Hey all.
As you might have noticed, the blog has been quiet since my New Zealand Blog Day 9 post (3 more posts to go for that series).
I had taken a break from that series to focus on making a short film for a film competition sponsored by the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission (OCAC), a Taiwanese government organization that oversees overseas Taiwanese affairs. The title of the competition is "My Second Home". The general purpose of the competition is to have Taiwanese or those of Taiwanese descent to share with other's (through film) their stories living away from home. The OCAC's also hopes that this competition promotes internationally the independent status of Taiwan (though they might not say so so directly).
My video can be viewed here:
Title: Something to Write Home About
Synopsis:
James is a 2nd generation Taiwanese-American living in Australia. Living in a different country, he’s come to realize the realities of life as a foreigner. Even though he’s thousands of miles from home, the move has made him feel even more connected to his parents who moved from Taiwan to America before he was born. James shares these thoughts with his brother back in the states as he gets ready for work.
Backstory:
This film happened because of two things: 1) My girlfriend's passport got stolen, 2) Not getting work in Melbourne. My gf passport had been stolen while we were staying at the Nomads All Nations Backpackers on Spencer St (WARNING: Do not stay there).
I had accompanied her to get her passport replaced and saw an ad for this competition in the reception desk window. I took a picture of it and didn't think too much about it for three weeks. After three weeks had passed of job searching with no luck on finding steady income (did some labour work for a few days setting up exhibitions), I came across that picture again.
We had a job set up towards the end of June in NSW and it looked like we weren't going to be getting any work anytime before that so...why not make a film? By this time though, I had one week before the deadline (May 31st) and had to figure out something fast. My gf gave me the idea of linking my life abroad with that of my parents a generation earlier. I liked the idea not only because it connected to the topic, but it also connected to my life at that point in time.
From this focus I began developing different ideas for the film (with help from my girlfriend who was a great soundboard to bounce ideas off of). After trial and error (video footage I previously recorded not working), watching some music videos and commercials (see "Misread" by Kings of Convenience and Spike Jonze's MV for California by WAX), and a conversation with a friend (explained below) the short film took shape to what you see/hear now.
Aside from the fact that my cooking hasn't really improved that much, nor did I ever remove rocks from a cave, the rest is true. The rocks in a cave line comes from a conversation I had with a fellow backpacker/labourer: his job for two days was to remove rocks from under a house by himself using buckets. He said it was hard but the money was good and it was a new experience. We continued talking about our experiences here in Australia and he said, "Here I have no one. You have to fight for everything. You have to fight to exist." When he said that, it really struck a chord with me and echoed what my director friend told me about being a filmmaker (his film coincidentally is named Fight Life). This conversation helped me make the final changes to the script that I needed.
Director's Statement:
This film is about discovery. But what I'm discovering has always been there. It's akin to a familiar story of the protagonist searching far and wide for treasure only to realize that it's in his own backyard. It is my parents and their courage to leave their home country to make new lives in a foreign land that planted the roots of my existence. It's a part of who I am but I never really appreciated that past until I experienced it myself living in Australia. In Taiwan and America, I have a support net of family and friends, but in Australia I only have my girlfriend. If we fall, we fall and nothing will catch us. However my parents faced the same situation along with much greater obstacles well over thirty years ago. They're a source of inspiration. By being away from home, I feel closer to them. My home is my family and is all the treasure I need.
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