Hang in There, Kids! 只要我長大
Taiwan | 2015 | 90 minutes | Drama, Family friendly |Chinese (English subtitles) | Dutch premiere
Cast: Esther Huang, Buya Watan, Watan Silan
Director:Laha Mebow
Loving tribute to indigenous Taiwan
This family-friendly charmer shines a light on the life of Taiwan’s indigenous people. Set in the picturesque Sqoyaw reserve, the film follows the lives of three mischievous kids whose antics are a headache for the villagers. But they are beloved by their teacher (popular singer-actress Esther Huang), a kind disabled woman with a secret that the kids are keen to show to the world. While capturing the innocence of childhood with a gentle touch, director Laha Mebow doesn’t shy away from the realistic problems that plague the lives of Taiwan’s aboriginals, such as unemployment and alcoholism. This loving tribute to her cultural roots won five Taipei Film Awards (including Best Film) and was Taiwan’s entry for the Oscars’ Foreign Film category.
About the director
Laha Mebow
is an Atayal aborigine. She is the first female aboriginal director from Taiwan, who graduated as a film major from Department of Radio, Television & Film, Shih Hsin University. Having grown up in an urban environment, she returned to her hometown tribe to find her root after she became an adult. To her surprise, she absorbed abundant creative force there, and the land and the people from the tribe became her inspiration of creativity. Her works are Finding Sayun and Lokah Laqi, both won Excellent Screenplay Awards from Ministry of Culture, Taiwan. This time, she brings you a new documentary about how people can communicate with pure music.
See more: Natlab Website and CinemAsia Film Festival Website
Text source and photocredit: CinemAsia Film Festival
