march around the world 2026 | 22/30 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan

Sylvia Chang's Murmur of the Hearts has three interconnected stories: Mei, a painter (expressionism and whorls), pregnant; Hsiang, a struggling boxer and Mei's boyfriend; and Nan, Mei's older brother, separated from her since their parents split decades earlier. We move between these three throughout the film, constantly interrupted by memories that keep crashing down on them like waves on the shore. Said memories focus on unfinished stories, unsaid apologies, and unanswered questions that the three characters were never able to address with their parents. The film was jumbled at times and maybe over-ambitious, but I find myself really wanting to watch it again to try and decipher more of it.

2026 asian cinema challenge | 2/52 | Week 5 - Actor or Director: Sylvia Chang