Watan, Chen-Hao and Lin Shan are three playful Sqoyaw boys forced to deal with problems too big for their age. For Watan, his grandmother, elder brother, and teacher, Miss Lawa, are the most important people in his life, while he must hunt and sell the mountain deer to make money. Chen Hao has a loving father, but misses his mother who moved to the city following divorce. The clothes she sends him from Taipei are his only connection to her. Lin Shan has a father who wants to be a singer but often gets drunk and fights with his mother. The last straw comes when his father accidentally strikes his sister, causing Lin Shan to leave home on is his birthday.

In this heartwarming coming-of-age film, resembling an Indigenous version of Orz Boyz! (2008), Laha Mebow captures the simplicity and perseverance Indigenous people maintain in times of difficulty. Under a whimsical tone lie the complex subjects of alcoholism, grandparenting and the outflow of youth. Through children’s eyes we come to understand the adult world’s complexities.

Available Formats: DVD, Blu-ray and DCP