2018

Written on the Sky

In 1995 when Taiwan reached the pinnacle of economic prosperity and the flowers of art blossomed everywhere, we just had our wings fully grown and were ready to fly, yet he passed away at the young age of 26. His death left a scar in our lives and rang a bell of alarm. As we reflect upon his youthful smile and tribulations of love, we find that even after more than 20 years, the stroke of the bell still reverberates among us.

Silent Steps

Ah-zhong is a non-upright walker, a theatre worker and a man of action. Walking forms the basis for his bodily training and is also one of his methods of expression. Through prolonged and repeated walks, interspersed with cigarette breaks, he enters into another world by imagining ‘Who am I?’, and with it comes the strength for living.

A Talk with Yin-shang Liu

LIU and WEN share a collaborative relationship in film, and also a close friendship despite their age difference. In this visit by WEN, we enter LIU’s life and reflect on her five-decade career in acting. Regardless of glamour or monotony, a steadfast mindset always prevails.

Scissors and the Cat

The cat has disappeared in a night of torrential rain; they say if you point a pair of scissors to your doorstep and silently call the cat’s name, a mysterious force will lead your cat back. Half a world away, I silently call my cat’s name, and my memories take me across the waters of the underworld, as things I have lost in the past now stand before my eyes. As the scissors slice time open, can the cat find its way home?

The Last Documentary Fossil

In 2118 an alien named X surveys the Earth in his flying saucer. In this wasteland, where humans have long become extinct due to heavy pollution, he finds a bunch of rotting ‘image fossils’ (old, discarded films). X is puzzled by these images: Why are they building a machine that belches smoke? Why are there ribbon-cutting ceremonies? This is a sci-fi film in an alternate style.

The Elephant Dancer

Everyone has childhood memories of a zoo. The 1950s were a paradise with monkeys riding bicycles and lions jumping through rings of fire. Animals of today are placed in an artificial, ‘virtual’ natural environment, and are subjugated as ‘humanised’ animals. They lose their natural habits and become physically and mentally warped. As we see elephants dancing, does this signify happiness, anxiety, or a bottomless pit?

T'ai Chi Ch'uan

During the 1960s, Tom DAVENPORT was commissioned by National Geographic to film in Taiwan. This was his first documentary, in which he captured philosopher NAN Huai-chin practicing Tai-chi at Taiwan’s northeastern coast. Shot with a 16mm camera, the film features sound created by composer Tom JOHNSON.

Routine

This film documents a short trip from Star Ferry’s taxi stand to the office of Chinese Student Weekly in Kowloon Tong. It shows the street scenes of Hong Kong in 1968 and the state of mind of a Hong Kong young man after the 1967 Riot.

The Milky Way

Renowned writer Xi Xi served as editor for the ninth issue of Theater Quarterly. Having an elder brother who worked at a television news station, she had access to a large amount of discarded tape. Piecing these images and sounds of celebrities and even the Pope together, this collage work serves as a reworked document of the era.

Getting Ready for the Festival

In these freckled, disjointed montages of everyday life, we see a faint hint of an upcoming festival as the theatre troupe sound its drums; the children either sit and gaze, or clamber to see the lead actress. This 8mm roll of film was found after LONG Sih-liang passed away in 2012 and is now shown for the first time in 51 years.

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