The Taiwanese production, directed by Yi-Chiang Lin, screened on Oct 24 & 25 at the Kaohsiung Film Archive and Neiwei Arts Centre, respectively, as part of the festival’s Taiwan Trans-border section.
“As a Malaysian who has lived and worked in New York City, I found common emotional ground with Yi and his own diaspora experience as a Taiwanese living in the US – the feeling of being between worlds, not really belonging to one or the other,” Long told FMT Lifestyle.
Shot in Taipei and New York City, “Afterword” is the story of Chou Yuan, a once-promising writer who now makes a living clearing out vacated apartments.
One day, he unknowingly steps into his own former flat, which he abandoned nine years ago after his lover Chi Chi left for New York without a word. There, he discovers an undeveloped roll of film and an unfinished manuscript – relics of a love and life left unresolved.
Stirred, Chou Yuan sets out for New York in search of both Chi Chi and the ending to his long-abandoned novel.
The black-and-white film is billed as a meditative exploration of distance: between people, between places, and between the past and present. It stars Yung-wei Lee, Dafi Cramer, and Ning Han.
Long is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York with a master of professional studies in film directing. A part-time lecturer at Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, he has produced over a dozen short films, commercials, music videos and documentaries.
He has been the recipient of the PBS Latino Public Broadcasting Grant, Katharina Otto-Bernstein Grant, Krishen Jit Fund, and Hai-O Arts and Culture Grant. He currently runs local creative venture Tapir Studio.
“Afterword” is the first feature film produced by Long, who met Lin after the director posted a call on Facebook seeking producers.
Although it was shot in the US, much of the filming took place in Chinese-diaspora communities and neighbourhoods in New York. As Long doesn’t speak the language, he had to rely on a friend who served as his interpreter.
Another hiccup came from having to wait for snow, an important plot point in the story.
“They were advising New Yorkers not to go out in it, but it was part of the script! So when everyone else was going in, we were going out. The cast were very game to shoot in a snowstorm,” Long recalled.
According to him, audiences have responded positively to “Afterword”, and he hopes Malaysians will have the opportunity to watch it in the near future, possibly through local film festivals or community screenings.
“I think its story will translate across borders. It will resonate with anyone who’s felt lost in life, or creatives who feel they are looking for something but are not sure what that is. To be free, you need to be willing to be lost,” he concluded.
For more info on ‘Afterword’, click here. Also visit Tapir Studio’s website and Instagram profile.