Experiencing Interruptions?

paSta’ay

The conflicts between men can be reconciled through a ritual festival.
What about the conflicts between men and nature?
The Saysiyat are one of the indigenous tribes in Taiwan. They live in the mountains with an altitude of 500 to 1500 meters in Taiwan, and they are one of the critically endangered groups. Their language has been listed as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO project “Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger”, and they are known for their biennial PaSta’ay ritual.
The paSta’ay ritual of the Saysiyat people takes on a very special form. It is not about the cycles of life, the harvests, the wars between tribes, or the sacrifices of their religion. It is a ritual woven of the respect, resentment and love towards another people to soothe the hatred and enhance the reconciliation and blessings between the two.
The 16 ritual songs in paSta’ay are related to plants in our daily lives. The lyrics have touching natural constructs to them, connecting the paSta’ay to us and creating an imagery of how humans, spirits, and nature weave together and become one, and furthermore, bringing positivity to our world.
Besides the complete documentation of the paSta’ay ritual, the valuable dictations of the tribe people and elders are also included in this film. The touching whispers of history is the key to enhance the cohesion of the tribe and carry forward the preservation of Saysiyat culture.

  • Chin-Fa Chen
    Director
  • Ya-May Liu
    Writer
  • Chin-Fa Chen Chen
    Producer
  • Jiann-Ming Chu
    Producer
  • Hui-Ju Shen
    Editor
  • Chin-Fa Chen
    Photographers
  • Hui-Ju Shen
    Photographers
  • Phyllis Erchien Chen
    Photographers
  • Hui-Ju Shen
    Sound Mixer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    矮靈傳說
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Humanities, Aboriginal, Cultural
  • Runtime:
    59 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 30, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    213,750 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Taiwan
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • AFa-Nature Cultural & Art Co., Ltd.
    Distributor
    Country: Taiwan
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Chin-Fa Chen

Chin-Fa Chen has more than 35 years of experience in television commercial, documentary, and film direction. Over the past decade, he has focused on documentaries, hoping to produce inspiring films that combine human compassion, scientific research, and artistic beauty. He uses the interaction between man and nature to show us the importance of environmental conservation and protection.
He has received lots of national awards for his achievements in art and is also renown internationally for his devotion in nature and environmental protection. His works have won him first place in the K.T. Creativity Award and the Natural Literature and Reporting Award, Best Government Publication Award, first place and Best Photography Award in the 34thGolden Harvest Award, the Wildlife Protection Award and Cultural Award in the 21st International Wildlife Film Festival and, the platinum award in 40th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, and is also recognized as an artist representative of New Taipei City.

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Director Statement

No matter how much anger, fear, and helplessness the original ritual might hold, after hundreds of years of evolution, paSta’ay nowadays has lifted its veil and showed us the thankfulness, peace, order and the cohesion of a people and that resolving the hatred between one another is possible, if only we try.
As a documentary filmmaker, besides showing the world the uniqueness of the Saysiyat people, are there also other ways to show what more it could mean to all humankind?