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“Maro’ay to ko kerah” is an Amis saying that there’s a quiet moment of the tidal moment, thus the sea creatures would find their own place to stay comfortably.

Zhang Zu-Miao, an Amis without Amis’ name lives here in the indigenous tribe in this urban city.

Since their old home, Cinemnemay, was distracted in the water zone, it faced to be demolished and rebuilt in another site. They have been through floods and fire, and they are still here. It is their home. Now, they need to move to the rebuilt tribe and there are two factions about “moving or staying”. The leader of the tribe, once fought for their rights, stands out and speaks out to their ancestors who have passed away. In this spiritual ritual celebration, they are reassuring that they will always be part of the family/tribe.

  • Zhi-Wei Pan
    Director
  • Yi-Ping Cheng
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Maro'ay to ko kerah 何處是我家
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    3,200 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Taiwan
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm film camera, digital HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Taiwan Public Television
    Distributor
    Country: Taiwan
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Zhi-Wei Pan

Pan Zhi-Wei, born in 1988, Fongbin, Hualien. He is an indigenous film director and screenplay writer from the Amis community. He has been working on fiction shorts and documentaries since 2011. Most of his works are realistic and quiet.

His works have been nominated in many film festivals and won awards:
2011 New Taipei Film Festival International Student Films-Golden Lion Prize
2011 Kaohsiung Film Festival
2017 14th Kinoproba Film Festival
2017 Blowup Film Fest, Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival
2019 Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival

He is a PTS Viewpoint/Docs, Da Ai Television, and Taiwan Indigenous Television Director.

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Director Statement

The XiZhou tribe has its own particular geographical location. It is next to the Sunshine Riverside Park, and across the river is the urban skyline of the booming district. Looking outside from the wooden villages, you may wonder if you have opened a portal to another world. This huge difference made me curious, so I started to film the Xizhou tribe. During the time I spent there, many passersby would stop and ask me whether it is a new construction undergoing or if I know which famous construction company is behind this site.
The most absurd comment was “They can have a new house because they are indigenous people.” All kinds of comments upset me and at the same time, felt ridiculous.

For me, one of the purposes of this film is to allow those living in the tall buildings to learn to understand each other and the historical context of the formation of this urban tribe. Through the life experience of the labor class, it is a chance to clear the name of “illegal construction” and take the time to know these urban ethnic members living in the urban fringe.

Let us stand in their shoes and understand them.