A conversation is made between the Taiwanese filmmaker, who has just moved to California,
and her father, who migrated to China thirty years ago. This personal documentary examines
their respective departures from home, their diaspora experiences, and the daughter-father
relationship which has always been distanced by oceans.
Historical Background
In the 1990s, my birth father, like many “ Tai shang (臺商) , ” or “Taiwanese business people,”
invested capital and contributed to China’s growing economy. Some lucky “ Tai shang (臺
商) ” weathered the 2008 economic crisis and became successful entrepreneurs, while others
struggled to make a living. Along with the escalating economic reform, millions of “ Tai
shang (臺商) ” emigrated to China, built new families, and only visits Taiwan during Chinese
New Year. When my dad emigrated to China, I was three years old.
Thirty years later, I immigrated to the United States. Our diaspora experiences at two ends of
the globalized world have built up a subtle connection between us. Although we never lived
together, we both left Taiwan in our thirties. We have built new families and homes. We have
become commuters: speaking in ‘foreign’ languages, and living as outsiders, always traveling
and stuck in between...
