The Inspired Island: Multiflorate Splendour
2015 · 95 min · Documentary
The writer Bai Xianyong from the youthful vigor of founding "Modern Literature" at the age of 22, to the sincerity of the people who wrote "Father and the Republic of China" and "Pain Relief and Healing" in recent years. The film borrows the form of the stream of consciousness (dream of a garden tour)-the taste of Guilin rice noodles separated more than 40 years ago, the 10-year re-visit of Suzhou gardens, the dark kingdom on the stage, and the journey of lectures and lectures. With special encounters and literary history, one person has led the trend of several generations. He is uniquely strong and courageous, exquisite and affectionate. He echoes the symphony in the film and leads the audience to gradually touch the hot novelist's mind.
Directed by Yung-Shing Teng
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The Inspired Island (Series)See all →
The Inspired Island: Home In Two Cities · 2011The Inspired Island: Home In Two Cities
2011
MovieDocumentary
The film explores Lin Hai-yin’s unique perspective of having “two homelands,” narrated by her daughter Julie Chang. It highlights her life, work as an editor, and her role in overcoming censorship. Lin Hai-yin’s novels, known for their inclusiveness, remain a shared memory for cross-strait readers. She was a friend to writers and a courageous mother, nurturing Taiwanese literature post-war. As editor of the United Daily News, she supported writers like Lin Hwai-min and founded the Belles-Lettres Publishing House. Her living room was a literary hub, and she is fondly remembered as “Ms. Lin Hai-yin.” Her novel Memories of Peking: South Side Stories was published in 1960.
The Inspired Island: The Man behind the Book · 2011The Inspired Island: The Man behind the Book
2011
MovieDocumentary
Wang Wen-xin, a revered novelist, is known for his deep appreciation of words and slow, deliberate writing style. He co-founded the literary magazine Modern Literature with classmates from National Taiwan University. His notable work, “Family Catastrophe,” published in 1973, was praised for its innovative language and realistic portrayal of interpersonal relationships. Another significant work, “Backed against the Sea,” took 25 years to complete and is celebrated for its modernist beauty. Wang is currently working on a new book, though its release date is unconfirmed.
The Inspired Island: Towards the Completion of a Poem · 2011The Inspired Island: Towards the Completion of a Poem
2011
MovieDocumentary
The Inspired Island: The Untrammeled Traveler · 2011The Inspired Island: The Untrammeled Traveler
2011
MovieDocumentary
The Inspired Island: Port of Mists · 2011The Inspired Island: Port of Mists
2011
MovieDocumentary
The Inspired Island: The Coming of Tulku · 2011The Inspired Island: The Coming of Tulku
★ 8.02011
MovieDocumentary
The Ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou’s dream of becoming a butterfly blurs reality and fantasy, reflecting a poet’s desire for freedom and eternity. The coming of Tulku draws from Buddhist classics, using Chou Meng-tieh’s life as a metaphor. His experiences at WuChang Street and his bookstand, started in 1959, led to enlightenment and loyalty to Buddha and loved ones. Influenced by Buddhism, his poems blend Zen with grace, affection, and prudence, capturing life’s essence with strength and delicacy. He closed his bookstand in 1980 due to illness.
The Inspired Island: River Without Banks · 2014The Inspired Island: River Without Banks
2014
MovieDocumentary
River Without Banks (2014) takes poetry and war as its main theme. As homage to Death of a Stone Cell, the film is structured into ten segments; each led by the first lines of the first ten stanza of the poem. Correspondences between the poet and his friends are incorporated throughout, taking the audience back and forth between Lofu's youth and middle age, only to eventually depict a full picture of the protagonist. The camera follows Lofu on his trips back to the bomb shelter and tunnel in Kinmen and his hometown Hengyang in Hunan Province of China, while also capturing his daily life in his adopted country of Canada. Acclaimed as the "Wizard of Poetry", Lofu shares through the film of the most insightful reflections.
The Inspired Island: Boundary · 2014The Inspired Island: Boundary
2014
MovieDocumentary
The Inspired Island: A Life That Sings · 2014The Inspired Island: A Life That Sings
★ 6.72014
MovieDocumentary
How have one poet and his single book of poetry from the last century continued to inspire people today? A Life That Sings follows the legendary poet Ya Hsien from Vancouver to Nanyan, to the mobile library from his childhood and to the basement of his current home. Through his collection of books and love letters, the film unearths the treasure trove abound with stories of Ya Hsien's life.
The Inspired Island: My City · 2015The Inspired Island: My City
2015
MovieDocumentary
Poet and author Xi Xi is one of Hong Kong's most treasured writers. Though also acclaimed in Taiwan and mainland China for seminal works like the essay Shops, her writings are firmly rooted in the spirit of Hong Kong. Leave it to Fruit Chan, another staunchly grassroots auteur, to make a documentary on Xi Xi's career. Chan sought out renowned critics and writers to discuss Xi Xi's works, starting with 1979's My City. He also juxtaposes photos of a changing Hong Kong with readings of her writings, and even playfully inserts characters from her stories into the film.
The Inspired Island: 1918 · 2015The Inspired Island: 1918
★ 8.02015
MovieDocumentary
A documentary about writer and novelist Liu Yichang.
The Inspired Island: A Lifetime In Chinese Literature · 2015The Inspired Island: A Lifetime In Chinese Literature
2015
MovieDocumentary
The Inspired Island: Unfulfilled Dreams · 2020The Inspired Island: Unfulfilled Dreams
★ 8.02020
MovieDocumentary
Chu Tien-Wen, frequent screenwriter for Hou Hsiao-Hsien, makes her directorial debut with this entry in The Inspired Island documentary series. With Hou as producer, cinematographer Yao Hung-I and editor Liao ChingSung, Chu takes a deep dive into the story of her parents, famed authors Chu Hsi-Ning and Liu Mu-Sha. Through family albums, old letters and interviews with fellow writers, Chu crafts a deeply personal portrait of her parents’ romance, literary careers, family roots and the unfinished opus her father left behind.
The Inspired Island: A Lean Soul · 2021The Inspired Island: A Lean Soul
2021
MovieDocumentary
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.
The Inspired Island: I Remember · 2022The Inspired Island: I Remember
2022
MovieDocumentary
A series of documentaries that aim to introduce important Chinese writers to the next generation and to preserve and promote the works of literary masters. The episode "I Remember" is directed by novelist Lin Junying, who has had a deep friendship with the Zhu family for over 40 years. The film focuses the second generation of daughters Zhu Tianwen, Zhu Tianxin, Zhu Tianyi and son-in-law Tang Nuo, who together co-founded the "Sansan Bookstore".
The Inspired Island: Still Young · 2022The Inspired Island: Still Young
2022
MovieDocumentary
A documentary about a Taiwanese poet Wu Sheng.
The Inspired Island: The New Formosa Mambo · 2023The Inspired Island: The New Formosa Mambo
2023
MovieDocumentary
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