The Filial Daughter

Overview

Professional mourning is a time-honoured tradition that is slowly dying out in Taiwan. Liu Jun-Lin is currently the youngest and one of the best-known professional mourners still working in Taiwan. The Filial Daughter captures her and her band's pre-funeral rituals and elaborate performances, which include acrobatic dance manoeuvres, sombre songs, theatrical elements and detailed choreography. The event is steeped in folkloric tradition yet wholly modern, featuring maximal lighting and pumped up PA systems.