Up Democracy

At a time when many democracies around the world are in crisis, Taiwan distinguishes itself through its resilience against China’s digital autocracy. Here, democracy is not a hollow ideology but a living social fabric. Narrated by former Digital Minister Audrey Tang, the film portrays Taiwan’s vibrant activist community: queer voices, feminists, and social innovators shaping a pluralistic vision of society. We meet Zo and Tiffany, who run the Grassland teahouse; Tong and his mother active in the LGBTQ+ group Hotline; Brian and Yo-Ling from Daybreak; and Yi-Chien and Shu-Wen, who fight for gender equality. Their stories show that democracy in Taiwan is not a static institution but an ongoing conversation – a space where freedom becomes a tender, creative, and shared practice of everyday life.

The film is being presented as part of the project "Cinema as a Laboratory V," co-financed by the Polish-German Cooperation Foundation.