Taiwan is an island country surrounded by sea, yet the sea can be mentally distant to the people: various political, historical and religious reasons render the sea a scary and distant notion. Guided by two sea experts- naval author LIAO Hung-chi and underwater whale videographer Ray CHIN and their exciting experiences, Whale Island will transform the way you see, think and feel the sea.
Though this is a conversation about human rights, it paves into Taiwan’s struggling journey towards democracy and freedom. Three films ranging from documentary to drama discuss key topics at the core of the human rights discourse in Taiwan: the dark White Terror period, death penalty debates, and discrimination against foreign spouses, as well as other issues involving minority groups. Super Citizen Ko tells the history of suffering during and after an authoritarian regime; Me and My Condemned Son addresses multiple issues around the death penalty while questioning the judicial system; The Good Daughter reveals social discrimination and family tension commonly faced by foreign spouses. By showing you these pains, traumas and struggles that are beyond the expressive power of words, we hope to immerse you in a raw and truthful experience.
Four artist documentaries, four creative workers of different fields, and four separate lives- we are going to get to know the personal stories, creative history and various inspirations of these artists, who are passionate about various art forms and are representative of the diverse cultural scene in Taiwan.
Looking back to the difficult times in 2020, where most of us were isolated, immobilised and kept away from others…images and films became a stronger form of both escape and hope, leading us to alternative worlds and the unforeseeable future. When everything appears to be in flux, explorers of different times might just point you in the right direction. As we slowly step out of lockdown, let’s also reignite the exploratory fire and rebuild our hopefulness.
This short-film section is a cultural collage of multiple ethnic communities and social classes and brings out various contemporary social issues through parallel narrative. It juxtaposes disrupted social values and the helplessness of individuals, and shows how ‘every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way’, to quote Tolstoy. The film attempts to unveil a largely unknown side of Taiwanese society, whilst echoing and pushing the current immigration discourse in Germany towards a transcultural and transnational conversation.
Taromak, a Rukai tribe located in Taitung, is facing a severe existential crisis: their cultures disappearing in the age of modernisation and globalisation. The new and young chieftain Guo has taken up the tough responsibility of reviving his own cultural heritage and planning for the future.