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๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Taiwan /Culture & Society

Taiwanese film 'The Great Immortal' blends temple culture with gritty street drama

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • The Taiwanese film 'The Great Immortal' tells the story of three homeless men who find $10 million and are pursued by gangsters.
  • The movie features Manka temple culture and street life, with filming locations including Manka Park.
  • Director Ling Po-wei, a Christian, described the filming process as a collaboration between various deities and God, highlighting a blend of spiritual influences.

The upcoming Taiwanese film 'The Great Immortal' (ๅคงไป™ๅฐชไป”) promises a unique blend of gritty street drama and vibrant local culture. The story centers on three homeless men, portrayed by Hong Duolasi, Fan Yi-chen, and Mu Sen, who find themselves in a precarious situation after discovering $10 million. Their windfall quickly plunges them into a chaotic journey pursued by gangsters, with much of the action unfolding in and around Taipei's historic Manka district.

The Daxian Weng are just a medium for people and deities to communicate, the real deities are in everyone's hearts.

โ€” Jin Shi Troupe LeaderReassuring the director about the portrayal of religious figures in the film.

Director Ling Po-wei drew inspiration from Taiwan's rich temple culture, incorporating elements like temple parades and the iconic "Daxian Weng" (ๅคงไป™ๅฐชไป”) figures into the narrative. These large, often elaborately decorated figures, used in religious processions, play a role in the film's action sequences. Ling admitted to initial apprehension about how traditional religious groups would react to their portrayal, but was reassured by the leader of the Jin Shi Troupe, who emphasized that these figures are merely mediums for communication between people and deities.

Adding a unique spiritual dimension, the film's production saw a fascinating convergence of beliefs. On the opening day, the Jin Shi Troupe performed traditional rituals with figures representing the God of Wealth, San Tai Zi, and Ji Gong, seeking blessings for a smooth shoot. Following this, Ling, who is a Christian, had a pastor conduct a blessing ceremony for the cast, crew, and equipment. Ling humorously remarked that the production felt like a joint meeting between various deities and his God, suggesting a powerful, perhaps even divine, oversight during filming.

This time, filming required facing all the deities and my God at once, which was already quite solemn!

โ€” Ling Po-weiCommenting on the blend of different religious practices during the film's production.

The film also captures the warmth of Taiwanese society, with Ling conducting extensive research into local temple festivals. He observed acts of kindness, such as residents opening their homes to pilgrims and businesses offering refreshments, details that have been woven into the movie's fabric. The cast also shared positive experiences, with Hong Duolasi praising Mu Sen's intense emotional performances and Fan Yi-chen noting the significant effort required for his character's transformation. The film is set to premiere on September 11.

Above there must often be a big meeting.

โ€” Ling Po-weiHumorously referring to the convergence of divine and spiritual support during filming.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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