These films were shot in the Tsau Tun township, 130 miles southwest of Taipei at 300 feet altitude, inhabited primarily by farmers. Their primary crops were wet rice and other mixed vegetables. See previews of each film below; the full versions are distributed by DER, and are available for purchase here, or may be requested in your local institution’s media center. The essays accompanying each film can be downloaded here.
Film Descriptions
People Are Many, Fields Are Small
Three farm families, engaged in Taiwan’s long summer two-crop rice cycle, compare their lives to those of industrial laborers. Both pride and anger are expressed concerning the conditions of farm life. (Teaching Guide)
They Call Him Ah Kung
Ah Kung, like most of his schoolmates, will inherit the family farm. Yet he may choose to leave the farm lifestyle, attracted by industry and the urban life-style. Ah Kung’s personal dilemma symbolizes a national educational problem affecting Taiwan’s ability to continue to feed its population adequately. (Teaching Guide)
Wet Culture Rice
Taiwan’s rice farmers rely less on mechanization than on human labor to produce and harvest two crops during the annual agricultural cycle. Their meticulous cultivation methods achieve the highest average yields per acre in the world. This film received the 1976 Chris Plaque award from the Columbus Film Festival. (Teaching Guide)
A Chinese Farm Wife (Preview Unavailable)
Mrs. Li is a full participant in farming and community activities in addition to her role in supervising the children’s education and managing the household. Her husband is a salaried factory worker. (Teaching Guide)
Photo Gallery
The 1973 film production in Tsau Tun included a still photography project in both black and white and color. The original negatives are held at the Smithsonian. Click below to access a selection of these photographs, captions to come.
The Rural Cooperative
The Tsau Tun Farmers’ Association typifies rural cooperatives in Taiwan. 9,600 families own the cooperative and rely on it for services ranging from irrigation, provision of seeds, farm implements, and fertilizers to crop storage and marketing. (Teaching Guide)
Bibliographical Information:
- People Are Many, Fields Are Small (32 minutes). Filmmakers Richard Chen and Frank Tsai. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.
- They Call Him Ah Kung (24 minutes). Filmmakers Richard Chen and Frank Tsai. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.
- Wet Culture Rice (17 minutes). Filmmakers Richard Chen and Frank Tsai. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.
- A Chinese Farm Wife (17 minutes). Filmmakers Richard Chen and Frank Tsai. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974. (Preview Unavailable)
- The Rural Cooperative (15 minutes). Filmmakers Richard Chen and Frank Tsai. Producer Norman Miller. Documentary Educational Resources, Watertown, MA, 1974.