A traditional family of villagers has to cope with the reality of modern life, when the passing of the patriarchic figure of the family, grandfather Hayung, the entrance of the eldest son Passang to the local elections as a candidate, and the return of the granddaughter from New Zealand along with her foreign boyfriend make living a little bit more challenging than it already was. Is it possible for a close-knit, family rooted to a Taiwanese village for decades to preserve their old ethics when contemporary life tells them otherwise?
Gaga screened at Hawai'i International Film Festival
Among the pleasant, unexcepted things this movie acquires from its talented director Laha Mebow and the cinematographers Garvin Chan and Aymerick Benjamin Pilarski is the unbelievably detailed depiction of the natural scenery of rural Taiwan, to the point that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I almost felt the misty, wet weather on my cheeks.
Based strongly to the idea of the life circle, this quiet film has been made with love and respect for the viewer as Laha Mebow, for instance, never exploits a major element of the movie which is the pig offering to the gods. The sacrifice happens off camera with as little blood as possible and never wants to disturb the cinema audience. The same love she feels for her characters who represent more or less the common characters you could bump into in an awkward family dinner, from the eldest to the younger ones, the script never judges opinions and life choices, as a family distinct for its love would do. A respected amount of time has been given to explore the difficulties of farming life, the injustices and hardships and the faulty ambitions of politicians.
With a wish for this movie to gain the reputation it deserves, I would highly recommend “Gaga” to the lovers of that kind of cinema that appreciate the steady rhythm of a nicely written plot with no highs or lows, with the need to express comedy and drama in respected ways and to everyone that wants to watch a movie made from the loving hands of a woman that knows her craft and her origins.
