Money and Honey is sponsored by the Asian Cinema Fund-Asian Network of documentary PUFS Fund, BUSAN International Film Festival. The selection cause is, “The project covers an often overlooked social topic in today’s society. Through intimate personal filming over many years, we are naturally drawn to the characters and to empathize with them.”
With the advance of globalization, human migration is expanding at a phenomenal rate. Migrant workers are an important and integral element of modern Asian society. The Philippines is the world’s second largest exporter of labour, with almost ten million Filipinos, or one-tenth of the country’s total population, working abroad. A key factor in this phenomenon is the aging society and the need for care. In Taiwan, the population is aging faster than any other nation on earth. The film Money and Honey brings together these two conditions to document the lives of both Taiwanese elders and their Filipino carers.
In a nursing home everyone misses his loved ones: Both the elders and the migrant workers suffer from homesickness. Being away from their loved ones, they regard each other as surrogate family. Filipinos are happy people. They think positively. Despite their heavy work, they find ways to have fun. Often their relationship with the elders is bittersweet. In this film, the viewers will get a taste of these bittersweet stories.
The price of dreams and love fulfilled: The film focuses on a group of migrant workers, and in particular, their lives as mothers. It chronicles the price they have to pay for their dreams and love. There is a Filipino song entitled 'Money and Honey’. The lyrics go like this: 'No money, no honey. But if you have a lot of money, you'll have more honey. 'Money and Honey' represent our desires and the traps we may fall into in our lives. The consequence of whether to choose 'Money or Honey' seems more pronounced in the case of migrant workers. As the protagonists pursue their dreams, we will see in reflection our own desires, conflicts, and the choices we have to make.
Myths that mothers believe in and their wisdom: In Asian societies women are assigned the role of caregiver, bearing great responsibilities for their family. Female migrant workers come to Taiwan to work in the hope of earning enough money to send their children to good schools and to have their own house to live in. We see how beautiful a mother's love is, and how strong she can be. However, amid these dreams, being away from one's family comes with problems, for marriage and for child-rearing. This film shows not only a mother's love, but also a mother's wisdom and myths that she believes in.
We've experienced life and death together: As the family of the elders in care, I will never forget the generous help of the workers. We've experienced life and death together. In 2010, I headed for the Philippines to revisit them. Baby and Lolita are now in their fifties. After all these years, Baby promised to look after me when I become an old granny. I was deeply touched. Mother Teresa once said that she would be a revolutionist only under one condition: love. "Love" has inspired me to make this film.
This is a documentary about dreams, love, and life’s hardship.
This is the first Chinese film that delves into the lives of migrant caregivers and elders and in nursing homes.
This is an Asian epic documentary on migrant workers spanning over thirteen years.
For me,
This is my mission.
This is my passion.
This film is dedicated to the migrant workers, the elders, and the audience.
In longing
Do I open a window,
Build a bridge,
And pass on love and justice.
留言列表
