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The UNINTENDED JOURNEY

THE UNINTENDED JOURNEY tells the story behind a forgotten professor who transformed international relations during his oversea missions for Taiwan. He rose from a high school teacher to the architect of a national university in education, but service to his adopted homeland Taiwan placed him in unexpected situations on the world stage that led to a life of adventure he never intended. The Speaker of the Danish Parliament calls him a close friend. The Thai Foreign Minister went on secret missions with him to the Middle East. When ethnic bias and power rifts overshadowed his journey, he forged ahead in education, even founding Chinese language schools in countries where they were banned. This first documentary by Taiwanese Director Ayo Liu, highlights dimensions of humanity of a forgotten emissary, the missions he built from Europe to Asia, and the ordinary lives he touched along the journey with extraordinary stories…
(Original: 4K Ultra HD - available upon request)

  • Ayo Liu
    Director
  • Jason Wang
    Writer
  • Bettina Yang
    Producer
  • Stephan (Chiwei in Chinese) Hsu
    Key Cast
  • Peter Hsu
    Executive Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    使者之路
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 9 minutes 21 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 26, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    120,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Taiwan
  • Country of Filming:
    Denmark, France, Germany, Taiwan, Thailand
  • Language:
    Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    4K60P
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival

    United States
    Remi Award
  • ARFF Berlin International Awards

    Germany
    ARFF Globe Awards
  • South Film and Arts Academy Festival

    Chile
    Best Social Feature Film
  • South Film and Arts Academy Festival

    Chile
    Best Production - Feature Film
  • Accolade Global Film Competition

    United States
    Merit Awards: Documentary Feature / Asian Feature
  • NY International Film Awards

    United States
    Best Biographical Feature
  • NY International Film Awards

    United States
    Best 1st Time Director
  • NY International Film Awards

    United States
    Grand Jury Award
  • Cine Paris Film Festival

    France
    Best 1st Time Director - Documentary
  • Cine Paris Film Festival

    France
    Best Historical Feature
  • ARFF Paris International Awards

    France
    Staff Pick/ Honorable Mention
  • International New York Film Festival

    United States
    July 5, 2022
    Online Screening (tickets only)
    Merit Award
  • Brazil International Film Festival

    Brazil
    Special Jury Award
  • Paris Independent Film Festival

    France
    October 26, 2022
    Online Screening (tickets only)
    Best Documentary Feature
  • Florence Film Awards

    Italy
    2 Honorable mentions: Feature Documentary / Producer
  • Germany International Film Festival

    Germany
    Honorable Mention
Distribution Information
  • CNEX
    Distributor
    Country: Taiwan
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Ayo Liu

Ayo Liu is the Director/ Director of Photography of The UNINTENDED JOURNEY. He has devoted two decades of professional multimedia visual arts expertise in short feature, creative commercial, live musical and stage performance video productions, documentary and photography projects around the world. A graduate from the Institute of Photography and Multimedia, University of Paris VIII in France, Ayo regularly work with clients on integrated projects in Europe, America and Asia. Beyond commercial projects, Ayo is also an university professor in visual media studies, and dedicates part of his time in photography artworks, which have been exhibited in fine arts museums worldwide and international contemporary art fairs as well as private collections in France, Switzerland, Germany and Taiwan.

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Director Statement

If you get a sense of déjà vu, be reminded that the approach to life and adversity, is not to let one door's closing in the present to stop us from opening another to change the future… We hope the “punctum” that tugs at you from the scenes in the Unintended Journey will be heartfelt…