Din Tao: Leader of the Parade

A-Tai (Alan Ko) narrates that he is the son of Uncle Da (Chen Po-cheng) and Aunt Da (Samantha Ko), who run a troupe in Taichung. Uncle Da's troupe does traditional performance in front of religious processions. The religion requires performers to "initiate the faces and pose as gods"—to put on a special face painting, or to put on a heavy body puppet costume, both of these represent gods' persona. The performance demands training of martial art, acrobatics and endurance, and the performers are negatively associated with gangsters by the society. Uncle Da has been competing with Wu-cheng (Liao Jun), who studied with Uncle Da under the same master. A-Tai grew estranged with his father and the troupe, and went to Taipei to study Rock music, until a mysterious old man in blue coat bids him home.

Directed by Fung Kai, Din Tao: Leader of the Parade leans on a strong ensemble — Alan Kuo, Alien Huang, Crystal Lin — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2012.