Taiwanese short film “Taiwanese CHA CHA CHA” is selected for the 16th Dam Short Film Festival. It will be showcased on February 16th 2020 in the series of “International B: Rhythm of Life” with other international short films at Boulder Theatre, Nevada. And the director YuHui (Judie) Yang will join the post-screening QA discussion with the audience. Welcome to join the screening and share your opinions with the director.
The storyline of “Taiwanese CHA CHA CHA” describes two young girls set out for a secret journey against their parents’ will in order to reconnect back with grandpa through Taiwanese. PeiPei, a 16-year-old high school student who lives under the pressure of the upcoming college entrance exam, plans to visit her grandpa who lives in the countryside, but she is worried about her poor Taiwanese that might cause barriers of communication with her grandpa. Xiaoqi, a talented student, tries hard to start her Taiwanese translating career no matter how other people make fun of her and doubt her choice. Their encounter encourages each other, turning the ridiculed and doubted journey into a meaningful and unexpected adventure.
YuHui Yang is a Taiwanese director graduated from San Francisco State University with a MFA degree in Cinema. She specializes in fast-paced black comedy with exquisite set design. Some of the scenes in her second film, “Taiwanese CHA CHA CHA,” were combined with Taiwan flower printed fabrics and contemporary architectures while maintaining the style of black comedy. The film discloses the loss of dialects in Taiwan and how it affects the relationship within the family, revealing the modern social phenomenon in Taiwan after the restrictive measures on local languages were implemented by the government in 1980s. The film was premiered at Kadoma International Film Festival 2019, Japan, and has won the J:COM Award for Best Entertainment. It was also selected for 2019 San Diego Asian Film Festival and other international film festivals. “Taiwanese CHA CHA CHA” will be showcased with other short films from France, Denmark, and Myanmar at the 400-seat Boulder Theatre. Covered by humorous storyline and colorful scenes, the film reflects the issue about cross-generation gaps and cultural shocks.
Being a well-known film festival in the state of Nevada, Dam Short Film Festival is held every year in February at Boulder city, a place where the famous “Hoover Dam” is located. By Seeking out original, unusual, and entertaining short films from around the world and making them available to thousands of audience, the Dam Short Film Festival has welcomed scores of filmmakers from all over the world and has screened several thousand unique independent short films during its history. This year, the 16th Annual Festival will screen 146 short films from February 13th to February 16th, 2020. For more information about Dam Short Film Festival, please visit https://damshortfilm.org/2020-festival/