This year the Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh dedicates a small homage to Midi Z aka Te-yin Chao. Among the three films shown is also his short film “The Palace on the Sea” from 2014.
“The Palace on the Sea“ is screening at Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh
A woman walks around hastily. She looks around as if she is looking for someone or something. Her step is fast and she doesn't slow down when other women keep coming up to her and try to persuade her: She should think it over carefully and not leave Taiwan. Here it is much better than at home in Burma or Indonesia. The woman is not impressed and goes on until she comes to an abandoned temple by the sea. This temple looks like a romantic ruin. On the walls still hang golden and red carpets and other decorations, which point to a past glorious time. Pompous ceremonies must have taken place here. Many people have come and gone. They came with many hopes and prayers.
The same is true for the woman who walks through the empty rooms of the temple. She asks in tears that to go home. Whom exactly she begs and why she needs someone else's permission for this wish, we do not know. It is also not important. We quickly learn that the man who comes up the stairs of the temple, smoking, cannot help her. Like a figure from a dystopian fairy tale, he shuffles through the rooms as a very beautiful song in Chinese begins. They dance and seem to forget their grief for the moment. The dance scene has something suggestive and is very impressively captured by the director. As a spectator one could have observed for much longer the two figures moving to the rhythm.
Then, when it's all over, a Buddhist monk appears, giving the viewer an idea of how the temple was once used. In his orange clothes he adapts to the still existing decoration of the rooms. He makes the interiors glow one last time. In his prayer, which is at once lamenting and hopeful, he prays for the well-being of all people. He hopes that they can be freed from poverty, hunger, danger and suffering.
Although the film remains somewhat enigmatic for the viewer, the carefully composed images of cinematographer Fan Sheng-xiang are very engaging. Due to the fast editing, by Lin Shang-wen, the 16 minutes of the short film are very dense and varied. The acting performance especially of Wu Ke-xi, who also plays the leading role in Midi Z's current film “Nina Wu”, is convincing and impressive. Her face alternately reflects longing, sadness and hope.
