Cabe_Bedlem

The wealth gap is a sensitive issue. The gap between urban and rural education resources, in fact, is just a facet of that issue. Mr. Yen Chang-Shou and his followers devote themselves to English and experimental high-school education at Taitung - Taiwan's most remote rural area and give up comfortable life in the metropolitan area, are indeed respectable.

However, people learn English hard should have place to really use it. Taiwan's television news radios are full of news without "nutrition" or meanings at all. News media or the whole society doesn't care what happens internationally. Foreign investment shrinks because of the rise of Mainland China, worsen cross-strait relations and other factors. The whole atmosphere of learning English or foreign languages, in fact, is a bit negative in the society. From another perspective, could students learn serious and smart enough at Taitung find good enough local jobs after they graduate from schools? With this knowledge, could they get better development opportunities after they choose to go Taipei or other big metropolitan overseas? Education in society does not exist alone; it ought to be considered together with economic development and international environment. Hence, what we should work hard is more than just "education".

After watching this movie, I think of a choice often appears on young couples fall in love: To love or bread? In fact, this question is a trap. The real answer is, it is necessary to both love and have bread. According to Maslow's theory of demand, the lowest level of demand is for bread only. But what human need are more than bread. To love, or other higher-level needs will naturally emerge after people have necessary bread.

By the same token, the old man sweeps the streets in the film although needs bread, but also needs self-esteem and cares. Hence, the clerk of bakery shop asks him to help moving the sign of shop (in fact, this is not necessary). And then she uses this excuse to send bread to that old man as a gift. The shop clerk could choose to send bread to the old man directly. However, there will be no or less some subtle feelings among people. This film could lets us think more about this kind of "interpersonal art" deeply.

"He who steals a hook gets hanged as a crook; he who steals the kingdom makes himself a duke" is a famous ancient Chinese proverb. This film interprets this concept via an interesting way. A thief, who steals money, is just a humble thief. But a politician, who uses gorgeous, false or meaningless words to foolish people, could occupy high seat in the modern society. Frankly speaking, it is ironic.

However, try to discuss serious political issues or human nature in a short film is usually not a good strategy, unless the film could be funny and interesting enough, but it is usually difficult. The motivation of people to see movies usually is to entertain them own. To deal with serious issues must be careful much more than usual.