What is Fermata（延音）?

A fermata holds a musical symbol beyond time, suspending it outside the rhythm.

It lingers in a space that belongs nowhere......

延音(Fermata) 指的是讓一個音或一段靜止被延長，不受原有節奏限制，停留在時間之外的一刻。

它不屬於節拍，

也不服從時間，

像一個人停在選擇之前，

既無法前進，也無法回頭。

Gin, a gifted Taiwanese immigrant Cellist in Boston, fails to show up to perform at a career-defining recital. With her closest friend, Leo, moving back to Taiwan, her financial situation in jeopardy, and her prolonged absence from her family, Gin is caught at a crucial crossroads, facing the impossible choice of continuing her isolated life in America or going back home, leaving her dreams behind. As she walks through the city at sunset, its streets seem to blur with memories of Taiwan. At a distance of 12,440 kilometers from the only home she has ever known, she finally finds the courage to remain lost until she can be found.

林淨（Gin）是一名才華洋溢的台灣大提琴家，旅居波士頓求學與發展。就在一場足以決定她音樂生涯的重要獨奏會當天，她卻逃走了。她的前任以及最好的朋友李歐（Leo），看見林淨無聲的絕望，他向她提出了一個邀請：「跟我一起回家吧。」

這個選擇縈繞在林淨心中，而她的生活也開始出現越來越多回到台灣的理由，經濟狀況和與家人的連結逐漸崩解。然而，就在林淨準備跟著李歐回台灣的那天，父親在他生日許下的第三個願望，似乎是她尋找已久的答案......

As immigrants, we are all floating in this world.

The dream becomes not a dream.

The hometown becomes not a hometown. 

But what keeps us from giving up? What drives us to live, to stay, and to keep striving?

Fermata, is an investigation into how generational trauma, spatiotemporal displacement, and political instability imprint themselves on both personal and collective memory. I am captivated by the contradiction of family bonding: the “push and pull” of a love that wants you anchored at home, yet sincerely hopes for you to find your true self. This is the universal heartbeat of the diaspora—the tension between the longing to connect and the necessity of independence.

I arrived in the United States in 2024 to begin my graduate studies in filmmaking. I left my father, grandmother, partner, and my dog behind, with the ambition of pursuing a career in the industry that I have grown up watching and loving. I bring with me more than 10 years of experience working in the Taiwanese film industry on numerous short films, music videos, and commercials.

Leaving home taught me that my identity is not a given; it is a choice. For a Taiwanese filmmaker, saying “I am Taiwanese” is both an anchor and a challenge. I want to capture that specific awakening: the moment we realize that wandering isn't about getting lost, but about learning to discover our own uniqueness, no matter where we go. Are we forced outward to find a way to be our true selves, or are we true explorers seeking a new belonging? 

In a fast-changing world where everything around us is constantly shifting, this quiet struggle becomes even more urgent. I believe this film captures a reflection of our time, as we confront our anxieties and search for where, and how, we truly belong—lingering like a fermata, in a moment that resists time, where we begin to hear our own voice.

旅外者/移民者都像是這個世界上漂浮不定落不了根的一抹浮萍。

夢想不再只是單純的夢，故鄉也不再是記憶中的家。

但究竟是什麼讓這些人不放棄？是什麼驅使他們在外地留下、生活，並不停地與困境奮鬥著？ 

當夢想早已被現實困境攪和的模糊不清，找尋自我成為迷航的燈塔......

《延音》（Fermata）旨在探討代際創傷、時空位移與當代政治局勢所帶來的不安，如何深刻烙印於個人與集體的記憶之中。結合個人經驗，我更關注的是一種細微而真實的情感——存在於亞洲家庭關係中的矛盾張力：既「推」你離開，去追尋更廣闊的世界；又「拉」你留下，期盼你回到家鄉。這是許多離散者共同的心跳，在連結與獨立之間不斷擺盪，挑戰追求夢想的心理狀態。

從小在澎湖與桃園長大，前往台北直至三十而立的我，在2024年前往美國求學，說是想更精進說故事的能力，但其實是考驗自己拍電影的決心。離開家鄉之後，我更意識到，身分認同並非與生俱來，而是不斷被選擇與建構的過程。在快速變動與充斥各種聲色的世代，我們是被迫離開原鄉，還是主動踏上尋找自我的旅程？

我試圖捕捉這樣的瞬間——當一個人意識到，漂流並不等同於迷失，而是在移動之中逐漸辨認出自己的形狀，探討「做自己」的真正意涵，以及那些看似勇敢的選擇，往往建立在深厚的愛之上。正因為被愛著，才有力氣離開，面對接踵而來的挑戰。

Although millions of Asians have built lives abroad, stories about the emotional cost of leaving home remain rarely seen on screen. Taiwan, in particular, is uniquely positioned to hold this story. Its history and geopolitical condition have shaped a collective identity marked by displacement and searching. We are accustomed to looking outward, yet constantly questioning what it means to return home. In today’s shifting global landscape (2025–2030), this condition has become more pronounced. The instability of international relations—especially between the United States and China, and the ongoing tension between Taiwan and China—has transformed diaspora from an individual experience into a shared condition of our time.

Fermata approaches this reality through a single character, reflecting a broader emotional landscape. It transforms a personal story into a shared human experience—one that resonates across borders and generations. As a graduate student living this reality, I feel these tensions firsthand. Financial precarity, cultural distance, and the pressure to sustain a future abroad are not abstract but part of my daily life.

More than anything, I hope Fermata reminds audiences that the people who give us the courage to chase our dreams are often the very people waiting for us back home. In the future, I hope to expand Fermata into a feature film, exploring the long-term emotional journey of building a life abroad and the quiet strength that love and family give us to keep going.

雖然有數百萬亞洲人在海外求學、工作與生活，但關於離鄉、歸屬感，以及追尋夢想所付出的情感代價，至今仍鮮少被影像真實地呈現。台灣，正是一個特別適合承載這樣故事的地方。島嶼的歷史與曾被多國殖民處境，使我們的身分本身就帶有漂泊與尋找的特質。我們流著島嶼民族的血液，習慣了向外探索，卻也始終在尋找回家的路。在現在這個時代（2025-2030）中美關係變化莫測，台灣與中國的關係也進入緊張期，在被迫變動的世代，離散，是台灣，甚至是全世界共鳴的主題。

《延音》（Fermata）希望透過 Gin 的故事，映照出這個世代共同的情感經驗。它談的不只是離開，而是在離開之後，我們如何重新理解自己、理解家人，以及理解愛。身為一位來自台灣、正在美國求學的導演，我每天都真實地經歷著這些拉扯。經濟壓力、文化差異、與家人的疏離，以及對未來的迷惘，是我每天的生活。

我期待能追夢也許可以回頭看看那個曾經無條件相信你、希望你成為自己的人。未來也有計劃將此短片發展成長片的模式，探討更深的旅美掙扎與支持角色在困境中追夢的力量。

Influences

Sentimental Value (2025)        Aftersun (2022)           Shine (1996)

Aftersun and Sentimental Value both portray the father–daughter relationship through a poetic, deeply subjective perspective that closely follows the emotional lives of their characters.

In Aftersun, the relationship between father and daughter unfolds through fragmented memories and fleeting moments of perception. Rather than offering explicit explanations, the film allows its emotional truth to emerge gradually through accumulated moments of distance, silence, and remembrance. It reflects our desire to understand those we love, even when their inner worlds remain ultimately unknowable.

Sentimental Value delicately explores its protagonist's emotional state as she struggles between artistic ambition and emotional stagnation. The film suggests that her reconciliation with her father is inseparable from her creative journey, revealing how artistic identity is often deeply intertwined with family relationships.

This short film also draws inspiration from Shine in its portrayal of a musician's inner world. Through expressive visual storytelling, it seeks to capture the protagonist's unwavering devotion to music alongside her psychological and emotional turmoil.

《日麗》（Aftersun）與《情感的價值》（Sentimental Value）這兩部電影作品均透過詩意與貼近角色心理的視角來呈現父女關係。

 《日麗》 透過記憶與碎片化的感知，探討父女之間的關係。該片在形式上不流於直白的解釋，而是讓核心意義在記憶、距離與情感的累積中自然浮現，反映出我們如何試圖去理解所愛之人——即便我們無法完全觸及他們的心靈。

《情感的價值》 細緻刻畫了主角在藝術野心與情感停滯之間的心理狀態。她和父親關係的矛盾與和解，表明個人的藝術掙扎往往與家庭關係密不可分。

此短片也將取材《鋼琴師》對角色心境的刻畫，視覺表現主角對音樂的執著和內心的掙扎。

You can help us in two ways!

Firstly, consider partnering with us financially to help us achieve our goal on Seed&Spark! Glance through our budget written out in detail below. We aim to be transparent in our process of raising funds. We are international students with limited personal resources. Any contribution can make a difference to our film.

Secondly, help us spread the word so we can share our story with the largest possible audience! Follow our Instagram page @fermata.film.production

By supporting this project, you’re helping tell a story that we think will make a difference. You can help us produce the film, provide a professional work environment for our crew, and cover our travel expenses.

Please join us on this storytelling journey to spark meaningful change in the world.

The funds we raise will go directly toward travel, gear rentals, local crew, translation services, and post-production.

For a detailed breakdown, please refer to the wishlist tab.

Seed & Spark requires us to raise at least 80% of our goal within 45 days in order to receive any funding. We aim to raise $7K through the platform, as part of a larger $40K budget supported by grants.

With a projected runtime of fifteen minutes, the film centers on two main actors across four primary locations, supported by a crew of twenty, with production spanning both Boston and Taiwan. The budget has been carefully designed to prioritize what appears on screen, while remaining efficient and grounded in our experience working across productions of varying scales.

This funding will allow us to fully realize the film while ensuring fair compensation, ethical working hours, and a safe, supportive environment for our cast and crew. Every dollar supports diasporic voices in being seen and heard.

Seed & Spark 規定，我們必須在 45 天內募得至少 80% 的募資目標，才能獲得任何款項。我們希望透過平台募得 7,000 美元，作為整體 40,000 美元製作預算的一部分，其餘經費將由各項補助與基金共同支持。

《延音》（Fermata）片長預計為 15 分鐘，由兩位主要演員演出，於四個主要場景拍攝，並由約 20 位劇組成員共同完成，製作橫跨波士頓與台灣兩地。我們仔細規劃每一筆預算，將資源優先投入觀眾真正能在銀幕上看見的內容，同時兼顧製作效率，並建立在團隊多年參與不同規模影視製作的經驗之上。

這筆募資將協助我們完整實現《延音》（Fermata），同時確保每位演員與劇組成員都能獲得合理的報酬、健康的工作時數，以及安全且互相支持的創作環境。您的每一份支持，都將幫助更多離散社群的故事被看見、被聽見。

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