The Politician, the Demolition & the Dump Truck

Overview

When a filmmaker learns that his family’s traditional Chinese courtyard house in Taiwan will be partially demolished to pay off debts, he begins documenting the loss, only to be drawn into filming a politician’s campaign. The project evolves into a deeply personal exploration of exile, non-belonging, and the identity of the Taiwanese diaspora returning home. Weaving childhood nostalgia, political propaganda, and the brutal destruction of his family home through Lacan’s registers of the Real, Symbolic, and Imaginary, the film reflects on memory, loss, and the longing for a voice. Anchored by demolition footage and the nostalgic pop song "Red Dragonfly," The Politician, the Demolition & the Dump Truck asks: Can the Taiwanese diaspora truly belong, and can their voices ever be heard?