Experiencing Interruptions?

The Replacement

Under the golden haze of a Taipei afternoon, a row of elderly people sits in a park, their identities reduced to the identical white clothes and red scarves they wear. When a sudden storm erupts, a young caregiver inadvertently shuffles the living pieces of this social puzzle—bringing home a grandmother instead of a grandfather. Through the tactile lens of micro-claymation, the film explores the commodification of the elderly in a hyper-aging society, where identity is a replaceable variable and presence is merely a social remainder.

  • Chih Hao Shen
    Director
  • Chih Hao Shen
    Writer
  • MFX Films
    Producer
  • Chih Hao Shen
    Animator
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Genres:
    Claymation, Stop-motion Animation
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 12, 2026
  • Country of Origin:
    Greece
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    Chinese, Chinese - Min Nan
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Chih Hao Shen

Chih Hao Shen is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary creator whose work explores human existence, memory, and the fragile relationship between individuals and the worlds they inhabit. Through restrained visual language and poetic storytelling, his films reflect on the quiet passage of time and emotional landscapes of contemporary life.

His work has been recognized by international film festivals, including the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Fantasporto – Porto International Film Festival, In The Palace International Short Film Festival, and Asolo Art Film Festival. His projects have been featured at major international industry platforms, including Oberhausen, Clermont-Ferrand, Visions du Réel, Cannes Short Film Corner, and Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. His visual work has also been presented at international platforms such as the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

Selected Works

2026 — 10 Seconds
2025 — The Last Atlantis
2025 — Children of Earth
2025 — After Ark
2025 — ONE

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I use the deliberate imperfections of clay—the fingerprints, tiny cracks, and heavy textures—to mirror the vulnerability of human memory and relationships in an aging society.

Through long, patient shots, I aim to slow time, allowing the audience to witness subtle gestures, expressions, and silences that speak louder than words. In a world where loved ones can be mistaken, forgotten, or replaced, the tragedy lies not in the errors themselves, but in our quiet acceptance of them.

This film is an invitation to feel the weight of absence, the fleeting certainty of recognition, and the shared, fragile humanity that persists amidst societal systems and routines.