Religion & Island Etude

As part of our East Asian Studies course, my classmates and I watched Huia-en Chen's Island Etude. Released in 2007, the film follows the journey of Ming-hsiang as he cycles around the perimeter of Taiwan. He meets a variety of people on his travels, including a Lithuanian tourist, a group of seamstresses, and a pair of graffiti artists. His inspiring interactions with others are especially interesting due to his hearing impairment. 

Ming-hsiang Cycles Around Taiwan

Ming-hsiang encounters several instances of religious imagery while on his expedition around the island. One that captured my attention was a moment when he joined a procession honoring the Chinese sea goddess Matsu. Legend illustrates that Matsu was originally born human with supernatural talents. She used her gifts to calm the oceanic storms and save sailors. Because of her selfless efforts, she was deemed a Bodhisattava, a Buddhist who chooses to stay on Earth to help others after achieving Nirvana. Ming-hsiang expressed emotion during the ceremony, proving his connection to the goddess. 

Statue of the Goddess Matsu

Although religion is not the obvious focus of Island Etude, I believe that it is an intricate piece to Ming-hsiang's journey. Buddhist themes appear continuously throughout the film and impact the main characters directly. In line with the Four Noble Truths, Buddhism encourages followers to detach themselves from their environment to limit personal suffering and loss. Ming-hsiang's behavior matches that goal because he is quiet, reluctant to speak with others, and not interested in maintaing long-term relationships with the people he meets on his travels. Perhaps cycling is his version of meditation and a way to better himself, revealing a religious agenda for his journey. 

Research courtesy of http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/goddess-mazu.htm

Make it count,
RMS