Bulareyaung Pagarlava is a Paiwan (indigneous Taiwanese) dancer and choreographer born in the Jialan Tribal Village of Taitung. His name means “happy warrior.” At the age of 12, Bulareyaung made up his mind to become a dancer, and did his first choreography when he studied at the Taipei National University of the Arts. He has choreographed for the Martha Graham Dance Company, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and Cloud Gate 2, and performed at various important international events, including the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad.
In 2015, he went back to his hometown Taitung and established the Bulareyaung Dance Company (B.D.C.) with local youth, creating dance with a deep connection to nature and heritage. Training takes place in the mountains and by the waterside, where dancers sing old chants and develop movement rooted in their Indigenous culture. This film traces the development of this exciting initiative.
Director’s Statement
“This film began shooting in 2016, marking the start of Bulareyaung and his dancers’ life in Taitung. Over three years, we documented the significant works of the dance company’s early days, but due to a lack of creative direction and funding, we had to pause the filming project. In 2020, on the fifth anniversary of the company’s founding, I revisited the company and, in doing so, not only saw traces of their shared life through their works but also witnessed Bulareyaung’s solitude as a creator. This solitude stems from the regret of leaving his village at a young age, and through the dance company, he found a sense of belonging to the Indigenous community once again. As a documentary about a contemporary dance company, I chose to forgo discussions of dance aesthetics and the choreographer’s biography, focusing instead on the human condition. I aimed to capture an essential moment in the creator’s life during a period of confusion.” Wang Cheng Yi
This screening is a co-presentation with TAIWANFest and Dance House and will be followed by a Q&A with producer 曹盛彥 Tsao Sheng Yevia on Zoom.
Co-Presented by
Wang Cheng Yi
Bulareyaung Pagarlava
Taiwan
2024
In Mandarin and English with English subtitles
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Credits
Executive Producer
Tsao Sheng Yen, Angel Wen Chen
Producer
Tsao Sheng Yen, Huange Yu-fang
Cinematography
Tsao Sheng Yen, Wang Cheng-yi
Editor
Amy Chih-hsin Lee
Original Music
Hung Tzu hung
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