The Inspired Island: Unfulfilled Dreams

Chu Tien-Wen, frequent screenwriter for Hou Hsiao-Hsien, makes her directorial debut with this entry in The Inspired Island documentary series. With Hou as producer, cinematographer Yao Hung-I and editor Liao ChingSung, Chu takes a deep dive into the story of her parents, famed authors Chu Hsi-Ning and Liu Mu-Sha. Through family albums, old letters and interviews with fellow writers, Chu crafts a deeply personal portrait of her parents’ romance, literary careers, family roots and the unfinished opus her father left behind.

Director: Chu Tien-Wen

Cast: Chu Hsi-ning, Liu Mu-sha, Chu Tien-Wen, Chu Tien-hsin, Chu Tien-yi

Audience-only score — full critic data not yet in the ReelXO vault.