The 2025 Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival hosted the world premiere of I Am Taiwanese (Jsem Tchajwanec), a new Czech–Taiwanese coproduction directed by Dan Svátek. The 60-minute film reflects on the 2020 visit to Taiwan by Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, an event that drew global attention for challenging pressure from Beijing and signaling Prague’s support for democratic partners in Asia.
Shot over five years, the documentary examines the broader geopolitical parallels between Taiwan’s position toward China and that of smaller nations facing assertive powers — including Ukraine, the Baltic states, and the Czech Republic.
The premiere screening in Jihlava was followed by a panel discussion with Vystrčil, sinologist David Gardáš, and Taiwanese novelist Kevin Chen, offering insight into how the visit continues to shape Czech diplomacy and identity.
Revisiting a controversial diplomatic gesture
Vystrčil’s 2020 trip to Taiwan marked a turning point in Czech foreign relations. Despite warnings from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese diplomats, he proceeded with the visit, becoming the first parliamentary leader from a non-allied country to address Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. His declaration, “I am Taiwanese,” delivered in Mandarin, echoed U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 speech in West Berlin — a symbolic expression of solidarity with a democracy under threat.
The film highlights how that moment, viewed by some as reckless and by others as courageous, continues to resonate in the context of shifting global alliances. In post-screening remarks, Vystrčil reflected on the connection between the 1989 Velvet Revolution and Taiwan’s own democratic struggles, saying that “freedom is hard-won and must be cherished.” His comments underscored the film’s central theme: the moral cost of defending independence in an era of growing geopolitical tension.
Through archival footage and new interviews, Svátek’s film revisits the months leading up to the visit, when Vystrčil faced both domestic political pressure and international scrutiny. The documentary also situates the event within Czech history, framing it as part of a longer national conversation about autonomy, foreign influence, and moral leadership.
A filmmaker’s political portrait
I Am Taiwanese represents a rare blend of political documentary and personal chronicle. Svátek, known for the fiction films The Smiles of Sad Men and Her Drunken Diary, approaches the subject with a restrained tone, focusing on the complexity of moral conviction rather than overt advocacy. His collaboration with cinematographer Jakub Šimůnek captures both the physical journey to Taipei and the symbolic weight of Czech–Taiwanese relations in a world of rising authoritarianism.
Following the screening, a discussion moderated by Jiří Pokorný explored the film’s broader implications for Czech diplomacy. Panelists emphasized that Vystrčil’s gesture in 2020 helped redefine how smaller European nations engage with Taiwan, balancing economic pragmatism with democratic solidarity. Taiwanese writer Kevin Chen noted that the visit “remains a powerful reminder that freedom is not a given — it is a daily decision.”
For Svátek, the project builds on his ongoing interest in human resilience and ethical dilemmas. Having spent five years documenting the aftermath of a single diplomatic act, he delivers a film that bridges personal conviction and political consequence. As Czechia continues to recalibrate its foreign policy between East and West, I Am Taiwanese stands as both a chronicle of a controversial journey and a reflection on the enduring question of what it means to take a stand.
The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival runs through Nov. 2, showcasing over 300 titles from around the world.
Lead photo: Miloš Vystrčil speaks at the premiere of I Am Taiwanese (2025) in Jihlava courtesy Facebook / Miloš Vystrčil
