Laha Mebow, the first indigenous female director in Taiwan and a proud Atayal, has broken ceiling after ceiling since her directorial debut in 2011, Finding Sayun. After graduating with a film degree, she started off at entry-level positions on film sets and has worked with renowned directors such as Tsai Ming-liang and Chang Tso-chi. It was not until she joined Taiwan Indigenous Television at 30 that she started to learn about her heritage and reclaim her indigenous identity.

Her sophomore feature film Lokah Laqi (a.k.a. Hang in There, Kids!) in 2016, a coming of age tale about indigenous children growing up in a remote township, has solidified her status after it won the Grand Prize and Best Director at Taipei Film Awards 2016. In 2022, she garnered the Best Director award for her latest feature film GAGA at the Golden Horse Awards, becoming both the first woman and the first indigenous filmmaker to receive this honor. Both a fiction and documentary director, she regularly works with non-professional actors and approaches her subjects with observant naturalism. Her stories often revolve around the concept of “home”, whether it represents the roots of her culture tainted by its colonial past, or the tribal families struggling with poverty and social alienation.

Weaving is considered a required skill for Atayal women when they reach adulthood. Laha says although she cannot pass on her people's traditions through weaving, she can do so through the medium of film. With this retrospective, TFAI hopes to shine light on this unique and resilient artist and her filmography dedicated to indigenous voices.

Laha Mebow Retrospective Ticket Info

◎ General: NTD 220/Ticket

◎ TFAI Member or Student: NTD 180/Ticket

◎ Child or Senior Citizen: NTD 110/Ticket

◎ Person with Disability: Free tickets available on request at the Info Desk