QUIET SUMMER
tells a story of a young man raised in Japan, who comes to Taiwan
to bury the ashes of his mother and finds his Taiwanese background.
His travel quietly unfolds the happiness and sadness of a middle-aged
Filipino worker and an old Chinese teacher living alone in a poor
and single veteran community.
The
main character Shuji was played by Yukihiko Kageyama, who started
his acting career in Taiwan.. This is his first film as a main
actor. A veteran actor Chang Fong, born in Manchuria under the
Japanese reign, shares the similar background with the role. Filipino
laborer Renato Oytas acted himself in the factory he was working
for at that time.
QUIET SUMMER
is a narrative film but strongly reflects the personal experiences
and backgrounds of the director and actors in the society of Taiwan.
Shuhei Fujita came to Taiwan to participate in the documentary directed
by his USC classmate Liang-Yin, Kuo in 2000. As a reseacher and
photographer, he visited a lot of local families and encountered
various stories in Taiwan. He decided to make a film based on his
experiences in the next year. Since many local people had supported
this film, QUIET SUMMER was completed after four years
without any major financial support.
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