[Epoch Times August 5, 2024] “You need to slowly savor and gradually release the shackles and loneliness in your life. What we cherish is not an individual but life itself.” After watching the Taiwanese film “Salli,” I feel compelled to share this sentiment with all the Sallies across the globe.
“Sally” narrates the tale of Huijun (portrayed by Liu Pinyan), a chicken farmer from rural Taichung, who grapples with confusion and solitude as an older single woman. Her brother has found romance in mainland China, and her younger brother (played by Lin Po-hung) is on the verge of marriage. As she approaches her thirties and with her Chinese zodiac sign being the tiger, she is on the cusp of becoming the “Tiger Aunt” of the family.
In her anxious state, Huijun, under the encouragement of her niece, begins using dating apps, adopting the alias “Salli” to discuss love with men in Paris, France. Although nearly everyone around her warns that she’s being deceived, she boldly decides to fly to Paris and embark on a quest for love in a foreign land, taking a significant risk in her life.
Stills from the Taiwanese film “Sally”. (Provided by Vision Films)
Self-Growth Behind the Fresh Illustrations
Huijun lost her parents at an early age and assumed the role of caregiver for her younger brother. Her daily life revolved around the chicken coop, where chickens and dogs were her only companions. She was a nurturing sister, a tireless farmer devoted to her family for many years, with no personal life to speak of. I can think of many women like her. Do we truly grasp their experiences?
In today’s world, reports of online fraud are relentless, with many women falling prey to scammers in the virtual realm, who offer them the affection and attention they lack in real life. Upon hearing such accounts, most people’s initial response is, “How can anyone still be deceived in this day and age?” Yet, Lian Jianhong, the director of “Sally,” asserts, “These individuals have done nothing wrong; they simply believe that someone cares for them.”
In the film, Huijun’s younger brother’s impending marriage elevates her own “urgent desire to marry.” She fears everyone will abandon her to pursue their own lives. A fortune teller even declares that Huijun, who is single and born under the tiger sign, cannot attend her younger brother’s wedding; otherwise, his future marriage will be doomed. This plot element deepens Huijun’s sorrow. After dedicating herself to her brother for half her life, she can’t even attend his wedding?
The film primarily focuses on online romance, but it is fundamentally a narrative of self-discovery. How does a conservative woman, who has devoted years to her family and has no independent life, step beyond her comfort zone to discover herself and the world’s diversity during her journey in Paris?
With a refreshing and humorous tone, the film effectively showcases the friendly customs of Taiwan. Viewers find themselves amused by the plot on numerous occasions, yet it also addresses significant themes, including familial relationships, personal development, societal attitudes toward women, and the variety and complexities of modern love.
Is Paris a Distant and Beautiful Place?
The film poster for “Sally” radiates a romantic French ambiance. In truth, Paris is a popular destination for many Taiwanese tourists on group trips to Europe. This faraway location, steeped in romance, influences Huijun’s decision to seek love there.
The juxtaposition of tradition and modernity is another vital theme in the film. The Taiwanese storyline is rich in local life’s customs. Taichung’s rural areas reflect a conservative and insular agricultural lifestyle, featuring deep mountains, chicken coops, and tightly-knit communities alongside a vibrant Eastern cultural heritage, encompassing traditional marriage, fortune-telling, feng shui, and various worship practices.
In contrast, Paris is a vivid international metropolis, adorned with the Eiffel Tower and filled with art galleries—rich in artistic allure. People from all over the globe converge here to chase their dreams, each with varying interpretations of love and happiness. The protagonist meets diverse individuals and comes to understand the manifold aspects of love and life.
The film presents two entirely different cultures and environments, illustrating the changes within the main character’s internal landscape. However, the exploration of Huijun’s transformation could be more profound, allowing for greater development in the film. The Parisian scenes contain stereotypical portrayals, lacking authenticity and spontaneity, suggesting the director might not have had genuine local experiences.
Stills from the Taiwanese film “Sally”. (Provided by Vision Films)
What Kind of Love Do We Truly Need?
Prior to her journey to France, the allure of a possible beautiful life in the distance contrasted with her daily loneliness. Life encompasses more than just the immediate; it also involves the poetry of distant fields.
The movie conveys that a hen can lay eggs without a rooster, but cannot hatch chicks. The rooster serves as a metaphor for men, while Huijun’s “blindness” in seeking love parallels the night blindness of chickens. Huijun longs for a man to appear, to alleviate her loneliness and serve as her saving grace—not only to resolve her unmarried status but perhaps to transform her unfulfilling life.
Yet, if such a man were to indeed show up, could future happiness be assured? Would it signify the end of her current peaceful existence? Nonetheless, there is no need for fear. Life’s journey should always forge ahead unhesitatingly.
The connections between Huijun, her brother, and her niece shine as a highlight of the film. “I also want to be with you forever, but ultimately I will be the only one left.” This line, spoken by Huijun, articulates her concerns for her future.
The young niece also grapples with her own “lack of love.” She struggles to connect with her stepmother in Shanghai and seeks refuge in her aunt’s rural Taichung home. Despite her youth, she perceives the superficiality of online love more clearly than Huijun.
In the end, Huijun tells her niece, “When you grow up a little, you can decide what you want to do.” The next line is, “It seems not,” which underscores the many challenges of growing up and navigating life.
In East Asian society, familial ties create both connections and fate. The emotional expression of the brother’s gratitude to his sister at the wedding is moving, and the niece’s heartfelt declaration to Huijun, “It doesn’t matter if Martin doesn’t love you, as long as I love you,” elevates the relationship between the two. Despite their generational gap and love deficiencies, these two women find solace in each other’s embrace.
The exploration of family relationships in the film highlights a simple yet often overlooked emotional philosophy: “Love can take many forms.”
Stills from the Taiwanese film “Sally”. (Provided by Vision Films)
Learn to Coexist with Yourself Throughout Life
Although it may seem irrational, I understand Huijun’s quest for love across such vast distances. When everyone believed she had been deceived, and when a typhoon wreaked havoc on the most significant chicken coop in her life, Huijun traveled to France in search of an uncertain love. I consider it her means of “self-redemption” for her chaotic existence. Unless one releases self-imposed restrictions to become the master of their own life, will they continue to be the individual trapped in the chicken coop?
A line from the Taiwanese film “The Great Buddha Plus” reads: “Although we have entered the space age and can take a spaceship to the moon, we remain unable to see through the universe in each person’s heart.” Modern individuals gradually succumb to “loneliness.” Regardless of one’s life stage or circumstance, loneliness is a perennial issue that every person must confront; no one can be with you forever.
Sometimes, I reflect on people in my life, both men and women, who share the struggle of loneliness and the search for companionship. Perhaps they missed the ideal age for marriage, or they found themselves separating from their partners post-marriage.
However, the human heart is neither ancient nor complicated. Even with a companion, many still experience loneliness. Whether it’s a failure to connect spiritually with their partner or the loss of their original loving intent, they tire of such companionship. It is preferable not to denigrate them.
Everyone can identify with aspects of “Sally,” whether it touches on the loneliness of being single at a mature age, the bravery to pursue happiness, or the constant confusion that arises from navigating diverse life circumstances. A key strength of the film is that there is no “prince” swooping in to save Huijun’s life at the end. Life resumes its usual rhythm, and she remains solitary. There is a multitude of possibilities for her future; someone may appear or may not, but Huijun’s expression radiates renewed brilliance. After her transformation, she gains a deeper understanding of her losses and gains. I recall a lyric by Zhang Xuan: “What I possess is luck, and what I lose is life.”
The burdens and solitude of life must be experienced by oneself, gradually releasing them. What we cherish is not a specific individual, but life itself.
There’s also a line of poetry: “If the moon hasn’t come yet, the streetlamps can shine upon the windowsill, illuminating the softly blooming white camellia flowers.” Yet, I would prefer to quote the poem of Ming Dynasty thinker Wang Shouren: “My heart holds its own bright moon, and reunions are eternally certain.”
How do we find happiness? In essence, life is ultimately about seeking what is “within” rather than “without.” This involves discovering and nurturing the “bright moon” in your heart. The “bright moon” emanates from inner light and growth, remaining constant and beautifully reflecting the vast landscapes, always admirable and captivating. #
Stills from the Taiwanese film “Sally”. (Provided by Vision Films)
Poster of the Taiwanese film “Sally”. (Provided by Vision Films)
Editor in charge: Sun Yun#
Taiwanese Film “Sally”: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Love
[Epoch Times August 5, 2024] “You need to slowly savor and slowly let go of the fetters and loneliness in your life. What we love is not a person, but life itself.” After watching the Taiwanese movie “Salli,” I want to say this to all the Sallies in the world.
The film “Sally” narrates the poignant journey of Huijun (played by Liu Pinyan), a chicken farmer grappling with confusion and loneliness as an older single woman in rural Taichung. With her brother finding a second love in mainland China and her younger brother (played by Lin Po-hung) preparing for marriage, Huijun’s anxiety escalates as she faces the societal label of becoming the “tiger aunt” in her family. This situation, set against the backdrop of Taiwan’s rich cultural landscape, presents a compelling exploration of love, loneliness, and self-growth.
Behind the Fresh Sketches: Self-Growth
Huijun’s life has been shaped by the responsibilities she took on early, caring for her younger brother after losing their parents. Living nearly isolated in a chicken coop, Huijun’s existence comprises hard work and familial duties, prompting reflections on the many women who find themselves in similar circumstances. Are we truly aware of their struggles?
In a world fraught with online scams, Huijun represents a growing demographic of women deceived by virtual intimacy. Lian Jianhong, the director of “Sally,” contends that these women merely seek love and validation in a world that often neglects them. As Huijun grapples with these emotions, her anxiety amplifies with her younger brother’s impending marriage, deepening her fears of loneliness.
The film navigates complex themes of online love against the backdrop of Huijun’s self-discovery. It challenges the audience to consider how a conservative woman, nurtured by family ties and rural life, can explore the world and her identity through a romantic journey to Paris.
Paris: A Distant Dream
Notably a classic romantic destination, Paris represents a contrasting world for Huijun—a vibrant city bustling with artistic expression and diverse interpretations of love and happiness. The film captures this contrast between Taiwan’s conservative, rural life and Paris’s modern, eclectic atmosphere. It highlights how Huijun’s journey encompasses more than just her quest for love; it reflects her desire to step outside her comfort zone.
- Traditional Taiwan: Deep-rooted customs, agriculture, and a close-knit community.
- Modern Paris: A metropolis of dreams, redefining concepts of love and fulfillment.
As Huijun encounters new people in Paris, she begins to understand the diverse expressions of love. The audience witnesses her inner transformation as she navigates her anxieties and aspirations, although some critiques note that the film could delve deeper into her psychological evolution.
What Kind of Love Do We Really Need?
As Huijun prepares for her adventure, she reflects on love’s complexities. Her metaphor of a hen laying eggs without a rooster symbolizes her struggles—while she desires companionship, can love guarantee happiness? As Huijun articulates her fears over a future without connection, we’re reminded of universal truths about relationships.
Intriguingly, the movie portrays the multigenerational relationship between Huijun and her niece. The younger character grapples with her own feelings of love and disconnection, underscoring the theme that love takes many forms. This narrative highlights the significance of familial ties amid the isolation felt by many in contemporary society.
The Emotional Philosophy of “Sally”
The film proposes a simple yet profound truth: “Love can take many shapes.” Huijun’s emotional journey not only aims to find love but also to embrace and understand her own self. The message resonates deeply in an era where digital connections can often lead to profound loneliness.
Scenes illustrating Huijun’s affection for her brother and niece accentuate the film’s core theme—that the bonds we share can evolve, providing comfort amid uncertainty. This relationship dynamic prompts a consideration of how familial love can offer a refuge against the loneliness that persists in modern life.
Learning to Coexist with Oneself
Huijun’s quest for love across continents reveals her inner drive for self-redemption. Her journey becomes a testament to the importance of self-acceptance amid the obstacles of life. Her decision to seek love amidst adversity illustrates the resolve many face when overcoming feelings of entrapment.
The film resonates with viewers, exploring a timeless issue: loneliness. Whether single, in a relationship, or parting from a spouse, many feel this profound sense of solitude. The nuances of emotional connectivity beckon reflection on how relationships can shape and sometimes burden our identities.
| Relationships | Emotional Connectivity |
|---|---|
| Familial Ties | Offer comfort and security |
| Friendship | Provide companionship and relatability |
| Romantic Relationships | Pursue affection and passion |
“Sally” emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and personal growth, advocating for an inward journey toward happiness instead of seeking external validation. The film’s conclusion, where Huijun remains single yet transformed, signifies a departure from conventional romantic resolutions, offering hope that fulfillment comes from within.
With a focus on themes that resonate deeply with modern audiences, “Sally” invites us to reflect on our relationships, emotional states, and the pursuit of love. This Taiwanese film is more than just a romantic narrative; it is a mirror reflecting the complexities of human connection and self-acceptance.
