Life on the Rooftop
2016 | Documentary | Taiwan | 54’10” | NTSC | Color | English Subtitles
Director: Liao Ching-yao
Synopsis
Taipei is a
densely populated city. Sandwiched between the skyscrapers and luxurious
apartment blocks, the huts with metal sheeting constructed on the rooftops of
old buildings become a dwelling system of its own. These extensions built by
the property owners have existed for a long time. They can be seen in the city
centre and prime commercial sectors, becoming a unique sight in Taipei’s
skyline. Often they are referred as the “killer of views” or “tumours of the
city”.
However, who are
the residents living in the rooftop extensions built with metal sheeting? How do they
lead their lives? Those who are interviewed in the film have nothing to do with
one another. They have only one thing in common – they all choose to live in
the so-called “iron-skin rooftop huts”. The reasons behind their choice vary,
and they are not necessarily lowly paid or underprivileged. Sometimes they move
in for the great view on the rooftop or the unusual lifestyle. Like the illegal
structure of these extensions, some hold the values that are not accepted by
the mainstream.
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment