Rough Cut Pitch
After the Snowmelt
LO Yi-Shan
- Taiwan
- 110min
- DCP
- color
Synopsis
After the Snowmelt is a coming-of-age story about how teenagers confront the first intimate death of their lives.
On the threshold of adulthood, Yi-Shan's (director) best friend Chun, went trekking in Nepal with his boyfriend Yueh, promising to reunite with her there. However, she lost contact with them and didn't hear from them until 2 months later: they’d been trapped in a cave for 47 days due to unexpected snowfall. Chun passed away 3 days before the rescue, leaving Yueh as the sole survivor.
Yueh returns and reveals a promise made between him and Chun: the survivor must share their story. To honor Chun's last wish, Yi-Shan takes up the camera and accompanies Yueh to the mountains to ask about what happened in the cave. However, Yueh withdraws into silence, prompting her to retrace the journey she and Chun promised to take together.
Along her way, local villagers in Nepal share memories of Chun and Yueh. Gradually, her journey overlaps with theirs, blurring the boundary between past and present, and leading to the same destination. In the snowmelt season, some things resurface while others vanish forever. When Yi-Shan finally reaches the CAVE, she must confront the future alone.
Director's Statement
The seed of the film was born as I came of age, receiving a letter from my high school best friend, Chun. He wrote before he died: “Yi-Shan, the only thing you have to do is to love."
Chun and I met at a Catholic girl's high school, where his boyish appearance as a trans-man drew criticism. Witnessing his silent tears, I admired his courage and resilience. Alongside his beloved Yueh, they inspired me to explore the world beyond the classroom, and we made a promise to travel abroad together someday.
Since the accident, I’ve had flashbacks in my dreams of the lonely wait for their return. The overwhelming desire to reunite and honor our high school promise drove me to make this film. Chun's last wishes taught me the essence of love - assuming the role of the survivor and embracing the responsibility of sharing this story.
By making After the Snowmelt, I want to create a space to confront the first intimate death, learn to cope with trauma, and finally understand the meaning of survival.
Director
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LO Yi-Shan
Credit
- Producer융솽 첸, 앵글 원 첸, 조 지란 Yung-Shuang CHEN, Angle Wen CHEN, Tze-Lan CHO