Long Time No Sea 2018 | Boys in movies [BiM]

Long Time No Sea (2018)

– Long Time No Sea 2018
– 1h 36 min. | Drama, Family, Musical | 15 June 2018 (China, Taiwan)

Storyline:

“The wind came, the ocean stayed, yet I am still here without you.” Raised by his grandma, Ma Na Wei has lived a frugal life on Lanyu (Orchid Island). At the Tao tribe community’s elementary school, a newly qualified teacher, Yu Zhongxun, sees the tiny island as a backward and boring place. He desperately wants to get back to his former colorful metropolitan life. Yu saw an opportunity to get a decent performance evaluation by having the students participate in the annual Aboriginal Dance Competition. As the students and teachers work to prepare for the competition, they explore their potentials and reclaim their lost pride and courage.

User review:

This stunning family film blends drama with an ethnological portrait of the indigenous Tao people who have lived on Orchid Island, Taiwan for nearly a century. Long Time No Sea has a convincing ring to it because it’s based on the real life experience of director Heather Tsui whose strong message very much connects with the narrative of survival for small traditional communities all over the world, while also bringing a lightness of touch.

What makes this story of a young teacher who arrives from the city so appealing is its vibrant cinematography and engaging way of putting across the challenges facing these people in a low-key and delicately drawn way, and through preparations for a dance competition which both informative and entertaining. The cast of mostly non-professionals from the Tao community add authenticity to the mix. We watch them at play and at work in the gloriously scenic settings, although it’s a pity that girls seem more or less absent from proceedings.

Director: Heather Tsui
Writer: Heather Tsui
Stars: Ling Chang, Shang-Ho Huang, Feng-Ying Lee
Country of origin: China (Taiwan)
Language: Mandarin.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7475882/