THE AUSTRONESIAN FILM FESTIVAL
The Tap Root Cultural Exchange Program will screen films to enrich the experiences of its participants. This series of films will become a film festival known as the Austronesian Film Festival. The Austronesian Film Festival will show viewers films from Taiwan and New Zealand, and it may be an event that is hosted at venues around the world.
Austronesian Film Festival Schedule
Chaoyang University of Technology - Taichung - Design Building Theater
Thursday, December 5, 2013
- 9:30 am-10:15 am - Movie 1 - "Made in Taiwan" film from New Zealand
- 10:30 am-11:52 am - Movie 2 - "Voices In The Clouds" film from the USA
- 1:30 pm-2:15 pm - Movie 3 - "Amis Hip Hop" film from Taiwan
- 2:30 pm-3:20 pm - Movie 4 - Feature Film, "irang – Martin Asan" film from Taiwan
National Museum of Prehistory and Tiehua Music Village - Taitung - Auditorium
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
- 1:30 pm-2:15 pm - Movie 1 - "Made in Taiwan" film from New Zealand screened at the National Museum of Prehistory.
- 2:30 pm-3:52 pm - Movie 2 - "Voices In The Clouds" film from the USA screened at the National Museum of Prehistory.
- 4:00-4:45 pm - Movie 3 - "Amis Hip Hop" film from Taiwan screened at the National Museum of Prehistory.
- 8:00 pm-8:52 pm - Movie 4 - Feature Film of locally-produced film, "irang – Martin Asan" screened at the Tiehua Music Village in Taitung City.
National Dong Hwa University - Hualien - College of Indigenous Studies - Room A151
Wednesday, December 13, 2013
- 1:30 pm-2:15 pm - Movie 1 - "Made in Taiwan" film from New Zealand screened at National Dong Hwa University.
- 2:30 pm-3:15 pm - Movie 2 - " Amis Hip Hop" film from Taiwan screened at National Dong Hwa University.
- 3:25 pm-4:17 pm - Movie 3 - " irang – Martin Asan" film from Taiwan screened at National Dong Hwa University.
Films
Name: Made in Taiwan
Produced in 2006 by George Andrew Productions (NZ).
Length: 43 minutes
Producer: George Andrews
Director: Dan Salmon
Synopsis: In this documentary 'Naked Samoan' Oscar Kightley, and Māori radio/TV personality Nathan Rarere use DNA technology to trace their families' ancestry. They discover that their ancestors originated in Taiwan before migrating to the Pacific via Vanuatu (and the Cook Islands, for those going on to Aotearoa). On the DNA trail they meet locals and find striking cultural similarities — even in Taiwan, where the indigenous people look Polynesian, and provide a haka-like welcome. The film won top honors at the International Oceania Documentary Film Festival in Tahiti.
Name: Voices In The Clouds
Produced in 2009 by Voices In The Clouds, LLC.
Length: 82 minutes
Producer: Tony Coolidge
Director: Aaron Hose
Synopsis: Captivated by the cultural discoveries around him, an Asian-American man journeys back to his homeland of Taiwan. Inspired by the vast landscapes he explores, and the gentle souls of the people he encounters, his life is changed forever. "Voices in the Clouds" is an intimate exploration of one man's quest to understand his heritage. At the heart of the film lies the celebration of family and cultural preservation. Through his amazing journey, the film hopes to encourage viewers to carve their own path toward self-discovery.
Name: Amis Hip Hop
Produced in 2005 by Futuru Tsai.
Length: 45 minutes
Producer: Futuru Tsai
Director: Futuru Tsai
Synopsis: Amis Hip Hop documents how a group of young Amis men in Dulan village have blended influences from contemporary social and cultural life in Taiwan with their traditional practice of ritual dance performance in the village. When people think of Amis in Taiwan, images of colorfully dressed female dancers welcoming visitors, or else repetitive chanting in a circle dance at a harvest festival, come to mind. However, the Amis young men of Dulan village on the east coast of Taiwan have been creating a new style of performance that is still based on their traditions. Rooted in the Amis ethos of respect for male age-grade organization, matrilineal affiliation, intimacy with the ocean, and appreciation of joking relationships, these young men also blend in elements of foreign fashion in music and dance all while keeping with traditional village aesthetics. Through their performances, they represent a new image to both locals and outsiders, and actively construct their local identity as Dulan Amis.
Name: irang - Martin Asan
Produced in 2013 (Taiwan).
Length: 52 minutes
Producer: Lin, Guang-Liang (Fuday)
Director: Lin, Guang-Liang (Fuday)
Editor: Liu, Hua-Dan (Watan)
Synopsis: Though educated in the West, Martin Asan, within his wide eyes shines the sharpness of the Amis warrior. While facing the cross cultural border, he identifies with his mother's culture. Confronting the contemporary loss of language and culture, he hopes to point out the serious implications of the culture, including their songs and ceremonies. Whether or not he can revive the traditional Amis values has yet to be seen, but he keeps looking for the refuge and peace of mind in the homeland of his Amis people. Martin Asan, whose latter name "Asan" was inherited from his Amis ancestor, returns to Taiwan after growing up in Germany as a mixed-blood American and Amis offspring. In the film, we see a distinguished young man immerse himself in the Amis traditions, but he does not detach himself from the modern world, while other young people gradually lost enthusiasm for the identity. Martin believes that embracing the duality of Amis and modern culture is possible by active participation in Amis culture and tradition, even if his appearance is different, as long as the influence of the ancestral roots is still present.
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