Small Talk
The filmmaker shares a flat with her mother, but for decades, they have treated each other like strangers. Their only exchanges are the meals the mother cooks and leaves for her daughter on the dining room table. Silence permeates the house, beneath which lies a heavy secret that suffocates the mother and prevents her from speaking. One day, the filmmaker summons up her courage and starts the conversation that will transform their relationship. The camera becomes a gateway and tool to pry open the Pandora’s box, and reveal the long-concealed secrets. Are they ready to face what’s been buried for so long?
Hui-chen is an activist, documentary filmmaker, and the mother of a precocious little girl. Prior to embarking on her first feature documentary, Hui-chen worked for NGOs such as the Taiwan International Workers Association and China Time’s Trade Union, advocating for labor rights and social justice. It was during this time that she began documenting the plight of the disadvantaged and the voiceless. Her intimate profiles of the less fortunate and the exploited became tools for social change. Most recently, Hui-chen served as Secretary General of the Taipei Documentary Union, and is currently working on her memoir, to be published in 2017.