Taiwan Docs

Wulu Village is located in deep, secluded mountains in southeast Taiwan. The Bunun aboriginal people have gathered and settled here for generations. The chromatic style of singing is the most peculiar part of their music, especially presented in "pasibutput", a song for praying the rich millet harvest. In 1943, Japanese musicologist Mr. Takatomo Kurosawa, tried to prove the establishment of a pentatonic scale from the overtone in his study of Bunun music. Recognized by the United Nation, his discovery has astonished western musicians and challenged the long-established music theory.

The Bunun aboriginal inhabitants of Wulu, knowing that their traditional culture faces the danger of extinction, have embarked on a project to preserve it and pass it in to their children. Two local teachers have organized classes on traditional singing, and accepts invitations to perform for other organizations.

Coming in search of an answer to the question of cultural preservation, the director collected the ideas of every aboriginal inhabitant of the village. In the process of his investigation, he found himself unexpectedly moved by what he experienced.

Source: Taiwan International Documentary Festival