The Songs from Within
The protagonists of Songs from Within are two siblings from Taiwan’s Indigenous Paiwan community who, in both their appearance and behavior, do not fit local notions of masculinity. Taiwanese documentary filmmaker Elvis A-Liang Lu writes about making this sensitive film exploring the discovery of gender identity in a hostile environment.
This is a story about two Indigenous queer individuals, and how they accompany one another in their lonely hearts to respond to the world.
In a Paiwan indigenous tribe embraced by the lush green mountains and river valleys of southern Taiwan, Mu-fan and Rose have lived with their families since childhood. Both are biological males with long, glossy, black hair, and their favorite daily activities include applying makeup, dressing up, and enthusiastically discussing the handsome guys they cross paths with.
In 2018, Taiwan's society debated issues and held referendums, including same-sex marriage. At the time, I had just finished my previous work, The Shepherds (2018) about Taiwan's first LGBT-friendly church. During a post-screening Q&A, Mu-fan and Rose came to promote a music festival they organized. Listening to their advocacy—speaking up for their gender and ethnic identities—I was deeply moved and curious. Interacting with them, I learned that LGBTQ+ and gender equality movements, championed in mainstream Taiwan, were considered taboo in their indigenous homeland. For years, they were taught silence to avoid tribal division and conflict.
After nearly four years of mutual accompaniment, the music festival was canceled due to funding shortages. As time moved forward, I watched them live daily life in the tribe. Striving to be true to themselves, in the most vital realms—faith, traditional culture, and tribal relations—they never had the opportunity to have their perspectives widely and rationally discussed or understood. Left with no choice, they engaged in inner dialogues, burying doubts deep in their hearts, slowly shutting down their passion for life and eroding future expectations.
Looking at them, I saw my younger self—facing the same questions, with no choice but to retreat inward. Yet, how does one depict such a state? I had no idea.
The repetitive, slow-paced tribal days, alongside prayers and church activities, constantly reminded them of their non-belonging, with nowhere to escape. A strong urge to leave accumulated until Mufan made it happen, leaving the tribe under the guise of pursuing music. Yet the outside world proved overwhelming, bringing a greater sense of loss and bewilderment.
Mu-fan then shared his diary and songs expressing his feelings, allowing me to understand his inner contours. The clues within revealed pure emotional depth from an intimate perspective, confronting youth's fervor and fragility, and echoing shared life lessons.
My team and I spent three years attempting to 'directly film' the surreal worlds within their hearts, stepping in to feel their yearning for love and companionship. Through overlapping reality and the subconscious, life trajectories and inner worlds are presented simultaneously, transcending conventional perception. This allows us to expansively imagine our connection to the world, probing inward, questioning fictionalized reality, and gazing directly into it. Using the lens, we guide senses across borders, conveying a spiritual story.
I personally feel The Songs from Within is a slice-of-life work focused on states of being, maintaining everyday reality while presenting inner feelings. We enter Mu-fan's world through his singing, witnessing their daily companionship and family circumstances. We follow their attempts to change, looking forward to one another, holding onto joyful youth memories as they strive to live authentically.
Now, the work embarks on its own journey. I hope their growth story reaches you, reminding us that we are all worthy of being loved.
