Minority Media in Taiwan: Panay



Synopsis

If only every child in the sun can be proud of herself;

If only every child in the sun can sing out loud her song in her own language;

If only every child in the sun can stand legitimately in her land, in the place where no one shall banish her.

How long has it since you've been home? Could it happen that someday when you thought about going home, you found that everything had changed?

The sapphire pacific ocean and the golden rice fields - that was Panay’s impression of her hometown as a child. To provide her father and two children a better life, Panay was struggling in the city alone until a sudden disease attacked her father. She rushed home only to find out that since no idea when, all the fields of gold had been turned into tourist hotels. She was worried that if this kept happening, what kind of land there would be left to the next generation.

So she made the decision to repair the water ditches and restore farming. However, it was not so easy as there were all kinds of setbacks and tests in front of her. She taught her children in gentle but solid actions: Never give up! Our homelands are ours to protect.


Directors' Thoughts

Lekal Sumi (勒嘎‧舒米):

"My original intention for this film is to revive people's reflection on the values of lands. Rapid and intrusive tourism will bring catastrophical influence on the environment. The local culture will also die away along with the twisted development.

This is a story that could happen in any corner of Taiwan. Maybe one day you and I will also be forced to come out to protect our homeland. For the very reason that we're the ones who live on the land Taiwan, we should reflect better on the sustainable value of this land rather than just temporary economic developments in front of our eyes."

CHENG Yu-Chieh (鄭有傑):

"This movie is not just telling story about a tribe on east coast.  If we consider Taiwan as a big tribe, it actually telling the ongoing event in Taiwan.

Some treasures would never come back once losing.

Maybe we should slow down to gaze this beautiful land, recognize its culture from all aspects, feel the good deeds of people and think seriously when there is still time

What eventually the look of Taiwan that we should leave for our following generations?"

Director Introduction

CHENG Yu-Chieh (鄭有傑)

Born in 1977 in Tainan.

Started his movie career with 16 cm short films Baby Face and Summer, Dream in collage. Among which, Summer, Dream won the Best Short Film award in the Golden Horse Prize and was invited to international film festivals.

After his retirement from military service, he directed features Do Over and Yang Yang. The films were internationally and domestically acknowledged. There are other work such short film the Unspoken Rules, antinucleus short film (No More) Ordinary Happiness, TV drama Days We Stared at the Sun, My Little Honey Moon. He has also directed MV for many famous singers.

In addition, he has participated in performances in front of the audience such as Police et vous, CHOCOLAT and Autumn's Concert.

Lekal Sumi (勒嘎‧舒米)

Born in1985, her father is a Tainan and her mother is an Pangcah, who was growing up in Tainan. After the war she went back to the Hualien tribes, who came into contact with half of the Pangcah descent and culture, because of the growth process is not in a tribe, she is almost not familiar with tribal culture. Because of this, we decided to stay in the tribe and to find her own the part he forgot

2011, due to Lekal Sumi's mother’s a philosophy, she wanted to rehabilitation abandoned two decades of terraces, Lekal first picked up a camera recording the whole process, initially for image recording and production have no idea, after shooting two years to complete his first unit, "the desire sea rice" documentary. Because of this work, opening the image creation of the road.

Actor Introduction

Panay /Ado Kaliting Pacidal

20170928 Ado

Ado is born in Hualien Pangcah tribe. Is a songwriter and singer, but also television host, is the top student in the doctoral program literature. Her elder named Arlo, is to echo the myth of Amis' singing is to please God." "Children of the Sun" is her first feature film performance, film acting spontaneous and emotional, and quite different from her usual bright, though it is on the show debut, but has been impressive.

Liu Shengxiong / Bokeh Kosang

20170928 Liu

Born in Hualien County Truku, he is a stage drama, musicals, television and film actor. Who graduated from Department of Music Culture University and he is majored in vocal music, piano minor, via stage debut in 2011 playing "Hanaoka Ichiro 'corner in the movie" Seediq Bale "in the high-profile, and winning the Golden Horse best Supporting Actor award. 2013 to participate in singing talent show, "I want to be a singer," a blockbuster, so that we experience to Xu Yi-fan of good sound. In the "Panay" in the successful interpretation. 

Grandpa /Kaco Lekal

20170928 Kaco

Hualien Pangcah tribe is elected prime sea via person crew actor, also a respected tribal elder. Many earnest film lines, in fact, are his true inner voice. 

Nakaw / Dongi Kacaw

20170928 Nakaw

Jing Pu Hualien Pangcah tribal girl, is elected prime sea crew person actor. When the director saw Stephanie through the lens, it will be very sure she is the film's Nakaw. Although the prime people, but the success of the show ownership change and growth, as if the role of one.

Sera / Rahic Gulas

20170928 Sera

A Jing Pu Hualien Pangcah tribal boy, he is elected from prime sea crew and become a person actor. We can feel great sincere and love from his show.


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Chengzhi Wang, Ph.D.
Chinese Studies Librarian
307M Kent Hall
(212) 854-3721
cw2165@columbia.edu