EEL Exquisite Set

About the Film

Taiwan’s first entry in the Berlinale “Perspectives” Competition

“Existence” and “Time”

Everything is but an illusion

#Kang-Ta Pan　#Mimsy Kuo

A breathtaking performance destined to fade away

The feature debut of emerging director #Jun-Teng Chu

EEL opens across Taiwan on October 3

On a secluded island hidden within Taipei City, a mysterious woman encounters a lost man. Amid a sandbar where time and memory dissolve like mist, they slowly uncover buried stories—seeking true belonging and self-discovery.

❰ Taiwan’s first entry in the Berlinale “Perspectives” New Directors Competition ❱ ❰ Hong Kong International Film Festival – Firebird Award ❱ ❰ 7 nominations at the Taipei Film Festival, Winner of Best Production Design ❱

❰ Vancouver International Film Festival – “Vanguard” Competition ❱ ❰ Galway International Film Fleadh – International Competition ❱ ❰ Tirana International Film Festival – New Directors Competition ❱

Director’s Biography

Chu Jun-Teng graduated in 2010 with a Master’s degree in Art Creation from Goldsmiths, University of London. He majored in Film and Photography at Shih Hsin University, and in 2006 his graduation film Sleeping Beauty—inspired by Yasunari Kawabata’s novel—was selected by the 28th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and the 19th Singapore International Film Festival, among others.

In recent years, his practice has expanded into contemporary art and multi-channel expanded cinema, focusing on the struggles and states of existence of the “individual” within complex social, political, and cultural structures. His works have been widely exhibited at major film festivals and art museums.

Director’s Statement

“When we take ‘existence’ for granted, might we suddenly realize: everything is but an illusion?”

EEL is a fantastical love story about freedom and belonging. While the narrative follows two characters, in truth, Shezi Island itself is the third protagonist. Located in the heart of Taipei, this sandbar has been sealed off and forgotten for over half a century, and now faces forced redevelopment. It is like a time capsule caught in a liminal space—its land, people, and beliefs all carried by the river, destined eventually to vanish with it.

“Existence” and “time” have always been my greatest fears, and also the core of my creation. In youth, I knew nothing is eternal; no matter how hard we try, we ultimately lose. With age, I learned acceptance: life is a journey of searching, and perhaps there is never a final answer, only the need to keep moving forward. Everything is cyclical. This realization became the starting point of EEL—what truly is belonging and freedom?

EEl Soundtrack & Poster Set

NT$1080 (shipping fee varies by destination)

EEL Limited Berlinale Edition Posters: Two A1 posters (female lead + male lead), exclusively signed

EEL Original Soundtrack: Features 13 original film scores. Singer-songwriter Misi Ke makes her big-screen debut and performs the theme song “Bird Talk”, co-produced with Golden Melody Award–winning composer An Tôn Thất. The exquisite arrangement mirrors the song’s poetic depth, while Misi Ke’s ethereal voice evokes a mysterious vitality.