Birdy Wei-Ting Hung
director
Dear Commuter
diary film | Digital | 8 mins | 2019
A conversation is made between me, a Taiwanese filmmaker who has just moved to California, and my father, who migrated to China thirty years ago. This personal documentary examines our respective departures from home, our diaspora experiences, and the daughter-father relationship which has always been distanced by oceans.
Historical Background
In the 1990s, my birth father, like many “Taishang (臺商) , ” or “Taiwanese business people,” invested capital and contributed to China’s growing economy. Some lucky Taishang weathered the 2008 economic crisis and became successful entrepreneurs, while others struggled to make a living. Along with the escalating economic reform, millions of Taishang emigrated to China, built new families, and only visits Taiwan during ChineseNew Year. When my dad emigrated to China, I was three years old.
Thirty years later, I immigrated to the United States. Our diaspora experiences at two ends of the globalized world have built up a subtle connection between us. Although we never lived together, we both left Taiwan in our thirties. We have built new families and homes. We have become commuters: speaking in “foreign" languages, and living as outsiders, always traveling and stuck in between.
Honors
San Francisco Indie Fest — Official Selection (San Francisco, CA, USA)
BAMPFA Student Committee Student Film Festival — Official Selection (Berkeley, CA, USA)
San Francisco State University, Film Finals — Best Cinematography (San Francisco, CA, USA)