Island Etude

A beautifully photographed coming of age road movie, Island Etude is the story of a handsome young, hearing-impaired man, who before graduating from college, decides to carry his guitar on his back and ride a bike along the Taiwanese coastline, embarking on a seven-day round-island trip. Cheerfully confronting challenges and risks of the unknown, he rides day and night, through hot tropical sun and driving rainstorms, experiencing the diverse cultures that exist in different parts of Taiwan. Along the way he makes new friends, falls in love, and pays a surprise visit to his grandparent’s village, where he rediscovers his roots as he joins a ritualistic procession for the Goddess Matsu. Mixing documentary/reality style with dramatic humanistic moments and memories, this classic road movie celebrates life, love and the coming of age, with humor, sadness, warm emotions, and hope. (Amazon.com)