Private Project

Darkening/Drifting: Shen Chao-Liang's Photo Chronicle

Since the 1990s, photographer Shen Chao-Liang has been developing long-term thematic projects, focusing on the lives and culture of grassroots communities. He has captured numerous images of laborers in Taiwan and Japan.
While photographing performers of Taiwan's vaudeville troupes, Shen noticed the stage trucks in their working environments. This led him to create the "STAGE" series, characterized by its rich visual culture and magical realism, which has garnered international acclaim.
In recent years, Shen has embarked on a new project, the "Drift" series. He continuously travels around the island, seeking out stunning landscapes and capturing spiritually significant scenes at twilight, which are imbued with profound historical memories.

  • Ching-Yao LIAO
    Director
    The Elimination
  • Yun-Kang HSU
    Director
    A Quest for the Everlasting Bloom
  • Yun-Kang HSU
    Writer
  • Yun-Kang HSU
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    臨暗．漂流—沈昭良的攝影長篇
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Art, People
  • Runtime:
    51 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 15, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    19,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Taiwan
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    Japanese, Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Ching-Yao LIAO, Yun-Kang HSU

LIAO Ching-Yao/
Since dedicating to filming and creative work in 2003, their involvement spans various genres including documentaries, short films, TV series, films, and VR productions. Recent cinematography director credits include the VR film " The Man Who Couldn't Leave" and the movie "Salli." Their recent documentary short film " The elimination " just won the 2nd Chí Po-lin Documentary Award. He is the cinematographer for the Best Documentary at the 2020 Taipei Film Awards, "The Good Daughter" and were nominated for Best Cinematography.

HSU Yun-Kang/
With a longstanding interest in contemporary arts and cultural ecology. The program she produced "In the Name of Art," was nominated for the Golden Bell Awards, Golden Tripod Awards, and Taishin Arts Awards. " Inside the Arts " received both the Golden Bell Award and the New York Television Award.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

While photographing Shen Chao-Liang’s "Drift" series, we followed him to the 94K mark on the Southern Cross-Island Highway (Taiwan Route 20). This spot, located at the confluence of three rivers with a steel temporary bridge nestled between mountains and rivers, is the Mingba Ke Lu Bridge, which has been frequently destroyed and rebuilt over the years due to typhoons and heavy rains.
To most, this fragile, still-under-construction road might seem like just a passage point, but the photographer lingers here for hours. In his eyes, this seemingly unremarkable road embodies the conflict and temporary compromise between natural forces and human efforts. As he stopped, observed, and photographed, a large flock of white migratory birds suddenly appeared, flying into the broad river valley and circling three times. They entered the frame, guiding the camera's movement. Silently photographing, Shen’s career mirrors the migratory journey of these birds—drifting yet always returning to familiar places.
Shen Chao-Liang’s photography is neither transient nor one-off; he continually returns, silently making a long-term commitment to a place and its people. Each photograph he takes is not just of the moment but a layering of countless unseen times. The world constructed through his series of works brings the locality, communities, and landscapes into vivid and lasting focus.