Chang Hui-ming, the producer of “Our Island, Our Dreams” and the publisher of Suncolor Culture Publishing Co., Ltd., was born in Kinmen, one of Taiwan’s outlying islands that sits not far off the coast of mainland China. Chang spent his childhood and adolescence on this small island. He did not come to Taiwan until his university years. In what some might say is destiny, Chang, who has been involved in the publishing industry for over 20 years, is cooperating with director Tang Chen-yu, who has long been devoted to capturing Kinmen’s cultural history on film. The two are working together in making “Our Island, Our Dreams,” a film that recaptures what is was like to grow up on this island and the lives of military personnel who stayed here.
While Chang Hui-ming was born and raised in Kinmen, director Tang Chen-yu spent time on the island as a soldier. “Our Island, Our Dreams”brings to the screen a look at the enormously funny attempts by soldiers in the 1970s to win over girls on Kinmen. With the island as its backdrop, the film features many beautiful vistas and historic sites. This beauty of Kinmen is sure to resonate with the audience.
“Our Island, Our Dreams” tells the story of a group of young people growing up in Kinmen who are in the pursuit of their dreams. While the story exhibits the wildness that is often associated with youth, it also shows the special earthiness of the people of this place. The entire movie was shot in Kinmen. The film shows the frustration associated with the love triangles that the young people there often faced, along with the opposition expressed by their parents to their romantic pursuits. Since Kinmen for a number of decades was a place of military importance, parents there generally did not approve of local girls having relationships with soldiers. The performance by May Yang, who plays one of the female leads in the movie, is one that portrays the traditional fortitude of Kinmen women and demonstrates the willingness of local girls to make sacrifices in the name of love.
“Our Island, Our Dreams” will begin playing in theaters around Taiwan on April 25. More information on this film can be found at its official blog at: http://www.wretch.cc/blog/nfy5177film
