Director
故事從一通電話響起，電話那端說明希望協助尋人啟事，尋人的對象，居然是80年前曾居住在日本的一位台灣作家？！ 本片跟隨導演的鏡頭，以16mm的膠卷底片、粗糙顆粒、晃動的手持鏡頭下，增添懷舊的復古色彩，觀眾彷彿也踏上尋人任務之旅，回到1930年代，尋找那位從台灣來到日本，尋求理想的異鄉文藝青年。透過碎片訪談、老照片、歷史考究，也許終究無法認識翁鬧，但卻也體悟到那個時代特有的氛圍與歷史意義。
#天亮前的戀愛故事 這部電影，與翁鬧的生平、作品形成互文。1937年，翁鬧發表風格殊異的小說〈夜明け前の恋物語〉（天亮前的戀愛故事）。小說通篇以一位來自南國的男子的獨白構成，叨叨絮絮地對著一位年輕女子（推測是風俗業身分），傾訴自己對戀愛的嚮往與挫敗、對都會文明的厭倦、自我的否定、以及青春的消逝。 他相信「唯有戀愛，生命才會完全」，最終卻只能成為一位「意志與行為極端分裂」的男子，不得不在天亮之前回家，投入庸碌無趣的上班族生活。在厭世的反面，卻也是一篇歌頌「青春」的小說──即使青春短暫如一瞬。 即將屆滿30歲的主角，認為自己的青春就要拉下最後一幕。「對我來說，青春熄滅的生涯不能算是生命」。1940年翁鬧逝世，死因不明。有傳聞他死在精神病院，也有人說凍死在冬天路邊的舊報紙堆裡。這一年，他正好30歲。如果生命如幻影，也許只有文學，是自由的夢，是永不落幕的青春。
#浪人街高圓寺 到了東京之後，翁鬧幾經遷徙，落腳在東京近郊的高圓寺一帶。他的友人劉捷寫道：「他和當時的一般窮學生一樣，一年到頭穿的是黑色金鈕的大學生制服，蓬頭不戴帽子，表示輟學已不上學堂。四處旁聽，逛講演會、書舖或參加各種座談會，這種「遊學」方式盛行，畢業後不願返台灣的文藝者個個如此。……那時為進出日本文壇，畢業後不肯返鄕，在東京苦修流浪的文藝人，翁鬧是典型人物之一」。 為什麼落腳在高圓寺呢？物質條件是重要的理由。因為這裡位處郊區，生活花費不那麼高，且距離藝文活動繁盛的新宿、銀座又不算遠，車費便宜。但更重要的是，高圓寺也是一個玉石混雜、且洋溢著世界主義（cosmopolitan）氣息的地方。在這裡，各種美學與政治光譜的、以及來自各殖民地、各民族的青年，都有相遇、交會的可能。
#東京憧憬 那麼，翁鬧是誰呢？他是日本時代的台灣作家，出身台中師範學校。在結束義務教職的1934年，懷抱「進軍中央文壇」志向的他立刻起身前往東京，進行文學修練。不過，早在赴日前，翁鬧已經先將自己的作品寄往東京發表。1932年，他將日文短詩處女作〈あこがれ〉（憧憬）寄稿東京詩誌《椎の木》（椎之木）：「正午。／沒有人知道我的存在。／背後緊靠的堤防上方／是寶石綠廣闊無垠的天井。／南國的冬日寂靜無聲，／升騰的熱氣如煙一般燃燒。／啊，憧憬，在遙遠的彼方的天空」。在殖民地台灣默默無聞的文學青年，將文學之夢，寄託在遙遠的異鄉。赴日之後，此生再也未曾回到故鄉。
#幻影／顯影 接受導演訪談的人們也引人好奇。口中談著「那個時候」──1930年代──的高圓寺，但事實上，受訪者與翁鬧的年代應該有些錯開了才是。1910年出生的翁鬧，其同代人現在應已不在人世了才是。即便曾有短暫的交會，也如停靠月台的電車般很快就各自駛離，成為茫茫都會中的陌生人。不斷搖晃的鏡頭、交疊而又交錯的歷史線索與當代風景，如暗房中輕輕晃動的藥水。在導演與受訪者未必有效的問答對話之中，幻影之人翁鬧，看似慢慢就要顯影，卻又消失不見。
#尋人啟事 這部電影，是一則「刻舟求劍」的尋人啟事。2020年，年輕的台灣導演以日語致電東京的報社，希望代為刊登一則尋人啟事。她要找尋的，是一位八十多年前（1934年）來到東京近郊高圓寺的台灣作家，卻因導演不是作家的親族而遭婉拒。別說親族了，作為一位他人口中的「幻影之人」，即便在1930年代的東京，真正與之親交的朋友恐怕也寥寥無幾。有趣的是，當這樣的要求，在時而穿插雜訊的電話中被以一本正經的口吻道出，其近乎刻舟求劍的荒謬，卻反而產生奇妙的張力與詩意。彷彿穿越了時空，展開一場名知不可能而為之的尋人之旅。
導演黃邦銓，作品《回程列車》、《去年火車經過的時後》，創作經常圍繞回憶、旅行、底片三個子題。導演林君昵，大學時期完成了短片《島嶼漂流》及《瘟疫》，並獲選參與柏林影展精英研習營及釜山影展亞洲電影學院。
搭起兩塊投影布幕，一邊正像、一邊負像，投放著作家翁鬧紀錄片《天亮前的戀愛故事》剩餘毛片，與同時代的攝影家鄧南光的8mm家庭電影的混剪，除了影像內容在形式上有些近似的趣味，兩塊投影布幕間相互滲透的光線，創造出一個正負像疊合的空間。談到對這兩種影像的看法，黃邦銓認為正像與商業發展緊密相關，無論在世界哪個電影院看到的同一部片子，在嚴格的放映品質控管下都會是一樣的，負像則永遠為了製作正像而存在，「所以對我來說，反轉片是唯一能以它自己登場的膠卷。」這似乎是唯有熟悉膠卷的創作者才會有的思考，畢竟在數位影像的世界裡，負像是不存在的。（《別無拷貝：黃邦銓的反轉片創作》，李佳霖，攝影之聲）
別無拷貝：黃邦銓的反轉片創作 | Voices of Photography 攝影之聲改編自1937年翁鬧的同名作品《天亮前的戀愛故事》。是一部被形容「極具惡魔主義」的特殊作品，積極浪漫的精神在醜惡怪誕的元素中，尋找官能的美、混合頹廢特質的文學。（節錄與改編自 成功大學台灣文學系副教授 廖淑芳 導讀文章）
天亮前的戀愛故事-臺灣文化入口網
我依照了一個奇怪的順序而排，如果你願意的話，可以依序而看——《持攝影機的男人》、《尋找小津》《天亮前的戀愛故事》、《台北之晨》、《翡翠之城》。這樣排序跟電影中的「日照時間長度」 有關，大概是白天、傍晚、深夜、天亮、白天的順序，好吧，我知道這樣解釋有點牽強，總之這是我對五部片的印象。
Why do we write? When words erupt from the mind and pour into the heart, images and monologues take the place of daily tedium—of the mundane, the irritating, the unbearable. For some writers, however, writing is more than expression; it is salvation. It is an unshakable calling. In this themed selection on literature, Giloo presents documentaries that delve into the lives and inner worlds of writers—poets, novelists, critics—who wield pens (or typewriters) like swords, fearlessly confronting the truths of the world. The passage of time leaves behind not just pages, but marks of introspection—quiet yet undeniable badges of their creative journey.
A sharp, compact poem often speaks louder than a lengthy speech! Giloo presents a curated collection of small but powerful documentaries—short films that, within a limited runtime, deliver layered, resonant stories. Experience the elegance of cinematic brevity, and see how precision in visual storytelling can leave a lasting impression.
Love can bear the sweetest fruits, or plunge life into the deepest abyss. How do you face the questions that love brings? Will you choose to move forward hand in hand with your partner— or walk away, once and for all?
This is a labyrinth of underground caves—each one distinct in style, each both a hidden space and a form of revelation. In The River, the cave takes the shape of secret doors—behind each, encounters that are either redemptive or forbidden. In The Act of Killing, the entrance is brutally exposed: a body split open, revealing cruelty with no filter. Before the Dawn offers a cave of mazes—guided by clear narration, and yet, we fall into a thick fog of disoriented images. A Morning in Taipei is a time-traveling cave—Lim Giong’s soundtrack transforms the past into a self-contained cosmos, where even fleeting moments feel eerily contemporary. Marina Abramović in Brazil leads us inward—to the cave within. Through extreme rituals and faith-fueled intensity, she seeks peace, confronting energies too blinding to look at directly.
Whether you can’t sleep at night or simply don’t want to, here’s a “Sleep Aid Playlist” I’ve carefully selected—meant to be savored slowly. The inspiration came from my own experience: many nights, I’m exhausted yet wide awake. There are many possible reasons, but one of them is the reluctance to end the day—the quiet resistance to letting go of today. Learning to spend time with the night, to sit with it, sometimes helps us forget the mess of the daytime. So which one is real life—the hush of the night or the chaos of the day? Maybe we don’t need the answer just yet. These five films are best watched late at night, one quiet bite at a time. Let the stories unfold slowly… and gently guide you toward sleep.
Margaret Atwood carried The Handmaid’s Tale from Canada to the world. Yu Xiuhua, a woman with cerebral palsy from rural Hubei, moved the Chinese-speaking world with a single poem. In the 1930s, Ong Naô journeyed from Taiwan to Tokyo for his studies and left behind Before the Dawn. Giloo Documentary and ChiuKo Publishing present a curated selection of literary documentaries. Let the words of these writers take you elsewhere.
The Kishu An Book Festival aims to overturn the stereotype of books as dull or monotonous by infusing literature with vibrant musical elements and bringing artistic experiences into everyday life. Through engaging sessions led by guest speakers, participants are invited to discover how closely literature resonates with their own lives. The 2022 edition of the festival, themed “Musical Narrative: Music x Reading”, featured lectures, performances, an online film screening series, and a themed marketplace. It brought together music critics, writers, and singer-songwriters who navigate both the literary and musical worlds, sharing how they translate experiences between these forms and explore unique modes of expression and interpretation.
A lifelong companion—or a declared enemy? Love is the most difficult relationship, yet it yields the sweetest fruit. In the face of love, do you reveal your truest self—or something more false? What do you choose to share with your lover? Are you walking hand in hand toward paradise—or toward the beginning of sorrow?
Men and women who leave their hometowns to make a living in Kabukicho, a surreal life that unfolds after a same-sex wedding, Amis people fishing for baby eels in the depths of night, a band using music to challenge the system… Through innovative short documentaries, filmmakers capture vivid portraits of people and moments in contemporary society. Join Giloo in diving into the heart of these issues, broadening your perspective, and exploring the rich diversity of today’s world.