Octopus News : Sofiy and Her War

On February 24th, 2022, Putin, the Russian President, launched a massive attack on Ukraine after a late night live streaming. Sofiy, a 15-year-old girl living in Mariupol, a city in eastern Ukraine, lived separately with her parents. The approaching war frightened her. She sent out a distress signal which was accidentally received by five young people in Taiwan.
Via a communication software, the five young people asked about her situation. Her parents travelled through time and space magically to them to explain how they were struggling inside.
Sofiy and her family would have to face three difficult choices. And the five young people would discuss with one another time and time again to give her suggestions and be responsible for the results of their choices.
Would Sofiy and her family get over this war?

  • Xian-zhong Qiu
    Director
  • Hong-ru Huang
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Television
  • Runtime:
    39 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 22, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    25,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Taiwan
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Xian-zhong Qiu

Producer: Huang Hong-ru
Graduated from Department of Psychology, NTU, he has got involved in TV show production because of his passion for video-making.
He mainly creates TV shows for young people and children and has been nominated by Golden Bell Awards and other international film festivals, such as Prix Jeunesse International in Munich, NHK in Japan, Chicago International Children’s Film Festival and so on. During the time, he got involved in making a documentary and nominated Best Director by Golden Bell Awards with it.
His latest work is “Octopus News” for Hakka TV. Currently, he is the chief of the children’s show department in Hakka TV. He wants to work with young people to create shows with his own experience and help develop the children's show environment in Taiwan

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“How do we help our young people empathize with those suffering in a war?” It was the most challenging problem when I produced the show. I happened to see the war workshop held by a friend of mine working for a theatre. And it was the answer what I really needed! Thus, I worked with my team to combine a TV show with a theatre play, which had never been done before in Taiwan. The five young people got involved in the show in earnest. Their immersion was way beyond our expectation. How they felt and their dialogues are the precious stones for the show. I’m so grateful to them!
Hopefully, the war will end soon. May the children in Ukraine enjoy a beautiful future.