The film records some of the issues that were being faced by the Yami people of Orchid Island in the early nineties: the incursion of Taiwanese tourism, modern medicine, religion and nuclear waste, as well as the effect of these on tribal traditions. This film was interesting in the manner in which the filmmakers questioned their role and motives in making the film. There was an emphasis on the camera's self consciousness, emphasized at times by the sounds of photos being taken or the little boy shouting "stop filming", as well as a series of negative comments about documentaries about the island, the filming of the other cameras crews who were there to provide exotic viewing for Taiwanese viewers, and the filming of all the cameramen present at a staged ritual dance. It is especially clear at the beginning of the film, where the motive of the documentary is laid out clearly by a discussion between the director Hu Taili and other figures who were part of the filmmaking team.
The traditions that are recorded in the film are not left unchallenged, but rather the difficulty of the clash between tradition and modernity become clear throughout the film, whether through the film makers self examinations, the doctor's use of "anito" (spirits) to introduce modern medical techniques, or even the difficulty a young yami encounters in organizing an anti-nuclear rally, due to his youth.
The film is an interesting exploration of the cultural and folk traditions of the Yami on Orchid Island, but also of the malignant nature of the ethnographer's presence and the change that comes with a culture's self-awareness. The moulding of Yami's customs to the eye of the other, in this case the Taiwanese, which they access through the medium of television, brings the Yami to resent this view of themselves as inferior.
As mentioned in the post "私角落 Corners", there is an interesting article by Kuei Fen Chiu discussing the way this film broke new ground in representing the unrepresented through certain cinemagraphic techniques. I have the link for those that are interested, post below if you'd like me to send it to you.
Here's a short preview of the documentary:
Film Rating: 4/5
《蘭嶼觀點》 胡台麗 1993
這部電影紀錄九十年代蘭嶼雅美族面臨的問題：台灣島遊客的入侵、現代醫學和宗教對傳統習俗的襲擊、核能廢料等；同時描繪上述問題對雅美傳統儀式的影響。
此紀錄片中有趣的一點就是創作者懷疑、討論其製做這部電影的角色及目的。透過拍攝照片的聲音及雅美人對鏡頭的負面反應，譬如小朋友說的「不要再照了」，電影裡的鏡頭產生了創作者和觀眾的自省感。紀錄片中出現不少利用雅美族人來提供台灣人所要的異國情調的攝影工作者。尤其是拍攝原住民所舉辦的「傳統跳舞」時，鏡頭故意去拍攝旁邊的一大堆電視攝影機、照相機等等。在電影開頭的討論中，胡台麗和電影的其他員工很清楚的說明他們自己對紀錄片所追求的理想。
紀錄片所紀錄的傳統並沒有逃脫鏡頭的理性觀察，然而傳統與現代性的摩擦很清楚的被彰顯出來，不管是製作電影者的自省、醫生透過anito(恶靈)的故事來解釋現代醫學或那一位雅美青年因為年紀等級的傳統概念，而組合反核能廢料組織時所遇到的困難。
蘭嶼雅美族的傳統文化、習俗探討是這部電影的重要焦點，不過另外紀錄片指出民族誌學者的有害的參與，而且文化的自我意識產生的變遷：就是雅美族傳統和儀式為他者的操演式化，同時透過媒體雅美人看得到他們在媒體裡怎麼被繪畫而被輕視。
邱貴芬在〈A Vision of New Taiwan Documentary〉透過探討這部電影的拍攝技巧，嘉許此片的開拓性。
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