虞戡平 YU Kan-ping

Born in 1950 in Tainan, YU Kan-ping entered the film industry in 1974, beginning his career in the props department before moving on to work as an assistant director and then a deputy director. He made his directorial debut in 1979 with the martial arts film Love and Sword. His 1981 film Spooky Kookies, directed for Cinema City, was a box office sensation. In 1983, his Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing? integrated historical memory and social issues into a melodrama and musical, achieving huge success. At the 20th Golden Horse Awards, the film received 11 nominations and won 4 awards. It also won Best Film Score and Best Film Song at the 3rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Several songs from the film, like The Same Moonlight, Wine Bottles for Sale, and Please Follow Me, have also become timeless popular classics.

YU Kan-ping is adept at delivering profound issues with genre films. Outcasts (1986), an adaptation of PAI Hsien-yung’s renowned novel Crystal Boys, is a significant milestone in Taiwanese LGBTQ+ cinema, which underwent extensive censorship before its release. People Between Two China (1988) reflects on historical turning points, showcasing the creator's comprehension and compassion within a tense and nuanced atmosphere. His deep affection for veterans and indigenous people culminates in Two Painters (1990), an adaptation of HUANG Chun-ming's novel.

After Two Painters, YU Kan-ping immersed himself in indigenous communities, conducting field research and filming. In 2021, he donated the entire collection free of charge to the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute for preservation, where it became part of Taiwan’s public cultural assets. Not only does he document these events with the camera, YU also nurtures film talent within the communities, empowering the young generation to tell their own stories and making film a vital medium for inheriting cultural legacy. 

Looking back on more than five decades of creative work, from narrative films and documentaries to audiovisual education, YU Kan-ping has used cinema to preserve the stories of this land and its people, ensuring that the voices and eras too often overlooked are not forgotten.