12:30 – 2:30 pm | Sep 3rd
ANNEX | Downtown Vancouver
Kaohsiung served as an important military base under Japanese rule. The city suffered heavy casualties during the 228 Incident, in which civilians were violently suppressed by the government. The film shows how each individual is surviving and preserving their memories through the different eras of oppression. To this day, memories of those events still linger within some people and places—as well as in the wild tomatoes that grow in this land.
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About the Artist
Born in Malaysia, Kek-Huat Lau came to Taiwan to study film and became a filmmaker based in Taiwan. His creative interest starts from his own family background. His works attempt to gradually uncover historical and national issues that Malaysian Chinese cannot bring up locally. The documentary Absent Without Leave explores why his grandfather is absent from family conversations and talks about the taboo history of the Communist Party of Malaysia, while his debut feature film Boluomi is based on his grandfather’s story. The Tree Remembers describes the Malaysian government’s racial policies and the racial divides that persist to this day. Both his documentaries Absent Without Leave and The Tree Remembers still face censorship challenges today in Malaysia, while feature filmBoluomi has also been targeted by censors.
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