Alex is an American travel column writer who comes to the east coast
of Taiwan to do a report on whale watching. He forgets his passport
and money on a bus, and as a result, is stuck in a little coastal village
waiting for his new passport and documents to be sent to him. Hsiao
Qi is a quirky little 17-year-old Taiwanese high schooler. One day,
she discovers that she is pregnant and in a turmoil of emotions, decides
to go to the Pacific Coast and ends her own life. Her suicide attempt
is foiled by Hsiao Mao, a young Taiwanese aborigine from the Ami tribe
who rescues her and brings her to the same little village.
Ah
Peng is the local authority of this quiet village. Alex’s and
Hsiao Qi’s unexpected arrivals are an unwelcome disturbance for
him. He hopes to marry his girlfriend Hsiao Jun, Hsiao Mao’s older
sister, but Hsiao Jun’s grandmother requires him to follow their
tribal traditions and not only enter their family and take on their
last name, but to remain in the village as well. Ah Peng, however, dreams
of moving to Taipei and furthering his career in the big city. The friendships
and conflicts that develop between these individuals makes for a few
weeks of cultural, romantic, and self-discovery, all set against the
beautiful backdrop of the eastern coast of Taiwan. And through it all,
the deep blue Pacific remains as placid as ever, its calm depths preserving
the images of this memorable summer.
35mm, 98 minutes, Narrative Feature Film