他们在岛屿写作：化城再来人

週六晚看了記錄周夢蝶先生的文學電影「化城再來人」。開頭即是《孤獨國》的詩題：讓、索、禱、雲、霧。揭開。

記錄電影側拍了老人的生活。

談青年從軍。大時代的流離，怎樣讓一介體弱從武漢飄盪到台灣。身世的悲歡離合：少年喪母、中年喪妻、老年喪子。周老悠悠吐出「生之惻惻，死之寂寂」。邊以筆細細寫明難辨的河南鄉音。

於是習佛。師從印順、道源與南懷瑾，先生自陳與《金剛經》頗有殊緣。說結緣，是在時間與空間的無垠中，兩顆微塵的相遇；因此惜緣——珍惜彼此緣分的纏繞，如藤纏樹樹纏藤。

為一佛弟子，亦為一詩人，遂專情、多情、泛情。詩人病弱退伍，開始擺攤賣書，輾轉多處。每天早起，搭第一班車，閒人之所忙，忙人之所閒。時常閉目靜坐，如入定，實則用力用情於詩。不寫則矣，若寫則嘔心吐血。掏盡。一首好雪寫了四十年。

那是周老的勤靜和緩。以墨筆細細刻就，每天一二十字練習，微量而恆常的積累。在淨慢之間，是工整不阿，歲月敬意。

九十多歲的老人。唸著「荒涼的自由，溫馨的不自由」。話語中是淡淡解懷。細瘦的身子，佈滿紋斑的皮膚，在滿池清水裡，虔敬。日月逾邁，落日寒姿，卻是行到水窮處青空的初冷。

「若欲相見，只須於悄無人處呼名，乃至
只須於心頭一跳一熱，微微
微微微微一熱一跳一熱」

「舉世皆笑，我不妨獨哭；舉世皆哭，我何忍獨笑？」

是為深深深深的慈悲寂空有情。


◎周老的幾首詩作

好雪，片片不落別處

生於冷養於冷壯於冷而冷於冷的
山有多高，月就有多小
雲有多重，愁就有多深
而夕陽，夕陽只有一寸！

有金色臂在你臂上扶持你
有如意足在你足下導引你
憔悴的行人啊！
合起盂與缽吧！
且向風之外，幡之外
認取你的腳印吧！


善哉十行

人遠天涯遠？若欲相見
即得相見。善哉善哉你說
你心裡有綠色
出門便是草。乃至你說
若欲相見，更不勞流螢提燈引路
不須於蕉窗下久立
不須於前庭以玉釵敲砌竹……
若欲相見，只須於悄無人處呼名，乃至
只須於心頭一跳一熱，微微
微微微微一熱一跳一熱


行到水窮處

行到水窮處
不見窮，不見水
卻有一片幽香
冷冷在目、在耳、在衣
你是源泉
我是泉上的漣漪
我們在冷冷之初，冷冷之終
相遇。像風與風眼之
乍醒。驚喜相窺
看你在我，我在你
看你在上，在後在前在左右
你心裏有花開
開自第一瓣猶未湧起時
誰是那第一瓣？
那初冷，那不凋的漣漪?
行到水窮處
不見窮，不見水
卻有一片幽香
冷冷在目、在耳、在衣

http://polarbear.ycool.com/post.4363930.html

化城非实境，法华经中言为归墟前站。周公梦蝶一生看似凄寒，孤苦趺坐武昌街廿载，而考其一生实则内心五色斑斓，傲娇朋辈同侪，纵横化城妙境，比想象精彩许多。
他友情似恋爱，恋爱如作诗。友徐进夫之妻陈玲玲谈起当年龌龊，不敬想象彷如炮灰女大战基情并完胜之。陈进而说，「他的情欲都在这里」——指指脑袋。周说他对女人要求完美，完美的女人只有观世音。现实中三毛意图推倒他，他倒似白兔女惊惶逃窜。有女学生说他雌雄同体，大概孤独国诗人是勿论性与性别的，虽然他在老家早有结婚生子。
友朋老了，均有大房子，周公则食素面居陋室，长衫大褂，去世界理发厅理发，喜甜咖啡，坐公交地铁，磨冷砚，用竹节毛笔颤颤巍巍写瘦金小字。他口音别人难懂，总随身一片纸，信手涂抹言辞，「结缘」、「劫余人」等字兀兀横在草纸上，印下就忘不了。
年轻时他就瘦小窈窕，弱不禁风，与人兴奋谈诗，「越讲越激动，后来就吐了」。老了，枯成木乃伊，沐浴中赤裸裸躯体似归罗汉相。他一路活过若干黑发人，丧父丧母丧妻丧友丧子，今已九十二高寿。开口前必沉吟一分钟，耳朵背了但思路明晰，记忆也算上佳了。人老而孩童附体，童年记忆最动人，他忆及年少背书，奶奶说，「这孩子尝到书味了」。
全片穿插周公读诗叙事声音，河南音，90老翁声音干涩铿锵，似磨掉诗中靡靡柔音，只剩「一团浑浑莽莽沉默的吞吐的力」，比片中配的画面，好一百倍。

黄昏里一盏明灯:他们在岛屿写作
文 / 蒋斐然

“是谁传下这诗人的行业，黄昏里挂起一盏灯”。

在这文学阅读日益衰退的年代，《他们在岛屿写作》挂起了黄昏里的明灯。

我们不禁感叹，台湾啊台湾，台湾啊台湾。看似被政治力搅和得乌烟瘴气的台湾，看似民风日下乐娱表浅的台湾，却从不叫人真正失望，因为在这个岛屿的某个角落，某个时刻，总是不期涌现这样那样充满力量的的影音创作与文学记忆，无法被乱流冲走，无法被历史埋汰，让人重新坚信美好的存在。这个市井与纷争的小岛，像极了春秋战国时期的中国，乱力之下有自由，自由之下放百花。

他们在岛屿写作。他们是谁？“他们”指向的是一个漂浮游移却隐然成形的时代群体，既有历史时间的距离，又有美学感性上的回眸。“岛屿”作为一种历史地理的指称，潜藏了在地思考的逃逸路径，跳脱省级，无关统独，抛却了僵硬的国族符号，抛却泛政治化的情感动员。而“在岛屿写作”则形构出一种当下此刻的书写进行式，贯穿过去与未来，以写作的创造性能量，标记岛屿之浮光掠影，“岛屿写作”，让岛屿不先于写作而存在，让“写作”无法离开岛屿而成立。

六位文学大家，来自四面八方，出生地殊异，成长地殊异，但都在岛屿写作，都在书写岛屿，都在以文学书写作为逃逸陈规范式的路径。值得思考的是，其中的几位作家都是从大陆过去台湾的。余光中曾这样描述他所经历的地方：大陆是母亲，台湾是妻子。何以母地的生子都绽放在他乡的爱情里，而后又缱绻于怀乡的诗情里。不论时事，搁浅政治，但省两地的人文落差，便叫人戚戚。

《他们在岛屿写作：文学大师系列电影》创造了文学纪录片的一个奇迹，成为去年台湾一个重要的文化事件，让人唏嘘之余感到欣慰——还好，文学还在；还好，读者还在。这套影片的奇迹在于，它以非凡的诚意打动了六位文豪的联袂出镜，以纪录片的预算制作出了电影规格的影像，以文学电影的姿态站上了公映院线，以低调的妆容赢得了高调的票房和口碑。虽非商业片，却敢于挑战观众的口味，不得不敬佩，作为发行方和制作方的目宿媒体确实具有过人的胆识和先天下之忧而忧的人文情怀。但谁也没有想到，在这样速食消费的年代，悠长缓慢的诗歌又唤起了人们心底对文学的柔软记忆，真诚朴质的影像挖掘了字里行间的乐趣，拉近了观众与诗人的距离，抵抗了阅读衰退的忧虑，这表明不管时代怎么变，人性最初的那份纯洁与美好是不会消褪的。

你看到诗人的生活，看到他们作为一个人是如何存在，然后你突然就读懂了他们的诗。比如，我看《化城再来人》时非常惊讶，或许之前听说过在武昌街摆书摊的周梦蝶，但并不知悉他原来人如其诗，早已老僧入定，生活作诗仿如修行。再如余光中先生的诗应该为大陆观众所耳熟能详，但在纪录片《逍遥游》中，我才完全地尝到了乡愁的滋味，也才明白之前脑海里的余光中并不是真正的他，他的诗我也并非真的懂。这不就是纪录片的意义所在吗，带领观众进入和理解一个未知的世界。

《他们在岛屿写作》成功了，在台湾，第一次有这样的纪录片能够在院线联映五周之久，怀揣着所谓的传说中的“纪录”与“文学”两大票房毒药，却眼睁睁地火爆了市场，成为一种奇特的现象。不论是文艺界还是非文艺界，都不断有仁人志士站出来鼎力相荐。张艾嘉为首映站台，马英九看后将预告片投上FACEBOOK大力夸赞，又有多少民众一看完片子，就涌起一股满满的冲动，奔向书店购买诗集。也就是说，人们又开始读诗了。这难道不是最大的奇迹吗？

若说以上是电影之于文学的奇迹，是电影为文学的普世化和复兴作出了贡献，那么反过来，其实文学也同样滋养了电影。《化城再来人》和《如雾起时》的导演陈传兴说，文学总能给电影注入大量新鲜的内容。文学电影的类型在亚洲尚未流行，在世界范围内，其实BBC早已拍摄过很多系列的作家纪录片，美国的大学也设有文学电影的课程。但在整个大中华地区，《他们在岛屿写作》是第一个做这件事的人，若这一波电影的佳绩能兴起整个文学电影类型在亚洲的发展和崛起，那就丰富了我们的电影市场和电影创作，不论对影人还是对观众，都是打开了一个多元化的出口。从纪录片的意义上说，也是对纪录电影创作现状提供了一种激活的可能性。当然这需要所有人的协助和推广，而我们，正是在做这样一件事。

在宝岛，有人在努力的保留纯文学的火种。而中国大陆，也曾像这个岛屿一样，经受过动乱对文学的摧残，如今却少有人以主动的姿态践行对文学的热爱。但我相信，这里同样潜藏着一大批坚定的文学青年，而台湾文学正是他们成长路上的重要养分，只是在这样的时代背景和社会风气下，他们选择了隐藏这份欲说还休的炽热。此番在HAFF能够一瞥这些文学大师在银幕上巨大的身影，必定会振奋这群长久遭边缘化的文青的心。而那些许久未拾书卷的人，或也会在看完这一系列的电影之后，重新回归读者的身份。另一方面，也是给大陆电影单一乏味的商业趋同提供一种反思，为食之无味的观影市场注入一剂新鲜的青草味。这里的观众已坐在黑暗的影厅里等候许久，等待着在大荧幕上看到不一样的电影，等待着在从电影里找回久违的感动，等待着恢复封存多年的文艺味蕾。

《两地》分属的风景

《他们在岛屿写作》展现出的是影像威力下的时代感性。

六部电影有叙事结构上的繁复，有影音调度上的别出心裁，更有美学与伦理上的巧妙幽微。有别于传统“作家身影”的拍法，六部纪录片的每一部片都有两个创作心灵的呼应与頡抗，一个是使用文字的作者，一个是使用影像的导演，彼此之间的微妙张力，让影像不再是文字的二次表述，让文字跳脱怀旧氛围，重新展现当代感性。

《两地》，台北和北京，台湾和大陆。此片在构思上颇有深意的地方在于，导演杨力州在片中彻头彻尾地将“两”的概念诠释到底。他将林海音的女儿去北京探寻母亲旧地的过程拍下来，与早前林先生自己去北京寻访的影像并置，两次的镜位和路线都很相似，甚至女儿和母亲都问了一些一样的话，由此两两相望的感觉就浮现了，暗示着代代相传，也暗示着两地纽带不断。配乐师柯智豪为了呼应“两”的概念，将俄系与欧陆两大乐种的旋律和节奏调配在一起，但其实所有场景的主旋律又都暗藏着《送别》的音符，因为它是此片音乐的主轴。剪辑上也频繁地展现出两两对立的撞击。比如说，叙事说到了林海音先生因为刊登了风迟的文章而被免职时，画面首先是当年“文学须服务于政治”的宣导片最后会场鼓掌的一幕，紧接上的就是严肃沉重的字幕，告知观众，在这个掌声底下，林海音被免职，在这个掌声底下，风迟被判三年六个月的徒刑。像这样的例子比比皆是。另值一提的是，《两地》中有大量的动画。动画部分并不疏离出戏，它是精致温馨的，因为原画取自于林海音最喜欢的关维兴水彩大师的插画《城南旧事》，而京剧的实现方式又让人感受到这个在老北京发生的故事。我看完动画的感觉是，跟林先生的世界又近了一步。《两地》也采用了不少稍显矫情的特效渲染手法，比如翻页的老报纸配上动态的新闻报道，这些是刻意、煽情而炽热的，而纪录是淡然、诚实而冷静的。导演也意识到了这一点，所以有意时不时地曝露一些“穿帮”镜头，或是让摄像机入镜，或是保留一些晃动不已的画面，为的是将观众从故事中推出去，回归纪录的客观姿态。

《化城再来人》的一天

《化城再来人》时长163分钟，六部中最长的一部，以我浅见，也是最有深度的一部，也可以说是最靠近电影的。它的叙事定点有如《尤利西斯》，一整部纪录片讲述的是周梦蝶的一天的回忆，但叙事线条并不单一，其中叠合了回忆的多重时间点，显示出周公本身性格的复杂性。第一次看这部纪录片的时候，令人印象最深的是周公的声音，他一直在不紧不慢却又用力地嚼着他的诗和尺牍，仿佛诵读也是一种修行。

周公的诗中呈现的是一种不纯粹的语言，旧诗，禅诗或偈语，全部糅杂在一起，而《化城再来人》将这些不纯粹凝结在一起的纽带就是周公的声音，包括它的质感，快慢，节奏等等。而声音就是时间的另一个指标。我们听着周公的念白，就真真切切地体会了他那句“只有时间嚼着时间的反刍的微响”。导演陈传兴说，“周公平常说话经常陷入一种独白的境况，即便与人对话，对面的人于他而言也只是回声墙。而念诗的时候却大不一样，念诗的时候是他与他的诗对话，你观察他特写的脸，感觉声音在他好似山脉的一起一伏的肌肤上流动。”这本身就是一种梵文的心境，这种诵读是一种非人间的与神对话。除了周公的声音之外，潜伏在影片始终的另一个重要的声音就是水流的声音，当然是隐喻时间的纵向宽度，对于周公这样一日如一生的文人来讲，这水流声又添无限禅意。

完整看过此片的人绝不会忘记开头和结尾呼应的江面，那过去的江面要去向哪里，谁都无解，就像时间要流向怎样的未来，我们都无从知道。为了反应周公这样的犹疑而不确定的生活在在台北城里的“悉达多”，导演甚至将周梦蝶的淡水河比作印度的恒河，拍摄了两地的画面混剪在一起，有意让人分不清到底是淡水还是恒河。

全片的叙事非常从容，毫无夸张矫饰之处，但阅毕周公的印象已如烙印般深铭心中，那样的气质不只是“入定”或是“出世”可以简单形容，他可以随时对外界打开，也可以随时关闭。陈传兴将周公比作漏斗，外界的事物可以经过他的身体，然后完完全全地流过去，不留下一点残余。而《化城再来人》最出色的地方在于，他没有只顾着刻画周公这种外界既定的佛者文人形象，它呈现出了一个真实的人内心的矛盾，对男女情感的期待和纠葛，对宗教的坚定与不坚定，对人生取向的来回摆荡。比如周公谈三毛那段，我看到是觉得惊异又觉得真实。再如谈到周公去电影社看电影时，投影在斑驳墙上的影片是卡尔•德莱叶的《吸血鬼》（1932），那一幕讲述的正是一个男人救赎了女人，这样细腻的安排归功于导演对周公复杂性格准确而敏锐的捕捉。这其实是非常难的事情，因为周公不是剧本里被塑造出来的人物，而是创作团队在有限的时间里新认识的活生生的人。

此片的剪辑非常尊重时间上的连贯性，未有打动干戈，自然而有力，体现了纪录片剪辑最好的状态。尤其开头周公起床、吃面、上厕所、洗澡那一长段，几乎没有话语也没有配乐，非常漫长，但周公的生活状态和精神世界已赫然显现，因为时间在他身上本身就走得比较慢。同样周公所有讲话的速度和长时间的停顿也被充分地尊重，包括他偶尔瞬间入定而长久静白的沉默，动人深刻。

《逍遥游》是一出自由的纪录剧

《逍遥游》的特色在于有一个完整的剧本，陈怀恩导演是电影出身，拍摄的时候就有分镜了，因而系统性非常强，当然也有精心雕琢之感。片子定位在余光中四十岁左右“你不知道你是谁，你幻灭”的人生阶段的议题上，进而引出诗人一生不停地自我争论，与自我对话的主题。

由于是年轻余光中，所以有大量搬演的部分，用以再现余先生当年读书写诗的场景，是六部纪录片中编剧搬演最多的一部。除了搬演部分的编剧，他们也有让年轻的台大诗社成员热烈讨论余光中的诗这般的情景预设。所以这部纪录片其实采用的是比较剧情片的构思和制作方法，包括预设主题，到实现方式，都有许多企划的痕迹在里头，也就是说，是纪录内容在跟着主创走，而不是主创跟着纪录内容走。但这样的高控制力的企划对于观众来说还是有效的，观者能很好的进入故事，进入到导演预期的情绪里。旁白声音挑选和剪辑节奏都精心设计。比如《沙浮投海》这首诗是由万芳来朗读的，沙浮尸一个女诗人，这是一个女诗人投海自杀的故事，所以由一个悲伤的女低音来朗读就仿佛第一人称演绎了这首诗的故事。全片影像风格唯美写意，旁白的交错与视觉搭配，就已经奏出一曲漂亮的诗歌。

《如雾起时》是一曲哀歌

《如雾起时》拍郑愁予，同样出自陈传兴导演之手，但与《化城再来人》是完全不同的调性。我觉得《如雾起时》是一曲哀歌，它的气质是比较沉重的，是围绕着诗与历史展开的。比如他采用了大量客观性陈述的旁白，选取了一个低沉的女音代表一个第三人的角度，一个在故事之外的全知全能的角度，讲述一些关于诗人的事实。

全片的架构清晰可见，前半部分比较男人戏，有很多史料影像，回顾诗坛文坛的几次论争，而后郑愁予结婚成家，影像转到了非常有生活气息的家的空间里，转到了美国的宁静薄雾里，转到了郑先生夫人和其他几位女性知识分子的视角里。这种性别视角的转移与时间线性的发展相吻合，不知不觉中也就完成了影片气氛的转变。另外一个转变是相对于主人公的镜头机位的转变。开片访问郑愁予的一幕是在小河边的一个推轨镜头，镜头一直处在诗人的背后方，随着叙事的展开，机位慢慢地转到传主的正面，观众对郑愁予的认识也慢慢加深。

陈传兴对很多意象和动作都有非常主观而深层的解读，但全片的影像还是采取了一种比较遥远的观望姿态，并未作过多注脚。在《如雾起时》里，他更多的是在呈现一种诗的历史，所以前半段使用了大量史料报章，蓝星旧刊等过去的实物来目击历史。后半段是郑愁予在美国的工作和生活，于是出现了毕业证书，学位证书，荣誉证书等见证物。这些统统被端端正正地放大在镜头前，诉说诗与历史的关系，因为历史说到底是以一桩桩的事件来标记的。

影片前前后后充满了呼应和对照，比如美国1970年爆发的反越战学潮的新闻影片和保钓行动的影像都对照了台湾50年代八二三炮战前后肃杀和动荡以及六七十年代中国的文化大革命的激进。陈导有意识地在用各种方法加重片子的严肃气氛，呼应那个时代的沉重。比如全片处处有字幕（侧标），有的是史实，有的是观点，有的在黑幕时出现，有的甚至就打在人物脸上。而这些侧标字数多，速度快，观众根本来不及读完，而导演就是有意为之，有意让你负荷过重，从而体会那种硬质的沉重。但有时，你不得不承认，陈导因为将其丰厚的艺术电影的涵养都呈现在画面里，其中的深意和过多的隐喻并非一般观众能够消化领悟。

《寻找背海的人》是现实主义的浪漫纪录

林靖杰导演的《寻找背海的人》是极具现代性和艺术性的一部纪录片。王文兴本身是现代主义风格的作家，因此影片呼应这种形式上的对接是非常恰当的。

《寻找背海的人》有非常细密的线索和严密的架构，也有很多创举和巧思，属于比较非传统的纪录片。因为王文兴是小说家，为了将小说的故事诉诸视觉，林导干脆将《家变》改编成了一个十足现代性的舞台剧呈现在片中。另一个构思是“牢房”，王文兴将其每日写作的那间房比作牢房，林靖杰就拍摄了他在牢房里的真实写作过程。这对于作家本身来说是不易的，要做到放松地在摄影机的监视下工作。对于导演来说也是不易的，因为其间需要大量的磨合和沟通。最后呈现出来的那种真实的状态是令人动容的，当你看到作家握着笔竿不断地敲打着桌面和稿纸的时候，你也能感受到他正在敲打自己的灵魂。再如此片的动画，明显区别于其他几部片中的动画，实验性很强，像《草原底盛夏》有着超现实的调性，《背海的人》和《星雨楼随想》则有着十分先锋的气质，单独拿出来看，都已经是很棒的作品，所以整个片子的完成度也就显得非常高。配乐非常吻合王文兴的文学气质，有苦涩沉闷的味道在里头，尤其是动画的配合，充盈着机械主义的幽默和残酷在里头。

这六部电影虽然出自不同的导演之手，风格各异，但在整体上竟然也呈现出了巧妙的统一性。影像画质都很相近于5D Mark II的风格，都采用了读诗和念白的手法，也都围绕着作家本身展开叙事，配乐几乎一致地采用了无调性的现代弦乐，非常贴合诗文的气质。这一套非常高质素的文学纪录电影，值得每一位电影观众和文学读者细细咀嚼和珍藏。

《朝向一首诗的完成》是个未完成的朝向

《朝向一首诗的完成》取名于杨牧《一首诗的完成》，但杨牧认为，从泛义来讲，写诗并没有完成，何不加上“朝向”二字，于是有了“朝向一首诗的完成”。此片是温知仪导演的，是六部片中唯一一部由女性执导的片子，十足的女性色彩，手法比较阴柔。这当然也是女性导演的一个特色和优点。

影像部分印象比较深的是介绍反越战的《十二星象练习曲》这首诗时搭配了现代舞和越战资料重叠的画面，非常柔美和实验，我觉得这是男性导演绝对不会采用的手法。影片有加入搬演的部分，由一个小孩子来演绎杨牧小时候在花莲的时光，也有像《两地》一样，采用动画来诠释杨牧的诗歌，也做了很多跟杨牧先生有关的人的访谈，这些都是纪录片常用的实现方式。诵诗部分请来了很多其他诗人和学生分别念诗，寓意杨老师的诗影响了世世代代的人，但影片是以杨牧先生自己朗诵自己的诗作为影片的开篇和结尾，听来叫人非常感动。这部片子跟其他五部片子一样，很好的一点在于，他们把重心放在诗人本身上，而并非单单在他的诗作上，于是整个片子就很贴近诗人本身的气质。

A Beacon in the Dusk: The Inspired Island

Jiang Feiran

“Who left the profession of writing poetry, hanging up a beacon in the dusk”.

This generation witnesses a gradual decline in reading literature, The Inspired Island hangs up a beacon in the dusk.

We cannot help sighing with emotion: Taiwan, oh Taiwan; Taiwan, oh Taiwan. Taiwan, which seems to have been polluted with a foul atmosphere by political power and filled with a decaying folk custom and a superficial entertainment circle, never truly disappoints people, for at a certain moment from a certain corner of this island, there would always unexpectedly spring up some powerful video or audio creations and literary memories never washed away by turbulence or weeded out by history, bring back people’s belief in the existence of beauty. This island, with its marketplace culture and disputes, resembles the old China during the Spring and Autumn Period, showing in the turbulence freedom, under which bloomed all flowers.

They are writing in the Island. Who are they? “They” refers to drifting but invisibly formed generation group, which boasts not only a historical distance, but also an aesthetic and emotional back-glance. “Island”, a historical and geographical nominatum, conceals an escaping path of thoughts regardless of provincial class, unification or independence and discards the rigid national symbol and politicalized emotion movements. And “writing in the Island” forms a current proceeding of writing what connects the past and the future, skimming over the surface of the Island with the creative energy of writing. “Island & writing” makes “Island” exist not prior to “writing” and “writing” unable to exist without “Island”.

Six literary giants, coming from various backgrounds with different birthplaces and places where they grew up, are all writing in the Island, writing the Island, and escaping from the stereotyped forms by writing. What is worth thinking about is that some of them all came to Taiwan from China’s mainland. Yu Kwang-chung, one of the six, once described the places where he experienced his life: China’s mainland is the mother, while Taiwan is the wife. How come that children born in the mother’s land are blooming in the love of a place away from home, and then deeply attached to the nostalgic poetry? Regardless of the current events and the politics, only the cultural divergence between the two places could already make people sorrowful.

The Inspired Island: Series of Eminent Writers from Taiwan is a miracle of literary documentaries, making itself an important cultural event last year in Taiwan and bringing delight to sighing people—it is well enough that literature and readers are still here. This miraculous documentary aroused the feelings of six literary giants with extraordinary sincerity, made the image with the form of films by using the budget of a documentary, released to the public with a literary attitude and won a high box-office and a great reputation with a plain appearance. Though not a commercial film, it delivered the courage to challenge audience’s taste, which irresistibly generates our admiration for Fisfisa Media, the issuer and the producer, for its super courage and selfless humanistic feelings. However, it is out of all people’s expectation that it this age of fast food consumption, long and slow poetry has re-aroused people’s tender memories for literature, and sincere and simple images have excavated the interest among the words and between the lines, shortened the distance between the audience and poets, and resisted the worry of reading decline. This indicates that in whatever way the times changes, the original purity and beauty of human nature would remain unfading.

You would suddenly understand their poems by observing poets’ life and their ways of existence as a human. For instance, I felt rather surprised when watching The Coming of Tulku. Perhaps I had already heard about Chou Meng-tieh who had a bookstall at Wuchang Street, but I did not know that he was just like his poems, regarding life and versifying as cultivating himself, very calm and without worldly passions. Also, the poems of Yu Kwang-chung must be very familiar to readers in China’s mainland, while it was in The Untrammeled Traveler that I came to fully sense the nostalgic feeling and came to realize that the Yu Kwang-chung existing in my mind before was not the real him and that I never truly understood his poems. And this is where the significance of documentaries—leading people into and then to understand an unknown world— can be found.

The Inspired Island was a great success. In Taiwan, it was the first time for this kind of documentaries to be shown in cinemas for five continuing weeks. With so-called two poisons for box-office, “documentary” and “literature”, it became surprisingly hot in the market, marking a miraculous phenomenon. People with lofty ideals showed their great recommendation in succession, no matter from the literary and art circles or not. Sylvia Chang, an actress, showed her support by attending the first run; Ma Ying-jeou, the Taiwan Leader, posted the prevue onto the FACEBOOK after watching it and revealed great appreciation; many other people, after watching it, all flooded to bookstores for collections of poems with enormous passion. In other words, people begin to read poems again. Isn’t that the biggest miracle?

If the aforementioned is the miracle brought to literature by films or the contributions made to literature’s popularization and rejuvenation by films, the following could be regarded as the nourishment that literature has in turn provided for films. Chen Chuanxing, the director of The Coming of Tulku and Port of Mists, said that literature could always inject abundant fresh content into films. Viewing worldwide, we may see that BBC has produced many series of documentaries for writers, and there are also courses on literature films in American universities, but literature films are still not popular in Asia. In the whole Great China, The Inspired Island was the initiator of that. If this achievement can generate the development and expenditure of literature films in Asia, it would enrich our film market and film creation, opening a diversified exit for both filmmakers and the audience. Viewing from the significance of documentaries, it would also be stimulus for the current creation of documentary films. That surely needs all people’s support and promotion, and this is what we are exactly doing.

In Taiwan, some people are striving to keep the kindling of pure literature, while in China’s mainland, where literature once experienced similar damages due to turbulences, there are few people initiatively practicing love for literature. But I believe that there also incubate a multitude of literary youths, and Taiwan literature is the very nutrition during their growth. It is just that under this background and social morality, they choose to conceal the fervor of keeping what they are eager to express. This time, a glance of the greatness of these literary giants on the screen during the HAFF would surely inspire those literary youths who have long been undergoing marginalization. Also, those who have not read for long would probably win back their identity of being a reader after seeing this series of films. On the other hand, it also provides an introspection for the dull, stuffy and commercialized films from China’s mainland, bringing the tasteless film-seeing market fresh energy. The audience here have long been waiting in the dark video halls for showing up of “different” films on the screens, for the long-awaited touching affection from films, and for the recovery of artistic taste that has been sealed up for years.

The Separated Sceneries of Home in Two Cities

What The Inspired Island reveals is the emotion of times under the power of images.

The six films boast complexity in narrative structures, uniqueness in video or audio adjustments and wit and profoundness in aesthetics and ethnics. Unlike traditional filmmaking of “writer’s silhouette”, each of the six films has two creation souls echoing and clashing with each other. One is the author who uses words, and the other is the director who uses images, both of whom show subtle tension between each other, making images not just the second expression of words and words jump out of the nostalgic atmosphere and display the modern emotions.

Home in Two Cities refers to Taipei and Beijing, and Taiwan and China’s mainland. This film delivers profound meaning in its meditation that Yang Li-chou, its director, made a complete interpretation of the concept of “two” throughout the film. He photographed the process of Lin Haiyin’s daughter’s visiting her mother’s former site in Beijing and then co-arranged the image of the earlier visit of Ms. Lin herself. The two shoots were quite similar in both camera locations and routes, even the daughter and the mother both asked some same questions, as a result of which the feeling of the two shoots’ echoing emerged, suggesting the transmission from generation to generation and the strong connection between the two places. In order to echo with the concept of “two”, Ke Zhihao, the background music controller, mixed the melodies and rhythms of Russian and continental music, while the themes of all scenes conceal the note of Seeing Off, which is the principal axis of the music of this film. Also, collisions are frequently seen in the editing of the film. For example, when it came to the narration that Lin Haiyin was deposed for publishing Fengchi’s article, the frame was at first the applauding scene in the meeting place of the guiding video of “literature should serve the politics” in those days. What followed was solemn and serious subtitles informing people that it was behind these applauds that Lin Haiyin got deposed, and it was behind these applauds that Fengchi was sentenced to three and a half years. Examples like this can be found everywhere. Another point worth mentioning is that Home in Two Cities possesses many animations, which are exquisite and comfortable and not isolated from the film, for the original painting was taken from My Memories of Old Beijing, Lin Haiyin’s favorite illustration by watercolor master Guan Weixing, while at the same time, the realizing approach of Peking Opera can make people truly feel this story that happened in old Beijing. I felt I was closer to Ms. Lin’s world after watching the animations. Besides, Home in Two Cities has adopted quite a few such slightly affected depicting approaches with special effects as matching dynamic news report to the page turning of old newspapers. This is deliberate, sensational and fiery, while documentaries are indifferent, honest and calm. Having realized this, the director deliberately revealed some “goof” scenes now and then, either showing the camera in the scene or keeping some shaking scenes, the purpose of which is to push the audience out of the story and back to the objective attitude of the documentary.





The Man behind the Book is a romantic record of realism

The Man behind the Book directed by Lin Jingjie is a documentary with both modernity and artistry. Because Wang Wenxing is a writer of modernism, so the film is very appropriate to echo this form.

The film has the detailed clues and rigorous framework, and of course, there are a lot of initiative and ingenuity, making the film a non-traditional documentary. In order to transform the novel into a visual story, the director simply adapted 《Festen》into a modern drama presented in the film because Wang Wenxing is a novelist. Another idea is a "cell", Wang Wenxing compared the room where he writes everyday to the cell, and Lin Jingjie shot the writing process of him in the cell. To be honest, being relaxed in front of the camera is quite hard for the writer. And it’s same for the director, since it needs a lot of communication. The scene of writing presented finally is touching, when we see the writer holding the pen beat the desktop and the manuscript, we can feel that he is beating his own soul. As to the animation in this film, it is significantly different from several other film animation, It is experimental. 《The summer at the foot of the grassland》is realistic,《Find the man back to the sea》 and 《Capriccio at Star Rain House》 just like a pioneer. Take them apart, they are all great work, so the whole film is of high quility. The soundtrack suits the literature temperament of Wang Wenxing, it has the sense of dreariment, with the animation, it impresses us with the humor and cruel of mechanical materialism.

Although this six films are directed by the six different directors, vary from style, they have something common on the whole. First, Image quality is similar to the style of 5D Mark II. Then, they all read poets or narration, they all tell a story about writers. Besides, they all use modern string music as the soundtrack, fitting the temperament of poem. These high quality literature documentary films deserve every movie audiences and literature readers experience.

Towards the Completion of a Poem is not a completed toward.

It is named from the work《The finish of poem》by Yang Mu. In his opinion, in terms of pan-righteous, writing the poem has no end, in other words, never completed, so why not add" towards "to the title, so we see this name. This film is directed by the WEN Zhiyi, the only woman in the six directors of these films, the film is relatively feminine. This, of course, is the feature and advantage of the female director.

What impressed me most is the introduction to the poem 《twelve astrological Etude》 about anti-Vietnam War. The introduction mixs the modern dance with the picture of Vietnam War ,it’s full of soft and experimental, I think this is the approach what male directors will never adopted. The film has the scene of performance, a child interpretated the childhood of Yang Mu in Hualien. The film also use the animation to explain the poem by Yang mu like the film Home in Two Cities, and lots of interview of the people related to the Yang mu as well, these are the common approaches of documentaries. A plenty of poets and students read the poems in the film, meaning that Yang's poems affect generations of people, but the director let Yang Mu read his own poems as the opening and the end of the movie, making us moved. The film focus on the poets rather than the poems they write, just like the other five movies, and that’s good. Thus the whole film is close to the poet's own temperament.