SHASHA’s Film List

Why did someone like Gorbachev—who tried so hard to reform his country—ultimately meet a dramatic and tragic end? Why did a Chinese teenager, once full of unquestioning patriotism, become a disillusioned critic of society? And how does a taxidermist, working with lifeless animals, come to glimpse the mysterious kingdom of death? The team at Chichi’s Notes has handpicked 13 standout documentaries from Giloo—recommended for those who care about current affairs and remain endlessly curious about the world. Whether you're drawn to politics, identity, science, or the unseen corners of society, this collection offers something for every thoughtful viewer.

Pets's View

Divergent Thinking

In psychology, divergent thinking refers to the ability to approach a problem by generating multiple possible solutions, rather than narrowing in on a single answer or getting stuck in a fixed mode of inquiry. Its opposite, convergent thinking, relies on existing knowledge and traditional patterns to arrive at a conventional conclusion. I love watching documentaries—especially those that explore issues far removed from everyday life. A good documentary, like a good book, condenses an enormous amount of insight into the span of a film. Through a director’s lens and structure, you come to know a person, a group, or an event, and gain valuable nourishment in the process. It’s an incredibly efficient form of learning. Thanks to the nature of the internet, learning today is no longer linear. It’s multidirectional, multidimensional—a practice of divergent thinking. As a well-known writer once said:"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." In a time where eclectic knowledge and self-learning have become the norm, a thirst for understanding and a passion for living mean we’re no longer limited to holding just two ideas —we hold many.

Dancing Ecosystems

The pandemic has taught us that human society is not immune to dysfunction, failure, or sudden standstills. When the old order is disrupted, what philosophy of artistic action can emerge in this so-called new normal? And when human activity is put on pause, how might the rest of the world begin to move again? This year, the Taipei Arts Festival advocates for an eco-conscious, non-anthropocentric perspective, repositioning the human within a broader spectrum of non-human spaces. Through art, we return to the ocean, the land, the city, the community, and the myriad sentient beings that co-inhabit our world. These reflections invite a reimagining of coexistence and relationality between humans and the more-than-human world—probing how all beings, in this time and ecological age, possess their own agency, vitality, and voice.

Aesthetic cultivation

Beauty is accidental, spirited, emotional, critical—a series of seemingly related, yet leaping descriptions. My daily task is to actively feel beauty, but there's simply too much of it—in the scenery, in words, in films... And so, I walk slowly along the path of cultivating beauty, as a nineteen-year-old, allowing the world to steep me in its essence, however it pleases.