Culture shock inspired this rom-com

THE friction between locals and migrants can sometimes get quite heated but writer-director Hsieh Chun-Yi has found a way to defuse the tension - by injecting a dose of humour and a dash of romance.

It might not immediately bring world peace but at least the Taiwanese filmmaker uses it to great effect in his critically acclaimed debut feature, Apolitical Romance, which opened yesterday. Released domestically in Taiwan last year, the rom-com has toured the global festival circuit heavily since, playing everywhere from Udine, Italy to Hawaii, Bangkok and Buenos Aires.

The plot, which revolves around the relationship between a feisty Mainlander and her mild-mannered Taiwanese male host, is inspired by Hsieh's own real-life friendship with a Chinese schoolmate, Gu Qiao, during his university days in New York. The latter is also one of the film's producers.