Laha Mebow’s “Tayal Forest Club” was screened Aug. 11 in New York City at the 47th Asian American International Film Festival, bringing a fresh cinematic view of Taiwan to a wider global audience, according to the Ministry of Culture.
Screened in “A Field Guide To the Natural World,” the 19-minute short depicts the bond between two friends and the healing they find when they embrace the lessons of their Atayal homeland and ancestors. Laha, who is also from the Atayal tribe, won best director at 2022’s Golden Horse Awards for her film “Gaga.”
During a post-screening discussion in New York, the director said the cold, wet weather seen in her film was probably not what the audience imagined when they thought of Taiwan. She explained that filming took place in Pyanan, a tribal village in a remote part of the northeastern county of Yilan with an altitude of 1,500 meters.
According to Laha, the message at the heart of the film is the strength people can find by returning home and reclaiming their sense of self. She added that it was her first piece to explore the powerful idea of ancestral spirits.
Established in 1978 by Asian CineVision, the AAIFF is the first and longest running festival of its kind in the U.S. and the premier showcase for independent Asian, Asian diaspora and Pacific Islander cinema.
This year’s festival took place Aug. 1-11 as a hybrid event with both in-person and streamed programming. It featured films from across the globe and included 18 world premieres.