Taiwan Docs

The seed of “After the Snowmelt” was born as I came of age, receiving a letter from my high school best friend, Chun. He wrote before he died: “Yi-Shan, the only thing you have to do is to love."

Chun and I met at a Catholic girl's high school, where his boyish appearance as a trans-man drew criticism. He would weep in front of me, while I comforted him and was moved by his resilience. Alongside his beloved Yueh, they inspired me to explore the world beyond the classroom, and we made a promise to travel abroad together someday.

Since the accident, I relived in my dreams the lonely experience of waiting for their return. The overwhelming desire to reunite and fulfill the broken promise drove me to make this film. Chun's last wishes taught me the essence of love - assuming the role of the survivor and embracing the responsibility of sharing this story.

Through this film, I want to create a journey from trauma to reconciliation. It resonates not only with themes of gender, education, and nature but also serves as a testament to the resilience of life, the potential for growth, and the realization that life is not just about surviving, but about truly living and loving.