Path of Destiny
不得不上路
Path of Destiny is a documentary about a group of Sikawasay from the Amis tribe of Hualien, Taiwan, known as the people who possess gods. This fate calls upon them to maintain traditional rituals to serve the tribe, living by way of interaction with the gods. We followed Panay Mulu, who has been with them for more than 20 years, to try to record the traditional rituals that are about to disappear, and also capture stories of their unique life. In the end, Panay Mulu felt that the gods had also guided her to face her own “path of destiny.”
Reviews
Review: Path of Destiny
Brian Hioe Editor at New Bloom, where this review first appeared. Yang Chun-Kai’s “Path of Destiny” (不得不上路) would be a deft evocation of the challenges facing preservation of indigenous tradition in Taiwan. Namely, even in those rare cases in which young people actively aim to participate in traditions which may soon be lost, the trend may be irreversible.
Directors
Yang Chun-Kai
Yang Chun-Kai, an independent filmmaker and film educator, graduated from the Department of Radio and Television in National Taiwan University of Arts, and
the New York City University Media Art Production M.F.A program. Yang has worked as director, director of photography, and editor for a range of productions, from films to commercials. "Path of Destiny" is his first feature-length documentary work.
Yang is devoted to cultivating a new generation of aboriginal filmmakers. As a lecturer in the Department of Indigenous Languages and Communication at the National Dong-Hua University, he led a television team in which aboriginal students documented social changes, cultural rise and fall, and the stories of the youth in villages.