Llyong Topa
- History
- Colonization
- Indigenous people
Synopsis
In the Dabao River basin, where the Llyong Topa indigenous community used to be, stands a "ghost temple" where hundreds of Atayal people were buried. They fell victims to Japanese government's first wave of indigenous genocide during its colonial rule of Taiwan. The massacre occurred much earlier than the Wushe Incident (1930), yet it is still rarely known to the world. The filmmaker visited the mountains over a hundred times, seeking clues to fill in the blanks of history.
Director Statement
The Atayal term “IIyong Topa”, stands for “the Dabao river commonwealth” in Chinese. A hundred years ago, by the Dabao river in Sanxia District, New Taipei City, there lived an Atayal tribe named Dabao. In the years between 1903 and 1907, Japan, via its power as an empire, invaded IIyong Topa by strategic advancement of the “defense frontier”. Historical records marked Dabao tribe as “wiped out”.
Festivals & Awards
2021 Taiwan International Documentary Fesitval - Taiwan Competition
Team
- Director
- Executive Production