Hsu Ya-Ting’s Island of the Winds is a heart-rending documentary that immerses the viewer in the often-overlooked lives of the elderly residents of Lesheng Sanatorium, a former leper colony on the outskirts of Taipei. From the very first moments, the film builds an intimate closeness to its subjects, allowing their memories and struggles to surface with disarming sincerity. Watching these residents move through the later chapters of life, many burdened with illness and the weight of decades, is profoundly affecting, a reminder of the vulnerabilities that accompany age, yet also of the indomitable spirit that refuses to be erased.

The narrative focuses on the residents’ fight against government plans to destroy their home, a community that has been theirs for generations. Through their protests, through the landscape models they build to protect their surroundings, the film transforms acts of preservation into acts of defiance. One resident’s stark declaration, “Getting old is miserable,” stays with you, showing the loneliness, frustration, and invisibility that come with age – especially for those who have given a lifetime of labour and contribution to society.

The documentary’s power lies in its attention to the ordinary yet extraordinary acts of these residents – their laughter, their arguments, the tenderness in their interactions, and their painstaking efforts to safeguard memory. I like how Hsu Ya-Ting observes, letting the lives and stories of the residents speak for themselves, revealing their history and the heartbreak of losing their home. By placing these individuals at the center, the film turns what could have been a simple historical account into an urgent, living portrait of human dignity and sorrow. Watching Island of the Winds is to confront the inevitabilities of time and mortality, to feel the deep ache of lives overlooked, and to witness the courage it takes to resist the world’s forgetfulness.

Island of the Winds is heartbreakingly beautiful, a powerful tribute to the enduring human spirit, and a reminder that the fight to be remembered is a universal story that deserves to be heard and honoured.

Rating:

Written by Maggie Gogler

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to films, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. With rich content already available to our readers, we aim to expand our reach and grow alongside our audience by delving deeper into emerging platforms such as K-pop and Asian music more broadly. At the same time, we remain committed to exploring the vibrant and ever-evolving global landscape of film, music, and the arts, celebrating the immense talent and creativity that define these industries worldwide.}

---