Filmed on location in southern Taiwan, bulabulay mun? (“how are you?” in English) is a visually striking, site-specific dance film from Tjimur Dance Theatre, the country’s premier contemporary company dedicated to expressing the identity of the indigenous Paiwan people.
Rooted in the historic Mudan shipwreck incident of 1874, this powerful work draws on traditional Mudan songs, ancient Paiwan ballads and evocative movement to revive ancestral memory. Blending the energy of professional dancers with the presence of local residents, the film embodies the strength of community and the spirit of place.
Choreographed by Baru MADILJIN, bulabulay mun? unfolds across dramatic coastal landscapes, echoing the production’s central themes of loss, resilience and elemental connection. The wind, sea and mountains are not just backdrop, they are witness and participant in this poignant meditation on history, nature and the enduring will to remember.
This film will also be shown as part of Dance Umbrella Film Series: Sunday Shorts at Barbican Cinema on Sunday 12 October. You can see a live performance of bulabulay mun? how are you? at The Place on Tuesday 21 & Wednesday 22 October.
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Ljuzem MADILJIN
Artistic Director
Ljuzem MADILJIN (she/her)
Artistic Director
Pingtung (Taiwan)
Recognised as one of Taiwan’s top performing arts groups for fifteen consecutive years, Tjimur Dance Theatre is led by Artistic Director Ljuzem Madiljin and Dance Director Baru Madiljin. The company was founded in 2006 in Timur, a Paiwan community in Sandimen Township, Pingtung. It is the first professional contemporary dance company in Taiwan dedicated to exploring and expressing Paiwan identity through movement.
Tjimur Dance Theatre was founded in 2006 in Timur, a Paiwan community in Sandimen Township, Pingtung. It is the first professional contemporary dance company in Taiwan dedicated to exploring and expressing Paiwan identity through movement. Recognised as one of Taiwan’s top performing arts groups for fifteen consecutive years, the company is led by Artistic Director Ljuzem Madiljin and Dance Director Baru Madiljin.
With the development of a unique movement methodology known as Tjimur Physical Skills, the company transforms Paiwan cultural memory into contemporary body language, giving shape and voice to the spirit of a living tradition.
Over the past nineteen years, Tjimur has staged more than 150 performances across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, appearing at renowned platforms such as the Cervantino International Festival (Mexico), GUIdance Festival (Portugal), and TANZ – Munich International Dance Festival (Germany).
Their innovative work has earned them nominations for the Total Theatre Awards (UK) and the Taishin Arts Award (Taiwan). In 2018, they launched the Tjimur Arts Festival and the cultural initiative In-depth Exploration of Timur, intertwining community, tradition, and contemporary creation.
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Baru MADILJIN
Dance Director & Choreographer
Baru MADILJIN (he/him)
Dance Director & Choreographer
Pingtung (Taiwan)
Baru is from the Timur Village of Paiwan. He graduated from the School of Dance, Taipei National University of the Arts. Since 2006, he has been the Dance Director and Choreographer of Tjimur Dance Theatre.
Baru is from the Timur Village of Paiwan. He graduated from the School of Dance, Taipei National University of the Arts. Since 2006, he has been the Dance Director and Choreographer of Tjimur Dance Theatre. In 2014, Spiked, an online magazine in the UK, praised his work, stating “the choreography was strong”. In 2017, Le Figaro, a major newspaper in France, said, “this piece inherited not only the traditions from ancestors but also the spirit of Martha Graham”. In 2016, Elena Hernández wrote in EL DIARIO, a daily newspaper in Mexico, “this high-quality piece was sensational and strongly attracted the audience’s attention.” In 2022, Baru was selected as the Performing Arts Redefined Person of the Year in Taiwan.
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Maurice LAI
Filmmaker
Maurice LAI (he/him)
Filmmaker
Hong Kong
Maurice was born and raised in Hong Kong, leading ‘slash’ careers in the video, dance, drama and diet culture. In 1996, he graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a bachelor’s degree in Film and Television. In 2019, he obtained an MFA degree in Cinema Production at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has been making commercials and doing video designs and image records for television movies and stage performances.
Maurice was born and raised in Hong Kong, leading ‘slash’ careers in the video, dance, drama and diet culture. In 1996, he graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a bachelor’s degree in Film and Television. In 2019, he obtained an MFA degree in Cinema Production at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has been making commercials and doing video designs and image records for television movies and stage performances.
In 2015, Maurice received the Hong Kong Dance Alliance Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Video and Photography for Dance and became the first person receiving this award with a dance video. In 2017, he received the City Contemporary Dance Laureate award from the City Contemporary Dance Company. In 2018, he and Sue Healey, an Australian choreographer and video director won the Hong Kong Dance Alliance Dance Award for Outstanding Visual Design with their stage production ON VIEW: HONG KONG.
Gallery
Credit Pa Sa-si
Cast & Creative +
- Ljuzem MADILJIN
Artistic Direction - Baru MADILJIN
Choreography & Costume Design - Maurice LAI
Concept/Film Direction - YANG Ching-hao, Ljaucu TAPURAKAC
Rehearsal Directors & Performers - CHIANG Sheng-hsiang, AL bernard GARCIA, KANG Shu-hsuan, WANG Chiu-ju, YE De-sheng, XU Li-gong, GAO ZHOU Chun-mei, GUO FANG Yu-hui, ZHONG Xiu-mei, BAI YE Mei E, FANG Yu-mei
Performers - Pa Sa-xi
Still Photography - WANG Xiao-hui, YE De-sheng, the people from Mudan Township
Traditional Song Instruction - Maurice LAI (HoShunKing Artistic Workshop)
Production Supervisor - Maurice LAI, CHIU Chih-hua, HUANG Po-yu
Cinematography - HUANG Po-yu
Audio Recording - Ringo CHEN
Filming Assistance - Maurice LAI
Post-Production - MAI Bi-yun, ShaTao Lazurite Art
Costume Production - WENG Zhen-xia
Copywriter - CHIU Shu-ting
Company Management
Credits +
The production of this show is commissioned by the Pingtung County Government, Taiwan
Advised by Bureau of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Taiwan
Organised by Pingtung County Government, Taiwan
Co-organised by Cultural Affairs Department of Pingtung County, Taiwan
Special thanks to the people from Mudan Township
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