SCFF: Documentary Shorts: Got Pray Got Blessing 纪录短片集: 有拜有保佑

1. The Homecoming Pilgrimage of Dajia Mazu 大甲妈祖回娘家, 27 mins
Director: HUANG Chun-ming 黄春明
Genre: Documentary
Language: Hokkien
Subtitles: English & Chinese
Synopsis:
The documentary follows an eight-day religious procession in which devotees journey on foot to accompany the sea goddess Mazu from Taichung to Yunlin, before escorting her back to Dajia amid vibrant rituals and celebrations.

2. The Boat-Burning Festival 王船祭典, 21 mins
Director: CHANG Chao-tang 张照堂
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis:
The documentary captures a ceremony held every three years in Sucuo Village in Tainan, Taiwan. Synchronised with Mike Oldfield’s progressive rock album “Ommadawn”, the film defies genre conventions and deviates from television or ethnographic documentaries. It reveals the tense and complex coexistence of traditional rites, local folklore, and discourses on modernisation and identity in 1970s Taiwan.

3. Gods on Earth: Everyday Sacred in a Global City 神游人间 , 30 mins
Director:Lynn WONG 黄钰清
Genre: Religion, Ethnography, Faith
Language: English
Subtitles: English & Chinese
Synopsis:
This documentary explores Chinese vernacular shrine culture in Singapore. Hear devotees’ stories and myths, witness fascinating rituals, and discover the multi-ethnic communities sustaining these shrines. Meet Chinese and Hindu deities, Datuks, Erawan, Nang Kwak, animal spirits, and other sacred entities, revealing rich daily spiritual practices. In a global city in flux, these shrines serve as vital social spaces, fostering local micro-community ties and solidarity.