Taiwan

Since Taiwan became a member of WTO in 2002, the tobacco industry has been on the downgrade year by year. Uncle A-Li, who is 70 years old, begins to plant tobacco every autumn. His greatest achievement of labor in his entire life was being able to bring up his little son, who grew up to be a doctor. However, God played a big prank on him. An air crash made the father and son separated forever. In 2007, Uncle A-Li had planted a tobacco field expected to grow for one week, but it was entirely smashed by a heavy rain. Uncle A-Li sighed with emotion and said “God hates farmers most”— the biggest notation on God, made by the old tobacco grower. Even so, Uncle A-Li began to ponder on what to do next. Being an old tobacco grower for his entire life, he has learned how to be obedient to God when encountering life trials, but he never succumbs.

The Mei-hua family of seven from Taitung came to the San-ying Village under the SanxiaYingge Bridge 20 years ago. They built their home with wood, nails and their own bare hands. The house they were living in was torn to the ground by Taipei County Government for violating building laws. The Mei-hua family of eight moved into Sanxia City. However, being unaccustomed to living in such an unnatural environment and with the added pressure of paying rent, they moved back to San-ying village after only two years. On the 29th of February 2009, by the very same government department, and for the same reasons, their home was raised to the ground once more. After the home they toiled and struggled to build was torn to the ground, they were asked, “What are you going to do now?”- The most common question those living in San-ying village are asked by concerned local city folk. As far as Meihua’s family was concerned the answer was very simple- If they tear it down, we’ll build it again!

The documentary films not only let us travel through time but also present Kavalan and Ketagalan culturals, recording phonograph records and 16 centimeters movies which were scattered to different collection organizations in different countries and collected by the westerners and Japanese hundred years ago. The films have both recorded the images of people and tribes in detail and retraced the historical memories since1990. They also present the continuous tribe vitality of the day and connect the dispersed national destiny to the way of rebirth and recurrence.

The director himself is a veteran news cameraman who put aside a year in the filming of this documentary. He delves into the life and work of four TV news cameramen, giving us a unique perspective on the media world, capturing the rarely seen story of human struggle in an industry where humanity has all but vanished. The documentary reveals the heartfelt feelings of Taiwanese journalists, while at the same time, paints a picture of the director’s own reflections on the ever diminishing ethics of this industry and the impact it has had upon his own life.

A long time ago, there is a story about a flood among the Tsou people. At that time, a wise crab stood out and resolved the blood caused by a weird eel. Then after thousand years, the blood happens again and is caused by a mutated eel. At this time, the eel is caused by the industry civilization and the history of immigration. Can we be as wise as the crab to solve the new blood?