Are women included in history? The debate of micro-history and macro-history in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film, A City of Sadness

Many scholars in the fields of cultural studies, film studies, historical studies and gender studies have discussed Hou Hsiao-hsien’s A City of Sadness, as it is one of the most important films in Taiwanese history. It engages with the February 28 Incident, which was buried in Taiwan’s official history for more than 50 years. Hou’s remaking of the historical films acted as a wake-up call not only for the Taiwanese but also for the government to revisit the seminal incident, to think about the present and to reconsider what the best is for the people of Taiwan in the future. This article focuses on the debate about whether women are included in history, through an analysis of A City of Sadness.