In the genre of coming-of-age drama, the concept of alienation plays a vital role when it comes to tell a story of a person's development into an adult. The paradox of being different, of wanting to stand out while also being part of a group, is an issue everybody can relate to, as we have all experienced it at least once in our lives. In her directorial debut “Somewhere I Have Never Travelled”, Fu Tein-yu explores these themes, telling the story of a colorblind girl and the issues she faces because of her condition and being treated differently than others. The feature, which was nominated for the Taipei Grand Award at Taipei Film Festival, blends elements of drama and comedy, making the story both entertaining but also quite heartfelt, as we watch the development of the main characters.
Somewhere I Have Never Travelled is screening at Taiwan Film Festival Berlin
Teenager Ah-gui (Hsin Li) is colorblind, which has caused her a number of problems in school as well as in her family. From picking the wrong fruit again and again when going shopping with her seemingly always-nagging grandmother to her drawings in school which confuse her teachers, she has become accustomed to being an outsider and a recluse. Only her cousin Ah-hsien (Po-Hung Lin), a bookworm and a bit of outsider himself, does not treat her differently or nags her about her handicap. One day, he even tells her about an island in the South Pacific where, due to a genetic mutation, the whole population is colorblind, which would make his cousin fit in and not an outsider in their community. As she grows up, the idea of the island becomes a fascination for Ah-gui, while her and Ah-hsien also become closer.
Over time, however, Ah-gui leans about the reason why her cousin also feels like an outsider. When the two of them meet a young Japanese tourist, asking them to guide him to a church he wants to photograph, Ah-gui falls in love with the young man and the two start a relationship, even though he can only stay for a while. As she discovers her cousin's secret, she suddenly realizes she is not the only one longing to escape her hometown.
While her feature touches upon numerous aspects which are quite common in coming-of-age stories, there are quite some point which made Fu Tein-yu`s movie stand out. Perhaps the most important idea is the occasional change of perspective, as the viewer is introduced into the way the main character perceives the world around her. Especially after her father has given her a variety of sunglasses, telling Ah-gui these might solve her issue with colors, we can observe the imaginative and creative use of camera perspective, filters and colors by cinematographer Chou Yi-wen. Later on, animated sequences further hint at the way the main character perceives the world, while also emphasizing the way she is treated differently by other people.
These ideas add a lot of variety to the narrative, whereas especially the actors add the necessary depth to the themes the director addresses. While “Somewhere I Have Never Travelled” occasionally loses itself in the amount of issues it addresses, from parenting to bullying, Hsin Li as the main character and Po-Hung Lin as Ah-gui's cousin add the necessary balance of drama and lightheartedness to the narrative. One of the aspects which deserves to be mentioned is how their longing to escape is never driven by, for example, Ah-gui's parents or her grandmother being portrayed as “villains”, putting the focus more firmly on their struggles and how they finally realize that solving them together and head-on might be the better solution.
In conclusion, “Somewhere I Have Never Travelled” is a solid entry into the coming-of-age genre. Apart from some sequences being quite imaginative and creative, while also adding to the narrative, it is the casting of Po-Hung Lin and Hsin Li which makes Fu Tein-yu stand out and a delight to watch.
