Taiwan teachers embrace cinematic education

2014-10-20

A short film made by a group of Taiwan high school teachers spotlighting the fight-or-flight response in humans when facing adversity is set to debut Oct. 17 on YouTube.

“Disappear,” a thought-provoking production aiming to give viewers a fresh take on the study of the mind and cognition, was created by Taipei City-based indie filmmakers Troupe Caramel. It will be later released on DVD for distribution in schools around Taiwan.

Troupe leader Hung Chien-yu, who doubles as a teacher at Taipei Municipal Yucheng Senior High School, said the story centers on a young psychologist seeking to rediscover lost memories through counseling sessions with an eclectic array of patients.

“It turns out that all the memories we hold most dear are stored away in a hidden place inside every one of us, waiting to be tapped with a leap of faith.”

As the film’s director and writer, Hung said she also took a leap of faith in combining education with entertainment. “But in my heart, I believe this innovative approach can speak more directly to young audiences on a wide range of topics.”

According to Hung, the troupe’s last film “Dreams at 17” was warmly received by educators and students. “This success convinced us we were on the right track with the current project,” she said.

Mainly self-funded, but with support from the teachers’ respective schools, the undertaking commenced in April and wrapped up with post-production in August. It also involved invaluable contributions of material and time by Hung’s colleague at Yucheng, as well as Datong High School art teacher Shawn Chen—a former professional actor in TV dramas such as “Corner with Love.”

“Chen was a real star,” Hung said, adding that in addition to playing the lead, he worked with the actors to bring out the best in their performances.

Other members of the cast include Yucheng students and its principal. Even Little and Slow, the band that wrote and performed the theme song, are school alumni. “Without the selfless commitment and devotion of these people to the project, the film would never have come into being,” she added.

Hung said the troupe plans to make more shorts and has the backing of the national and municipal teachers’ associations. “There is no question we will continue making films promoting our educational goals.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=222978&CtNode=413)