The Qiaotou youth LI Wen-hsin was arrested during the December 10, 1979, demonstration spearheaded by Formosa Magazine. After being thrown into prison, he learned a way to survive: mixing saltwater with white rice. He also recalled wonderful times with his girlfriend A-chun, the joys and suffering he shared with friends and family, and his longing for democracy. In this prison, referred to by inmates as the “Hotel Saltwater,” Wen-hsin and his companions, though suffering greatly, never let their thirst for freedom be extinguished.
At age 12, in the twilight of the Chinese Civil War, GAO Bing-han followed the Nationalist government in their exodus to Taiwan under his mother’s orders. Now, in his 80s and a lawyer, GAO encounters three mothers in his work. The first is HONG, who tolerates her son’s violence. The second is JIANG, an indigenous woman who isn’t accepted by her father-in-law. And the last one is XIE, who seems elegant on the surface but is greatly depressed due to her family problems. In the midst of dealing with the conflicts of these three, GAO can’t help but sigh: “Did the war really end?”
A woman who was overwhelmed by work and had no time to imagine the future. Her paralyzed life was interrupted by a live-streaming man who always has fun in life and acts wildly, resulting in a series of fermentation processes.