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The Catch

Sun 16 October / 3.30pm / Summerhall / tickets £8 (£6 concession)

2021 / Taiwan / Documentary / 54 mins / 15+
Taiwanese, Mandarin, with English subtitles
Director: HSU, Che-chia

From every November to the following February, Indigenous migrant fishermen set up camp along Taiwan’s Lanyang River to catch the season’s first eel. Camaraderie and bonds are forged as they face the hardship together.

Director Statement

In November 2012 I came across a newspaper article about a group of migrant fishermen who set up temporary campsites not too far away from where I live. Out of curiosity towards the migrants’ way of life, I headed over to the campsite in order to have a closer look.
What I witnessed and discovered was the amazing strength and resilience of these fishermen, while living on the margins of society, their attempts to carve out a way of life, to catch a sliver of opportunity, even if fortune often slip through their hands like the proverbial eel.
Their stories are often overlooked. I hope to shed light on their conditions and plight, in hopes of revealing and restoring our faith in humanity and in our ability to survive.

Awards and Film Festivals

2021  Taipei Film Festival – Grand Prize / Best Documentary / Best Cinematography
2021  Golden Horse Awards – Official Selection
2022  Taiwan International Documentary Festival – Official Selection

Part of Doc Replay: Portraits

Nomadic eel-catching fishermen. LGBT+ rights, AIDS awareness activist and the first person in Taiwan to publicly come out as gay.
Doc Replay: Portraits presents two documentaries, each charting one person’s life in their goals and struggles, offering audiences a glimpse into the lesser-known side of Taiwan.