Taiwan

Ptasan is the most vivid totem of the Atayal culture. After the Japanese took control of Taiwan, Ptasan was banned because it was considered a barbarian act. Now, when Ptasan is nearly unseen or unheard of, one Atayal young man, Taliana Yilou, decides to give himself Ptasan. As a young man under 30 years of age, Tali does not have any noble reason but to become a real Atayal, like his ancestors, with Ptasan. How much courage does it take to have the tribe totem on the face? Lawa, an elder of the tribe who is over 80 years old, is one the last few people who have Ptasan. She often talks about the pain of getting Ptasan. She doesn’t know Tali. But when she hears that Tali is getting Ptasan, she feels sorry for him and says:” Poor Tali, it’s going to be a long and hard journey!”

“When the Village Encounters the Country” is a representation of the suppression the aborigines faced in the country system for the past thousands of years. This is a record of the Smangus people protesting to the regime of the country. A chain reaction was caused after they made the plea, including forcing the government to recognize the traditional territory of the aborigines and the legislation, and the introspection of the aborigines at the same time.

“This is the pure power from the tribe”. The Elmwood incident in Smangus did not involve any religious or political manipulation. It began as a simple idea of the tribespeople to protest to the country system. This is especially valuable in the aboriginal society nowadays. Through this film festival, we hope that all tribes who live on this land will realize that, the autonomy and self-respect of the aborigines’ living in Taiwan cannot be compromised.

Cepo, the estuary of Siouguluan River, is said to be the landing point where the Pangcah ancestor first stepped on Taiwan. The Makutaay Tribe here have maintained the traditional age system. The young generation will have an “upgrade” ritual every 4 years when the youngsters who work in the cities will return home for the special occasion. When the young tribesmen move up to the highest level: Mama Nu Kapah, they need to drink up a big bowl of rice wine when the sun rises in the morning after all night’s singing and dancing. However, with time changes, the youngsters now requested to change this traditional ritual that had been passing down for thousands of years. They wish to improve the “upgrade” ritual, or even abolish it. Can the suggestion gain approval from the Elders of the tribe?

The Bunun is a High Mountainous tribe, inhabiting in the area of the Central Mountain Range. Most Bunun aborigines are skillful mountain climbers, and are sometimes called the “sherpas” of Taiwan. They have been often hired as guides even up until today. Although back in the early days their work was considered as porterage, assisting mountaineers in carrying their heavy luggages and finding their way up the mountains, no one can ever deny that, while common people happily claim to be “mountaineers”, they know not the fact that almost all the trails up in the Jade Mountain, the highest peak in Taiwan, was built by Bunun Aborigines.
Wu Sheng-Mei and Kuan Kui-Lin were among some of the most famous “sherpas” of Jade Mountain back then. The bronze statue of Yu Yu-jen placed on the top of Jade Mountain was indeed erected by both of them. Unfortunately, their great effort had seriously damaged their health conditions, resulting in their bad knees and legs. This documentary is a lively recording of their current lives and their memories as well as the whole process of carrying the bronze statue of Yu Yu-jen all the way up to the top of Taiwan’s highest point.

The tribe living under the San-ying Bridge is charged with violation of the Water Act every year and will witness the powerful, which is rarely seen, execution of the government’s law enforcement that vacates even the shattered construction material after the demolition. On the other hand, the sand processing plant on the right side of the tribe grows bigger and bigger each day, and the garbage dumpsite on the left bank grows higher and higher each day. The government spends tens of millions of dollars to dispose of the hazardous waste material underneath the bridge. For those who live under the bridge, Ching Yu wants them back to the mountain!