Film Screening of 'Invisible Nation' and Q&A with Director Vanessa Hope

Monday, 25 May 2026, 5pm to 7pm

With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s sitting head of state, director Vanessa Hope investigates the election and tenure of Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan. Thorough, incisive and bristling with tension, 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 U.S. and China. Hope’s observational style captures Tsai at work in her country’s vibrant democracy at home, while seeking full international recognition of Taiwan’s right to exist. At a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the ever-present threat of authoritarian aggression, Invisible Nation brings punctual focus to the struggle of Taiwan as it fights for autonomy and freedom from fear.

Vanessa Hope is an award-winning producer and director who has produced multiple acclaimed films in China and made her directorial feature debut with the documentary All Eyes and Ears, an exploration of the complex links between the U.S. and China featuring former President Obama’s US Ambassador to China. Vanessa and her husband, Ted Hope, share a company, Double Hope Films. Prior to her film career, Vanessa worked on foreign policy issues at the Council on Foreign Relations with Senior Fellow and Director of Asia Studies Elizabeth Economy. She received her B.A. from the University of Chicago in Anthropology and East Asian Studies and completed the coursework for a PhD at Columbia University before going into film.

The screening will be opened by Dr Bo-jiun Jing, Senior Research Fellow and Programme Manager in Taiwan Studies at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, and the Q&A will be chaired by Ms Issy Wells, MSc candidate in Contemporary Chinese Studies and former reporter at TaiwanPlus and Radio Taiwan International. The screening is held in partnership with St Antony’s International Review (STAIR).

Speaker(s): Vanessa Hope (Double Hope Films), Issy Wells (University of Oxford), Bo-jiun Jing (University of Oxford)

Series: Oxford Taiwan Studies Seminar Series

Venue: St Antony's College - Investcorp Auditorium - Investcorp Auditorium St Antony's College 63 Woodstock Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 6JF United Kingdom

Department: Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (Department)

Organiser: Dr Bo-jiun Jing

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/film-screening-of-invisible-nation-and-qa-with-director-vanessa-hope-tickets-1989794320376