BURNING ISLAND

Blending Taiwan’s Indigenous heritage with the sacred traditions of Japan’s southern volcanic isles, this magical realist masterpiece by a joint Taiwan-Japan film production team uncovers a 14-year journey of art therapy and forbidden memories during a mysterious masked festival.

Daiki, a Japanese art student, meets Nikar, a Taiwanese Indigenous artist, in Taipei. Captivated by her ritualistic art, they form a deep bond. Years later, he invites her to a Kagoshima island residency. Working amid volcanic landscapes and traditions, their connection deepens until an unexpected event during a masked festival alters their lives. Fourteen years later, Daiki returns as an art therapist. He meets Nikka, a 19-year-old girl whose paintings awaken buried memories. As the festival approaches, Daiki revisits a journey of memory and desire, confronting a past that still shapes his present.