The Extra’s Journey
Country:
- Taiwan
Language:
- Mandarin
- Taiwanese
Subtitles:
- 英文
- Mandarin
Format:
- DCP
- Dream
- Youth
- Actor
- Atypical Worker


Synopsis
This poetic documentary gently follows Taiwanese extras from diverse generations and backgrounds—those whose names don’t appear in the credits, yet whose lives are rich with unspoken struggles and quiet ambitions. For them, family is both sanctuary and burden; love often arrives wrapped in worry. Through six years of intimate observation, director Hsin-Yu WU captures their world with humour, tenderness, and remarkable authenticity. The result is a moving portrait of those living on the margins of cinema, chasing dreams that flicker like film—fragile, fleeting, but fiercely alive.
Director Statement
This documentary follows a group of Taiwanese background actors as they search for opportunity, recognition, and a better life. They are not just waiting for a role on screen, but for a chance to step into something larger to be seen, to succeed. I followed their journey to understand what drives them forward, and what their struggles reveal about us all. How far will they go? And what does it mean to keep chasing a dream that has no clear path? That's what I want to learn.
Festivals & Awards
2023 英國Kingston國際影展
2023 Brussels Independent Film Festival
2022 Taipei International Labour Film Festival: Best Feature Film
2017 New Taipei City Documentary: the Second Place Award (the short version)