Facing the Future and Walking Tall
—The Endeavors of Taiwan’s “FullShot”
Six documentaries tell the story of Taiwan’s recovery
from the Chi-Chi Earthquake
We are all in the same shot.
FullShot
In cooperation with: Association for the Japanese Screening of Chi-Chi Earthquake Documentaries, Waseda Taiwan Research Institute
When Gift of Life won the Runner-up Prize at YIDFF 2003, a story emerged that was incomplete. It is this story that FullShot, a film production group that has led the independent film scene in Taiwan, tells with the production of a magnificent series of seven films.
On September 21, 1999, the disastrous Chi-Chi Earthquake struck Taiwan. FullShot’s members began filming immediately after earthquake as they assisted relief and recovery efforts. The filmmakers—each with their own unique viewpoints, methods and distinctive palettes—together illustrate Taiwanese society after the earthquake, weaving a story that cannot be fully told by any one person or community.
“Facing the Future and Walking Tall” is the series that emerged from their efforts, and in 2004, five years after the earthquake, the first edit of part of the series was screened at one of the areas hit by the disaster. Including Gift of Life, which will be screened as a juror’s film, completed versions of six of the films will be shown at YIDFF this year. Unfortunately, director Lee Ya-fen’s nearly ten-hour film Yangsville was not completed in time for this year’s festival and will not be shown.
Having participated in a special program at YIDFF ’99 immediately following the earthquake and at the start of their efforts, the members of FullShot promised that they would “return with completed films without fail.” Fulfilling their promise, they are here this year with six complete documentaries depicting post-earthquake society. Welcoming the members and the screening of their films, let us examine their experiment to capture a “FullShot” of Taiwan.