The Rhythm in Wulu Village

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Culture Documentary hosted by Wang Chun-hsiung, published by Kwang Hwa Mass Communications in 2003 - Chinese narration

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Wulu Village is a Bunun indigenous settlement located in the remote eastern mountainous region of Taiwan. The Bunun are famous among Taiwan’s indigenous groups for their polyharmonic choral signing, and almost all Bunun songs are sung in this style. In 1952, Japanese musicologist Takatomo Kurosawa presented the Bunun song, “Tribute to Having a Good Harvest” (also known as “Pasibutbut,” a song in the style of an octophonic chorus) to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. With its complex polyharmonic arrangement, “Pasibutbut” overturned Western musicologists’ theory that music was originally monotone, progressed to bitonality, and finally achieved polytonality. Similar to many other indigenous peoples around the world, the Bunun are now faced with the danger that their culture and traditions will gradually disappear. Recognizing this problem, the Bunun people of Wulu have started the work of preserving their cultural heritage and passing it on to the younger generation. Traditional weaving skills, music, and language are taught in schools by Bunun teachers. The Bunun have also established a choir, which practices singing during members’ free time and performs in public at the invitation of various organizations around the world. Fearing that indigenous cultures will eventually be lost, Director Wang Chun-hsiung came to Wulu, trying to find answers to his many questions by interviewing local people. Over the course of filming these interviews, the director found his beliefs challenged and his heart moved. "Every documentary filmmaker, loaded with social responsibilities, always hopes that his/her film will somehow solve some problems. The agenda we set in the beginning for The Rhythm in Wulu Village has gradually changed through our journey into the mountain. We realized that we were unable to solve any problems for the tribal people. The changes that came from cultural impact are the fate the whole tribe has to face together. We chose to document the place and people from a distance, trying to avoid personal interpretations, and let the place and people speak for themselves. To me, the whole experience of this film was not only a searching process, but also a journey toward growth." - Wang Chun-hsiung