From Island to Island

During the Second World War, Taiwan was part of the Japanese Empire. This documentary traces the lives and experiences of Taiwanese soldiers, doctors, and overseas residents in Southeast Asia during that era, using family letters, diaries, and cross-generational dialogues to reveal the complexities and diverse identities of Taiwan's historical memory.

Lau Kek-huat: 'As an intermediary who immigrated from Malaysia to Taiwan, it gives me the courage to make this film. Although I do not deny that, personally, there is anger and incomprehension towards the 70 years of silence in Taiwanese society; in Malaysia, we live with constant reminders from our elders to remember the cruelty that has happened to us. I believe that humanity can be shaped; unless we accumulate maturity in our thinking through intergenerational dialogues, we will continue to be mediocre. This is the beginning of my personal resistance, refusing to become a mediocre person.'