The Hsinchu County Government has spent more than three years on planning and producing the Aboriginal documentary film A Speaker and Pastor of the Atayal. On Wednesday last week it held a special screening and discussion at the Aboriginal Culture Hall in Jianshih Township, inviting teachers and villagers from outlying villages to watch the film together. The film’s two main characters — Atayal elder Heitay Payan and pastor Atung Yupas — were both on hand to share the process and joy of making the documentary.
The special screening was opened with solemn, lilting Atayal chanting and a blessing ceremony. Hsinchu County Commissioner Yang Wen-ke took part in the event. He said that Hsinchu County is fortunate to have five major ethnic groups, namely Aborigines, Hakka, Hoklo, Han Chinese and new immigrants, and that the way these groups blend together is an expression of Taiwan’s beautiful and unique culture. He said that to pass down and promote precious cultural assets, it is essential to record the wisdom and life experiences of senior citizens, and the county government is duty-bound to carry out this cultural mission.
Hsinchu County Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Li An-yu said that for more than three years, in order to capture the life stories of Atayal elders, the documentary team and the Taiwan Atayal Sustainability Association had gone to great lengths to research and portray the migratory paths that Atayal groups have followed and record rare historical footage such as ancient Atayal tunes, playing the reed Jew’s harp, making traditional implements, and Aboriginal village rituals. They also revisited the scenes of historical events together with the elders, visiting Maqaw (Jhensibao) in Hsinchu County’s Jianshih Township, Shoufeng Township in Hualien County and Namasia District in Kaohsiung, among other places.
Photo courtesy of the Hsinchu County Government 照片：新竹縣政府提供
The “speaker” part of the film eloquently recounts the great efforts and aspirations of Heitay Payan, whose Chinese name is Tseng Tsuo-chen, as a cultural conservationist, ranging from applying his inborn talents to drawing pictures of cultural relics, recording cultural history by interviewing village elders and even writing Atayal-language entries in Wikipedia. He hopes that the young people of today will take full advantage of whatever opportunities they have to learn from their elders, so that the culture of their ancestors can be passed down.
The “pastor” part of the film starts out from the relationship between land and people, recounting how Atung Yupas, whose Chinese name is Chuang Chin-hsiu, has followed a political path to speak out for the realization of land justice and human rights for Aborigines.
For the discussion that followed the special screening, as well as the presence of the film’s two main characters, the organizers also invited co-directors Watan Kahat (Cheng Kwang-po), Shih Sheng-wen and Akira Chen to mingle with school principals, teachers and local residents. There will be a premiere showing and discussion at the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s performance hall in Jhubei City this Friday, and in November and December the film will be shown in the form of a touring film festival at Jiasing, Hsin Kuang and Taoshan elementary schools.
(Translated by Julian Clegg, Taipei Times)
新竹縣政府耗時三年多規劃製播的原住民族紀錄片《泰雅族的言者與牧者》，上週三在尖石鄉原住民文化館舉辦特映會與座談，邀請偏鄉教師及鄉親一同欣賞，兩位主角──泰雅族耆老黑帶‧巴彥，以及牧師阿棟‧優帕司，現身分享拍片歷程及喜悅。
特映會以肅穆悠揚的泰雅族吟唱及祈福儀式揭開序幕，新竹縣長楊文科出席表示，新竹縣很幸運地擁有原、客、閩、漢、新等五大族群，族群融合展現美麗而獨特的台灣文化；為了傳承並發揚寶貴的文化資產，一定要將耆老們的智慧與生命經驗記錄下來，這項文化使命，縣府責無旁貸。
新竹縣文化局長李安妤說，三年多來為了拍攝泰雅族耆老的生命故事，紀錄片工作團隊和台灣泰雅爾族永續協會費心調查研究，演示泰雅族群遷徙的路徑，收錄了泰雅古調、口簧琴演奏、傳統器具製作、部落祭儀等難得的歷史片段，並陪伴耆老重返現場，足跡遍佈新竹縣尖石鄉鎮西堡、花蓮縣壽豐鄉、高雄市那瑪夏區等。
「言者」娓娓道出黑帶‧巴彥(Heitay Payan，漢名：曾作振)作為文化保存者的付出與心願，從發揮天賦繪製文物圖像、進行文史工作訪問部落耆老，甚至是寫作泰雅語維基百科的過程。他期許時下年輕人把握機會多向長輩請教，讓祖先的文化傳承下去。
「牧者」則從土地與人的關係切入，說明阿棟‧優帕司(Atung Yupas，漢名：莊錦秀)的從政之路，是為了實現原住民族的土地正義、為了部落人權而發聲。
特映會後座談不僅兩位主角現身，也邀請到導演團隊鄭光博、施聖文、陳文彬等，與校長、教師和地方人士交流。本週五在位於竹北市的文化局演藝廳還有一場首映會暨座談，十一、十二月並將在嘉興、新光、桃山等國小展開校園巡迴影展。
(自由時報記者廖雪茹)
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 Kevin leaned over the bubbling pot. “Hey. . . are you okay? You’ve barely touched your food.” Zoey blinked. Her face was red — not from blushing, but from the “mala” spice and the heat of the room. Her blond hair clumped to her face like strands of fine spaghetti. Her carefully applied makeup now streaked. “This isn’t what I expected,” she said softly, forcing a smile. All around them, Kevin’s friends were laughing, shouting, and tossing ingredients into the broth. The air smelled of chili oil and garlic.
A: Major League Baseball’s 2025 World Series took place last week. The games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays were so exciting. B: As the highest-paid baseball player in the world, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers was an incandescant superstar. A: The Dodgers signed a record-breaking 10-year, US$700 million contract with Ohtani in 2023. As former ESPN reporter Joon Lee analyzed, the team quickly made back all the investment in the player’s first season. B: Wow, how is that possible? A: Firstly, tourism from Japan to Los Angeles has surged by 90 percent since Ohtani signed the deal, with the
Picture this: contestants are walking gracefully across a stage, competing for the highly desired title of “most beautiful.” However, these participants aren’t fashion models—they’re camels. Welcome to the extraordinary world of the Pushkar Fair, where beauty contests take on an entirely different meaning. The Pushkar Fair is held annually in the small desert town of Pushkar, India, usually in November. It began as a livestock trading event where farmers and herders gathered to buy and sell camels, horses and cattle. Over time, it has grown into a major cultural carnival that attracts thousands of tourists from around the world.
A: According to reporter Joon Lee’s analysis, what are other reasons why the Los Angeles Dodgers made back baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani’s huge contract so quickly? B: Second, a lot of Japanese and global enterprises are eager to benefit from the “Ohtani effect”. . . A: That’s sure to increase the Dodgers’ bargaining chips in negotiations. B: Lastly, all this media coverage is elevating the Dodgers’ brand to a new level, boosting the value of the franchise. A: I can’t wait to see a battle between Ohtani and “Team Taiwan” at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. A: 根據記者Joon Lee的分析，洛杉磯道奇隊和球星大谷翔平的巨約快速回本還有哪些原因？ B: 第二、無數日本和全球企業都想和這股「大谷效應」沾上邊……。 A: 這也增加了道奇在各種商業談判中的籌碼吧。 B: 第三、媒體報導更將道奇的品牌形象推升至全新的高度，使該隊價值水漲船高。 A: 真期待在2026年「世界棒球經典賽」，看到大谷和台灣隊的經典對決！ （By Eddy
RSS