ISLAND OF THE WINDS

Taking the life stories of leprosy patients and their struggle against the large-scale state apparatus, a filmmaker recorded an important milestone in Taiwan democratic social movement for 20 years.

The Losheng Sanatorium, Taiwan’s oldest and only leper sanatorium, stands for the most iconic grassroots movement fighting against eviction and demolition. The residents of Losheng are deeply connected to this land that witnessed their struggles with leprosy, aging and eventually death. The director has been following a group of old patients for over 20 years. This documentary chronicles life at Losheng: a life full of love and spirit, but also a life of struggle and fight against oblivion.