Private Project

Reclaim My Summer

Everyone, and everything, deserves a second chance.
Xuan, the reluctant daughter to a home running a recycling yard, gets called over to weigh recyclables the moment she took out her phone to relax. At the age of 17, instead of enjoying her teenage years, she lives in a small bungalow built inside the yard with her mother and younger sister, surrounded by, in her opinion, all kinds of junk. Aside from having to help out in the recycling yard, she is also tasked with taking care of her indulged sister.
One day, her crush from school asks her out on a ride. Tasked with collecting recyclables from the neighborhood, Xuan decides to use it as an opportunity to sneak away from her mother and finally experience a moment with friends as a normal teenager…

  • Hao-wei CHEN
    Director
    Irritable Boy
  • Hao-wei CHEN
    Writer
  • Pi-yun AN
    Producer
  • Yi-shan LEE
    Producer
  • Public Television Service Taiwan
    Distributor
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    回收場的夏天
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student, Television
  • Genres:
    Fiction, Teen, Relationship
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 23, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Taiwan
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Chaoyang University of Technology
  • 2023 Busan International Film Festival
    Busan
    Korea, Republic of
    Official Selection
  • Golden Horse Awards
    Taipei
    Taiwan
    Best Live Action Short Film Finalist
  • Golden Bell Awards
    Taipei
    Taiwan
    Best Sound Design in Drama Programs, Best Newcomer in Mini-Series (TV Movie) Finalist
Director Biography - Hao-wei CHEN

Hao-Wei Chen, born in Taichung, Taiwan.
Graduate of the Department of Communication Arts, Chaoyang University of Technology. His first film as writer/ director/ editor, “Irritable Boy”, which was funded by the 16th PTS Innovative Story, was nominated for Best New Performer in the 24th Taipei Film Festival, awarded Best Directing in the 10th Seoul International Children's Film Festival, Special Jury Prize and Best Performer in the 44th Golden Harvest Awards, and Best Short Film in the 2021 New Taipei City Student Film Awards.
His works often focus on the conflict of values between young people and the environment in which they grew up, and evoke the common memory of the audience through realistic depictions of life.
His new short, “Reclaim My Summer”, received yet another funding from the 18th PTS Innovative Story, and was nominated for the "Wide Angle: Asian Short Film Competition" at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival and the 60th Golden Horse Awards for Best Live Action Short Film, and awarded the 58th Golden Bell Award for Sound Design in Drama Programs, and was nominated for the Best Newcomer in Mini-Series (TV Movie).

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Director Statement

This is a story about a 17-year-old girl in a single-parent family making a living in a recycling yard, who projects the desire to be seen and cared for as rebellious actions.
Like most teenagers going through puberty, Xuan in “Reclaim My Summer” disdains the stress originating from her family. However, her defiance is but a means of seeking attention and care.
“Reclaim My Summer” illustrates a teenager’s desire for a carefree life though the contrast between the confined environment that she grew up in, and the freedom of the vast outside world. Being rebellious is a necessary stage of growing up, for we only learn to embrace each other after we’ve laid down our arms.