Focus on Taiwan

Ghost of the Dark Path / Compounded Eyes of Tropical

Taiwan’s Animated Shorts Submissions for the 97th Academy Awards

Followed by Q&A

Synopsis:

During the White Terror era, Shi Shuifang, a woman who advocated ideas bravely in the underground political organization, seemed to be a light that illuminated the times. The agent of the surveillance organization was influenced by Shi Shuifang and thus fell in love with her. However, under all kinds of unfavorable circumstances, he could only watch her hopelessly suffer through various injuries.

Schedule

Nov 15, 2024 @ 03:30 PM

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Director

Fish WANG

Ghost of the Dark Path

幽暗小徑的鬼

Fish WANG has been working in animation and comics for many years. His 2018 animation Goldfishwon many prizes, and he has also recently ventured into VR with Red Tail.

Compound Eyes of Tropical

熱帶複眼

Zhang Xu Zhan (b.1988; based in Taipei, Taiwan) was born into a paper-crafting family in Taiwan. The Hsin Hsin Paper Offering Store specializes in making paper sculptures for religious rituals and funerals, including effigies, animals and houses. Zhan’s animations are full of bizarre, grotesque images, a means of discussing society and human experience. He won Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year Award (2021); Future Generation Art Prize (2024); Dok-Leipzig Mephisto 97.6 Audience Award (2023); Presidential Culture Awards – Creative and Innovation Award (2023); Recently he had his solo exhibition ‘Jungle Jungle’ in Taipei Fine Art Museum and won Golden Horse Film Festival Award in 2022.

Synopsis:

Compound Eyes of Tropical (‘Animal Story’ series) explores the interplay between local Taiwanese culture and global influences. Inspired by Taiwan’s ‘Yi zhen’ folk dance and Southeast Asian folk tale ‘The Mousedeer Crosses the River’, the animation features a half-mousedeer, half-fox shaman puppet dancer. It weaves similar narratives from various cultures, reflecting on global mobility, identity and connections btween the universal and local. The story, seen through a fly’s compound eyes, traverses interlinked narratives, illustrating how cultural meanings are transported and transform across regions.

Director