SPI
Country:
- Taiwan
Language:
- Atayal
- Mandarin
Subtitles:
- 英文
- Mandarin
Format:
- DCP
- Indigenous
- Family
- Culture
- women
Synopsis
After Grandpa Wilang passed away, our family struggled with grief and disorientation. Grandma Yabay, overwhelmed by loss, couldn’t accept life without him. In Tayal tradition, Spi—to dream—is how we connect with our ancestors. We began dreaming of Grandpa: by the hearth, hunting, quietly watching over us.
Amid this mourning, my teenage cousin became pregnant. Bound by Gaga, the Tayal code of ethics, Grandma believed this would have disappointed Grandpa, and couldn't bring herself to let her granddaughter come home.
Years later, Grandpa still visits us in dreams. While Grandma carries on weaving and farming, I continue walking in his footsteps—searching for meaning, and trying to live the Tayal way.
Director Statement
I’ve spent ten years making this documentary—a personal and difficult journey. Filming my own family while exploring Gaga, the traditional Tayal value system, challenged me deeply. My grandfather passed before I could truly learn from him, so I turned to my family and elders to understand what had been left unsaid. Invisible yet powerful, Gaga continues to shape our lives. I often doubted whether I could finish this film, but over time, I grew with it. Spi is more than a film—it’s my way of reconnecting with Tayal identity and honoring what’s been forgotten. Now that the film is completed, I’m grateful I stayed the course. It has become a space where my family speaks and where our story finally meets the world.
Festivals & Awards
2025 YIDFF - Nominated for New Asian Currents Competition