This documentary was directed by a high school art teacher who gave her students a project to interview their grandparents. The project was expanded to include high schools around Taiwan. This gives the documentary a meta-narrative in that it films students making films. As a result the film the shows the diversity of historical experience in Taiwan rather than just focusing on one family or one ethnic group.
The stories told focus on events in the 1940s, a time of extraordinary upheaval and change in Taiwan. At the beginning of the decade Taiwan was under Japanese control as WW2 raged in the Pacific. By the end of the decade Taiwan had come under control of the Chinese Nationalists and suffered the tragedy of the 228 Massacre and the beginning of the White Terror period.
The documentary captures the shifting identities and the deep suffering of many families as their lives were disrupted in many ways. Their stories are Taiwan's history and it is rich and complex.
The stories told focus on events in the 1940s, a time of extraordinary upheaval and change in Taiwan. At the beginning of the decade Taiwan was under Japanese control as WW2 raged in the Pacific. By the end of the decade Taiwan had come under control of the Chinese Nationalists and suffered the tragedy of the 228 Massacre and the beginning of the White Terror period.
The documentary captures the shifting identities and the deep suffering of many families as their lives were disrupted in many ways. Their stories are Taiwan's history and it is rich and complex.