Ilha Formosa Vidéo 5 min, Projetée verticalement, 2015 Ilha Formosa was inspired by the true stories of the blacklisted dissidents forced into exile during the Martial Law era in Taiwan. Briefly after the Kuomintang take-over after World War II, many dissidents were outlawed and forbidden to return to Taiwan due to their outspoken objection and fearless challenge to the authority. Even when their parents died, they were not allowed to attend the funerals to bid a decent farewell. All they can do is look ahead and cherish the memories of the land where they could probably never set foot in again. I often wonder how my father’s life would have been changed if he had left Taiwan at that time and therefore been detained in a foreign country. For the political exiles who are far away from and forbidden to return to their native countries, will there be a land or an island—shining in the fathomless darkness—to guide their way back “home” wherever they are and whatever they have been through? In Ilha Formosa, the scenery becomes obscure as the daylight gradually disappears, whereas the gigantic rock with the shape of Formosa shines by itself. Illuminated from this specific angle, the actual scenery is transformed into a surreal scene—from the external visual landscape to an internal idolum bordering on nostalgia.