Remembering Hambrouck

DOCUMENTARY   |   IN DEVELOPMENT

Once a Dutch colony named Formosa, Taiwan became a battleground for power, marked by the dramatic expulsion of the Dutch and the decapitation of Reverend Hambrouck by Chinese warlord Koxinga. Though Hambrouck was celebrated as a hero and martyr in the Netherlands for centuries, he has since faded from memory there, while on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, his legacy remains alive.

This film traces how the clash is remembered today by Taiwan and China—two nations with contrasting narratives: Taiwan celebrates the victory as a triumph of self-determination, while China claims it as an assertion of Chinese dominance.

Against the backdrop of an old colonial history, this film examines Taiwan’s current ‘cross-Strait relations’ with China, exploring enduring themes of colonial conquest, power, and the right to self-govern. Through a reflective and subtly confrontational lens, the film invites viewers to consider how history is wielded as a tool of influence, reshaping identities and stoking modern-day tensions.