Lu Hsiao-fen (Chinese: 陸小芬) 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.[3] 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.[4] 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.[citation needed]
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][needs context] 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.[5] 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 Revenge Films 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).[8]
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 (Chinese: 本日公休, 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
1981 On the Society File of Shanghai (Chinese: 上海社會檔案)
^ ab"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."]. Tianxia Magazine (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 2023-03-23. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
^"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]. Marie Claire Taiwan (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.