President Tsai Ing-wen’s 2020 election victory unveiled a new republican ethos, evident even in indigenous villages with a history of 400 years of suffering. Unlike corruption-ridden Japan, Taiwan seeks a renewed Republic embracing its history. We swiftly connected with the Republic of Lanfang, Asia’s first republic founded in 1776 on Borneo by Chinese Hakka and indigenous peoples.
In Tainan, we encountered Da Si, a Taiwanese hip-hop legend, and connected with artists from Taitung. The film’s music, notably DAMI’s Niange rap with traditional master Xiangyang, struck a chord.
Meeting Paiwan musicians like A Bao and Yougu underscored indigenous music’s significance in modern Taiwan. Our film immerses in their lives, offering a multicultural view of Taiwanese youth and the hip-hop scene: a Tainan dialect-speaking man in a tech factory, a Paiwan rapper living in the wild…
Exploring indigenous quests for autonomy, independence, and harmony, our film delves into Taiwan’s societal fabric.