Shorts 4: Minstrels of the South

Shorts 4: 南國浪子不回頭

This program of short films includes two films, with a total program length of 102 minutes.

塩埕區長 Iâm-tiâⁿ khu-tiúⁿ

盧彥中 Adiong LU / 2018 / Taiwan / documentary / 51min / Mandarin, Taiwanese / Chinese & English subtitles

Taipei Premiere

2018 Kaohsiung Film Festival
2019 Visions du Réel Film Festival Official Selection
2019 Singapore Chinese Film Festival Official Selection

The needle comes down on the record, heaven sends down lightning, and the old drinkers have have returned. We’re greeted with scenes from the city at night, streets lined with taverns and brothels, well-dressed men and women lingering in the land of wine, all liberated by song.

The legendary 1964 song “Iâm-tiâⁿ khu-tiúⁿ” or ‘The Chief of Yancheng District’ serves as the starting point of this film. Once banned by Taiwan’s government, its unique melody is emblematic of the glorious Yancheng District of the 1960s. It was a niuma-tune style tune which lionized Kaohsiung’s famous politician and Yancheng District Chief, Kuo Wan-Zhi.

Yancheng District was the political and economic center of Kaohsiung City during that era, which was defined by political sensitivity and reliance on American aid. Yancheng District relied on the proximity and convenience of the Kaohsiung Port and was Kaohsiung’s first window to the outside world. There were shops selling imported goods, restaurants and jewelry. The entire stretch of Qixian Road bore the marks of prosperity, and one can still find traces of in the lanes today.

My Life with the Wave

Huang Hao-Jie / 2018 / Taiwan / 51min / documentary / Mandarin / Chinese subtitles

Taipei Premiere

2018 Kaohsiung Film Festival

2019 Singapore Chinese Film Festival Official Selection

This is the story of two musicians leaving Taipei to head to south Taiwan. One is Tz-Fan Hsu, bandleader of The Last Wave. The other is Thomas, once the driving force behind Sheng-Xiang & Band. Both land in Kaohsiung and attempt to start new lives.

Kaohsiung has a developing indie music scene, though many of its bands are lured north to Taipei. Some however chose to remain in this southern port city. Is the Kaohsiung band scene ripe? By following two musicians and their lives, this film looks at the social and economic difficulties they face and the way they are exhibiting a bringing a new vitality to Taiwan’s southern city.

電影播放時間 Screening Times:
5/26 (Sun/日) 14:30 + director Q&A

播放地點 Screening Location
真善美戲院 WONDERFUL THEATER
7F #116 Hanzhong St, Wanhua District, Taipei
台北市萬華區漢中街116號7樓