Wuhaliton: ears of the Moon

Wuhaliton: Tears of the Moon

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According to Bunun legend, there were once two suns in the sky. The heat was intense, so the people shot down one of the suns. The wounded sun became the moon and fell into the mountains. Because of the pain, it pressed into the earth and created a gully into which its tears flowed.

As a child, Anu Takilulun was told this story by his father. When his father died, he realized that nobody else knew the place were the tears of the moon collected, and that people who had searched had always come back empty handed. In “Tears of the Moon,” Anu follows the directions given by his father to search out the place called Wuhaliton. Whether he actually succeeds is secondary to the journey of discovery in which myth and reality blend.

Region of Origin

Year of Release

2003

Duration

26 minutes

Format

Betacam, Color

Directors

Salone Ishahavut Thumbnail

Salone Ishahavut

Salone Ishahavut is a documentary film maker of Taiwanese Bunun descent. She received her M.F.A. degree in Film, Video, New Media, and Animation Program from School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her film projects have been favored by Golden Harvest Awards, Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival, WomenMakeWaves Film Festival. She has also received Excellent Screenplay award by Taiwan's Bureau of
Information. She has worked as a documentary playwright-director at Tatokem Culture Workshop and DaAi TV, as well as journalist at Taiwan Public Television.

Major filmography
2011 – Alis's Dreams (Director) – Golden Harvest Awards – Excellence Award
2008 – Hunting Heart: Lekal Makor (Screenplay) – Bureau of Information Excellent Screenplay Award
2006 – The Bear (16mm short, Director) – WomenMakeWaves Film Festival
2003 – Tawtawazay: the Most Popular Family Name (Director) – Aboriginal Documentary Competition, First Prize
2003 – Wuhaliton: Tears of the Moon (Director) – Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival
2001 – Until the End of the World (Director) – Aboriginal Documentary Competition, First Prize