On Happiness Road (NR)

synopsis

Forty years of Taiwanese history comes under review in this tender and powerfully nostalgic tale of the search for happiness. After the death of her grandma, a New York-based woman returns to her homeland in Taiwan. Her reunion with family, classmates and forgotten memories triggers a self-introspection about what she left behind. It covers her upbringing during taiwan's period of instability under martial law to present-day political realities. With a voiceover by actress Gwei Lun-mei and imaginative animation sequences, this charming autobiographic animation by first-time director Sung Hsin-yin is a breath of fresh air.