Taiwan

More than a hundred years ago, ancestors of the Tachen people came from coastal region of Zhejiang County to Tachen Island, after the yellow croakers.
More than forty years ago, because of the confrontation between the KMT and the communist, they came to Taiwan and become anti-communist heroes.
Thirty years ago, for the need to have better living, they stowed away to America and became chefs. And now in this new century, where is the next dream land for the adventurous Tachen people?

After the cross strait opening, the Tachens traveling back home found everything changed on the island, even their ancestors’ graves had been hollowed out. The root-finding dream has foamed into bubbles. For their second generation living in the US, identity becomes an issue. In the US, they’ve been considered to be Chinese; in China, Taiwanese; in Taiwan, those of other provinces. Tachens’ pain of not being recognized can only be swallowed in. To give their descendants a better living, they have to continue their painful odyssey.

A greenish hakka small village, Chung Giao Keng is at the north-west side of Tai-lake tribe in Miaoli County. Villagers still hold the traditional way of living, mostly engage in farming. Due to the decline of the traditional economic living, villagers are moving out from this beautiful mountain village. A decade ago, there were still more than a hundred families living in Chung Giao Keng, but now, only no more than some twenty or so, mostly the aged.

But for those who stayed, they still practice the hakka virtue of diligence and frugality. The film records the elder’s lives in the village and their connection with the land. They talked about their thoughts for marriage, their near century life experiences; sang native songs in the bamboo grove and having a living philosophy of their own. These hakka elders leisurely spread the mountain spirit.

There are more than 150,000 migrant workers from Thailand legally hired in Taiwan. To these migrant workers, working abroad in Taiwan is a risky gamble. If things go well, they can pay back large amounts of brokerage fees and earn some money to support their families.

The three Thai workers from northeastern Thailand in this film, however, weren’t so lucky. The electronic factory where they had been working was suddenly closed down. The owner of the factory simply said that he could not afford to pay the salaries of the 100 domestic workers and 100 migrant workers. After fighting futilely for their rights with other migrant and domestic workers, the Thai workers were eventually deported. Their dreams of paying back their debt or earning money to support their families were totally shattered. Would they give up their hopes in earning money from working abroad because of their bad experiences in Taiwan? This film offers an unexpected answer to this question.

Huang Nai-hui has cerebral palsy. He seems to be disadvantaged, but his ambition is much stronger than the general public. To have a family of his own, three years ago, despite people’s look, he married Navy, a Cambodian 20 years younger, and had this cute girl Jing-ci. His dream fulfilled.

For money problem, the couple was having more and more fights. Navy wanted to help her poor family back in Cambodia, but Huang wanted to protect his own family. With enmity towards his mother-in-law, the trip back to Cambodia made the couple astray. Later the mother-in-law’ two-month stay in Taiwan worsened the relationship.

Huang and Navy are facing a fierce battle between cross-national marriages. With the huge gap of sex, age, culture, and status, is peace possible…

At the intersection of Hsichih Shin-tai Rt. 5 and N. 2 highway is an aborigine village. The Amis from Huadong named this new home in Taipei “Huadong New Village.”

The youths came to the city from their hometown with dreams. At the margin where cities connect, they found place for temporary settlement. So they started their own family and lived on for a couple of years. The next generation grows, life becomes harder, and their dreams still seem unreachable.

It’s said that the “house fairies” lives and dies with the master. Once the master leaves, the fairies perish in the empty house. And without the fairies’ guarding, the straw houses back in Huadong slowly break down under the storms.

“Can’t get back!” The Amis lightly said.