From a Japanese colony to an authoritarian regime to a new democracy, Taiwanese society has gone through many phases of social transition since 1945. This book examines the processes of cultural, social and political transition in Taiwan since 1945, investigating their impact on the Taiwanese cultural industries, with a particular focus on cinema and theatre, and showing how changes in cinema and theatre illustrate the broader cultural, social and political changes taking place. It sets out the history of the development of Taiwanese theatre and cinema since the 1930s, and relates this to broader changes within Taiwanese society. It analyses the socio-politics of Taiwanese-language cinema, and the impact of language policies including the government's encouragement and promotion of Mandarin in the 1960s. Important issues are considered, notably the modernization and commercialization of cinema and theatre in Taiwan, focusing in particular on Taiwanese produced gangster movies, and also questions of liberalization and democratization, especially the new wave of independent cinema that arrived in the mid 1980s. The book includes interviews with important movie directors, actors, producers, industry workers and critics, including Chen Qiu-yan and Huang Jian-ye. Overall, it provides a full account of cultural, political and social change in Taiwan over the last eighty years, and its relationship with Taiwanese cinema and theatre.