Reel Asian is co-presenting RETURNING SOULS with the Munk School of Global Affairs, an important documentary about the Taiwanese indigenous people – the Amis – as they fight to recover their land, restore customs and reclaim their ancient artifacts.
Saturday, March 4th, 2017 • 6PM • Doors open 5:30PM
(Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue)
Free Admission!
RETURNING SOULS
Director: Hu Tai-Li
Taiwan • Mandarin & Amis with English subtitles • Trailer
SYNOPSIS: The carved pillars of the matrilineal Amis tribe’s famed ancestral house recount tribal legends such as The Great Flood and The Glowing Girl, and are home to the ancestral spirits of the Amis. The pillars, however, were removed from the village for exhibition in Taiwan’s Institute of Ethnology Museum after a typhoon toppled the house 40 years ago. This film follows a group of young aboriginal Amis who seek to restore their people’s connection with their ancestors. Working with female shamans, the Amis are successful in reconstructing the ancestral house. Their efforts for cultural revitalization, however, are complicated by the influence of western religions, national land policy and local politics.
In Partnership With:
