Lu Hsiao-Fen Explained

Lu Hsiao-Fen
Native Name:陸小芬
Birth Date:1956 10, df=yes
Birth Place:Jiufen, Ruifang District, Taipei County, Taiwan
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1981–present

Lu Hsiao-Fen is a Taiwanese actress known for her roles in the woman's revenge subgenre within Taiwanese social-realist cinema (also called Taiwan Black Movies or Taiwan Pulp).[1] [2] In the later years of her career, she was critically acclaimed as an actress in adaptations of Taiwan nativist novels, most prominently A Flower in the Raining Night (Chinese: 看海的日子, 1983).

Early life

Lu Hsiao-Fen was born in 1956 and her given name was Chang Shu-Fen (Chinese: 張淑芬).[3] She was born and lived in Jiufen until she graduated from elementary school.[4] After graduating from vocational school, she attended singing school and performed as a singer on television and at night clubs. She also participated in a singing contest held by Chinese Television System (Chinese: 華視) and Hai Shan Record (Chinese: 海山唱片) and won first place. In 1980, Lu Hsiao-Fen was cast by Wang Chu-Chin to star in On the Society File of Shanghai (Chinese: 上海社會檔案, 1981), which gave her overnight stardom.

Career

Lu Hsiao-Fen's debut in film was On the Society File of Shanghai (Chinese: 上海社會檔案, 1981), directed by Wang Chu-Chin. The film was an adaptation from the Chinese Scar Literature (Chinese: 傷痕文學). In the film, Lu Hsiao-Fen portrays a rape victim of a high-ranking official and his son. In an interrogation scene, Lu Hsiao-Fen briefly opens her shirt, revealing her breasts for about five frames on the screen.[5] Another shocking scene in the film is when Lu Hsiao-Fen cuts across her chest with a knife. The film became sensational because of these visually stimulating scenes. After the success of On the Society File of Shanghai, Lu Hsiao-Fen became a signed actress of the Yung Sheng Film Company, starring in over 10 films with them.[6]

Lu Hsiao-Fen’s performance in On the Society File of Shanghai also led to the production of similar films, such as Woman Revenger (1981), Queen Bee (1981), and The Lady Avenger (1981).[7] These films became a popular subgenre of Taiwan’s Social-Realist Films and were called Woman’s Revenge Films (Chinese: 女性復仇片)[8] and later Taiwan Black Movies.[9] The most famous female stars of the Woman’s Reveng Film were Lu Hsiao-Fen, Lu Yi-Chan (Chinese: 陸一嬋), Lu Yi-Feng (Chinese: 陸儀鳳), and Yang Hui-Shan (Chinese: 楊惠姍), and they were called “Three Lu and One Yang” (三陸一楊).

In 1983, Lu Hsiao-Fen starred in A Flower in the Raining Night (Chinese: 看海的日子, 1983), an adaptation from the short story of Taiwanese Nativist writer Hwang Chun-Ming (Chinese: 黃春明). In the film, Lu Hsiao-Fen portrays a prostitute, Pai-Mei (白玫), who decides to change her destiny and celebrate life by returning to the farming life in the rural area and gives birth to a son. Lu Hsiao-Fen won Best Actress Award of the Golden Horse Award with her performance in A Flower in the Raining Night and transitioned from a sexy film star to a critically acclaimed actress.[10] After the film, Lu Hsiao-Fen starred in many adaptations from Taiwanese Nativist literature, such as Oxcart Filled with Dowry (Chinese: 嫁妝一牛車, 1984), The First Stitch (Chinese: 在室男, 1984), and The Scalper (Chinese: 母牛一條,1986).

In 1988, Lu Hsiao-Fen starred in Osmanthus Alley (Chinese: 桂花巷, 1988), directed by Chen Kun-Hou (Chinese: 陳坤厚). The film is adapted from the novel of the same title by  Hsiao Li-Hung (Chinese: 蕭麗紅), an important Taiwanese female writer in the 1970s. In 1989, she starred in Richard Chen Yao-Chi (Chinese: 陳耀圻)’s Spring Swallow (Chinese: 晚春情事, 1989). She won at the Best Actress Award in the Asia-Pacific Film Festival in her performances in both films.

In the 1990s, Lu Hsiao-Fen studied performance in the U.S. and gradually faded out from the silver screen. She still appeared in some Taiwanese-language TV dramas, such as Jin zhi yu ye (金枝玉葉, 2021).

In 2003 and 2007, she published two books about practicing Yoga, Lu Hsiao-Fen’s Zen of Life (陸小芬生活禪, 2003) and Zen of Aroma and Happiness (芳香樂活禪, 2007). In 2023, Lu Hsiao-Fen returned to film acting after 20 years as the lead in Day Off (2023), directed by Fu Tien-Yu (Chinese: 傅天余).[11] [12]

Personal life

In 2005, Lu Hsiao-Fen married Chen Jun-Yuan (Chinese: 陳俊源), a former Taipei City council member.[13] She is a devoted Buddhist and a practitioner of yoga and aromatherapy.[14]

Filmography

Film

Television Drama

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
198320th Golden Horse AwardsBest Leading ActressA Flower in the Raining Night[15]
199330th Golden Horse Awards18
202360th Golden Horse AwardsDay Off[16]
YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
1987Best ActressOsmanthus Alley[17]
1988Spring Swallow

External links

Lu Hsiao-Fen in Hong Kong Movie Database

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ting-Wu . Cho . Taiwan Pulp! The Emergence and Consumption of Taiwan Exploitation Film in the Trans-Asian Cultural Cold War (1970s-1980s) . 2023-11-09 . ProQuest . en.
  2. Web site: Taiwan Black Movies . 2023-11-09 . Subway Cinema . en-US.
  3. Web site: 國家電影及視聽文化中心 . 陸小芬 . 2023-05-05.
  4. 田 . 古 . 1982-12-26 . 脫與不脫陸小芬的抉擇 . Ttv電視周刊 . 1055 . 85–103.
  5. Book: 蔡, 登山 . 電影問題・問題電影:性・暴力・電檢 . 秀威 . 2013 . 台北 . 23.
  6. 侯季然,台灣黑電影(2005)
  7. Web site: 林 . 妏霜 . 2017 . 【20世紀台灣文學故事1981】傷痕有傷痕的允許 . 2023-06-05 . 人間福報.
  8. 卓 . 庭伍 . 2020 . 教壞臺灣電影:臺灣黑電影 . 國影本事 . 10.
  9. Web site: Elley . Derek . 2005-11-15 . Taiwan Black Movies . 2023-11-09 . . en-US.
  10. 卓 . 庭伍 . 2023 . 女性復仇與母性回歸 . 電影欣賞 . 194 . 35–36.
  11. Web site: Wilmot . Tom . 2023-03-15 . Film Review: Day Off (2023) by Fu Tien-Yu . 2023-11-09 . Asian Movie Pulse . en-US.
  12. Web site: 2023-03-22 . Lu Hsiao-fen wins award in Osaka for film 'Day Off' . 2023-11-09 . Taipei Times.
  13. News: 陳珈螢 盧宏昌 . 2005 . 演藝圈再傳喜訊 陸小芬低調結婚 . TVBS新聞網 . 2023-06-06.
  14. Web site: 張 . 孟瑞 . 2007 . 復仇女變身芳療師——亞太影后陸小芬 . 2023-06-06 . 台灣光華雜誌.
  15. Web site: Ventine . Tsai . Lu Hsiao-fen Returns from Study Abroad . Taiwan Panorama . July 1992. 26 November 2023. 26 November 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20231126104146/https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en/Articles/Details?Guid=13e2796d-95a7-4260-84e6-a939230a7b3b&langId=3&CatId=11&postname=Lu%20Hsiao-fen%20Returns%20from%20Study%20Abroad.
  16. Web site: Nominees & Winners - 台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2023. Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. 26 November 2023 . zh-TW. 26 November 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20231126011859/https://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/awards/nw/?r=en&serach_type=award&sc=8&search_regist_year=2023&ins=52.
  17. Web site: 她是台灣女性的縮影!6件事認識影后陸小芬,息影20年後強勢復出,問鼎金馬60最佳女主角. She is the epitome of Taiwanese women! 6 things to know about actress Lu Xiaofen, who made a strong comeback after 20 years of retirement and nominated the 60th Golden Horse Best Actress. 24 November 2023. Marie Claire Taiwan. 26 November 2023 . zh-TW. 26 November 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20231126103333/https://www.marieclaire.com.tw/entertainment/news/76102/lu-hsiao-fen.
  18. Web site: Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023: The list of award winners . 2023-11-09 . www.oaff.jp . en.
  19. Web site: 2023-03-21 . Taiwanese actress Lu Hsiao-fen wins Yakushi Pearl Award at Osaka film Festival . 2023-11-09 . Focus Taiwan - CNA English News . en-US.
  20. Web site: 金馬影后陸小芬重出江湖 《本日公休》「演完我都內傷,三天不能動彈」. Golden Horse Best Actress Lu Xiaofen makes her comeback in "Public Holiday Today" "I was internally injured after the performance and couldn't move for three days.". 2023-03-23. Tianxia Magazine. 26 November 2023 . zh-TW. 26 November 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20231126102206/https://www.cw.com.tw/article/5128205?template=fashion.