When the Wind Rises
Chen Hung
Taiwan / Col / 18'22"/ In Mandarin with English subtitles
The story is set in a small fish village which became uneasy due to a plant expansion project from the oil refinery nearby. As the plot progresses, the intense fight between Huang the protester, the villagers, and the refinery soon unfold.
Artist's Statement
In 2019, I saw a forest of chimneys standing on the horizon in Yunlin, Taiwan; I also saw the resistance and the compromises from people living around the chimneys. There are no right or wrong for these people but only helplessness and sometimes a bit of humour. I decided to shoot with only 20 shots and nine locales to show my appreciation for every performer and staff in my crew. I hope our audience can catch a glimpse of the interaction and transformation between individuals and groups and a variety of relationships driven by benefits through the poetry-like repetitive camera movements. I would like to present this film to the land that nourished me and was loved by me.
Juror's Comment
The long shots from a distance, scene after scene, are more atmospheric than narrative. They construct a trapped, filthy, and apocalyptic underclass world in which the characters seem insignificant but are vivid. (Chong Keat Aun)
