Experiencing Interruptions?

Smoke of the Sea

Bed-ridden with an undiagnosed illness in Taipei, Ya-Ting must face her greatest fears in a journey through the world of the Amis Ancestors while also recalling Amis knowledges.

  • 汪宇婕 (Wang Yu-Jie)
    Key Cast
    "雅婷 (Ya-Ting)"
  • 李志吉 (Lee Jhih-Ji)
    Key Cast
    "Akumodaw (阿克莫道）"
  • 李德男 (Lee De-Nan)
    Key Cast
    "Old Akumodaw （老的阿克莫）"
  • 希巨.蘇飛 (Siki Sufin)
    Key Cast
    "Bairang （巴塱）"
  • 陳淑樺 (Chen Shu-Hua)
    Key Cast
    "Misak （米斯克）"
  • 楊妮 （Yang-Ni)
    Key Cast
    "小雅婷 (Young Ya-Ting)"
  • 林楷莉 (Lin Kai-Lee)
    Key Cast
    "明麗 (Ming-Lee)"
  • 都蘭之花 (Dulan's Flower)
    Key Cast
    "媽媽 (Mother)"
  • Sam Simonds
    Writer
  • Sam Simonds
    Director
  • Longzoo Louis
    Assistant Director
  • Sam Simonds
    Producer
  • Longzoo Louis
    Co-Producers
  • 佈告.阿里
    Co-Producers
  • 廖若涵
    Co-Producers
  • A-Song
    Camera OP
  • Big Black
    Gaffer
  • Christian Vazquez
    Sound Mixer
  • Matt Allen
    Sound Design
  • Hong Hsiang-Han
    Head of Make-Up
  • Siki Sufin
    Costume Design
  • Liao Roh-Han
    Costume Design
  • Sam Simonds
    Chinese Translation
  • Luca Guo
    Chinese Translation
  • DJ Hatfield
    Amis Translation
  • Yinam
    Amis Translation
  • Siki Sufin
    Amis Translation
  • Lee De-Nan
    Amis Translation
  • Chen Shu-Hua
    Amis Translation
  • Lee Jhih-Ji
    Amis Translation
  • Futuru Tsai
    Amis Translation
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    如煙似海
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    11,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony FS7
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Sam Simonds

Sam Simonds is based in Brooklyn, NY, working as a barista. He graduated from Connecticut College, Class of '19, with a B.A. in Film Studies and a minor in East Asian Studies, through which he learned Chinese. He also studied indigeneity both globally and locally during his time at Conn. He graduated with a certificate from the Toor Cummings Center for International Study and the Liberal Arts. Smoke of the Sea, Sam's senior Honors Thesis, was the recipient of the Oakes and Louis Ames Prize for the year's most outstanding thesis at Connecticut College.

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Director Statement

Smoke of the Sea is a narrative fiction film based off of the 28 year-old, Hsu Shuo-Man's, experiences growing up in the Amis Tribe of Dulan Taiwan, following her journey in and out of the Ancestor world during a long period of illness. The film integrates Shuo-Man's story with fears brought forth by Amis elders that the youth are not learning how to speak Amis and are growing increasingly distant from Amis culture. The Hakka scholar on Amis indigeneity, Futuru Tsai, lives in Dulan and was instrumental in guiding the research and development of the project. Others in the community like Hsu Shuo-Man, Siki Sufin, and Chen Shu-Hua (all acting in the film), played a critical role in story development. The story and the film would not have come together without these amazing voices.