Guo Mie

A karaoke-addicted elderly woman (Chen Shu-Fang) lives her life by the Taiwanese saying, “Guo Mie,” which translates to “as long as you devote your life to the creation of one thing, and do whatever you could, everything will turn out.” But her philosophy is seriously put into question as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her estranged husband. She attends the funeral only to encounter his younger lover and then finds out that her children might have kept in touch with her late husband secretly behind her back. Director Joseph Chen-Chieh Hsu said that the story is based on his grandmother, who was forced to raise eight kids by herself after her husband ran away. The student short film was shot in his home country of Taiwan. Selected as a 2017 Student Academy Awards Finalist, the short also appeared in the 2018 Asian American International Film Festival. It’s the first time that lead actress Shu-Fang has sung in a film in over 40 years.

Directed by Joseph Hsu, Guo Mie leans on a strong ensemble — Grace Chen Shu-Fang, True Wang, Fang Wen-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 2018.