I DREAM OF THE OCEAN

My body is the literature of the ocean. —Syaman Rapongan

On the Pacific island of Lanyu, oceanic writer Syaman Rapongan preserves his people’s memory through boat-building and writing. The Floating Dreams of the Ocean spans seventy years of footage, weaving anthropology, field research, and father-son inheritance through Tatala and cultural revival. It captures the resilience of island indigenous life amid historical breaks, reclaiming identity beyond the gaze of others.