Melody-Go-Round(HKAFF 2022)

After his acclaimed directorial debut A Fish Out of Water (14th), director Lai Kuo-an once again uses magical realism to explore how children use fantasy to overcome the troubles of reality. If adolescence isn’t hard enough already, 16-year-old Melody knows that her parents are in an “empty-shell marriage”, merely staying together for her sake. Scared that she will be abandoned, Melody runs away to a deserted amusement park, where she escapes reality by imagining a fantasy world called Moon Kingdom. This wistful and compassionate tale of a fractured family and the healing power of myths was nominated for four Taipei Film Awards, including Best Actor and Best Art Direction.