Chu Hsien-jer

The threat of public exposure drives a closeted fetishist’s life into peril, setting a catalyst that will change the lives of those around him.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) broke out at Heping Hospital in Taiwan in 2003. The government decided to isolate the hospital and asked all staff member to return. Dr. Chou defied the return order. Following Dr. Chou's lawsuit against the government, an inconvenient truth in this affected hospital was discovered.

A Lean Soul examines the life and works of Taiwanese novelist Qi Deng Sheng. The filmmakers were able to have in-depth interviews with not only the writer's closest friends and relatives but also the notoriously camera-shy protagonist himself. The film vividly dramatizes many passages from his intensely autobiographical works of fiction. The result is an intimate and candid portrait of one of the most important and controversial Taiwanese writers.