Che’lu

The film, based on the concept and core idea of “tracing and finding,” and using the protagonist, Ronald ACFALLE’s dream of constructing a traditional canoe and sailing it to Taiwan as the main narrative, to unveil a period of time when the colonized Austronesian Che’lu (“Brothers” in CHamorro dialect) built and sailed canoes to the oceans, as a way to reclaim their identification with the Austronesian ancestors. This core concept also acts as a mirror to reflect on Taiwan Indigenous cultural-positioning and self-identification.

To modern-day Austronesian people, “ancestral culture revival” is an important milestone to ethical awareness and contemplation to the impacts caused by mainstream cultures. Take ACFALLE as an example, the construction of the traditional canoe reassures his being as a Chamorro people. Despite living on the highly Americanized Guam, he is able to retrace the soul and navigate the route back to his culture.

This film will not singularly represent a point of view from one region. The story begins from islands that are miles away from Taiwan, but as the timeline progresses, the focuses will fall back to Taiwan and its Indigenous perspectives.