Return to feature films after twenty years
Taiwanese director Lee Yun Chan has marked her return to feature filmmaking after a two-decade gap with “To Be Ordinary,” serving as the sole Taiwanese film in competition at the Busan International Film Festival. Lee previously made her feature debut with 2005’s “The Shoe Fairy” and directed the Disney+ series “Women in Taipei.”
The Mandarin title of the film literally translates to “a useful person.” Reflecting on the selection, Lee told Variety that having the film selected for competition and bringing the cast to Busan made her feel “really useful.”
Plot and everyday realities
The narrative follows Yu Jie, a college student and web designer who works a part-time job. While riding his motorcycle home one night, he is struck by a car. The elderly driver, overtaken by guilt, signs his house over to Yu Jie and covers his monthly medical and living expenses.
While Yu Jie’s family temporarily reconnects over shared dinners and Yu Jie bonds with his physical therapist, Yi-han, the fragile happiness proves temporary. Lee stated that she began shaping the story approximately 10 years ago while raising her family, aiming to document the impact of an accident on an ordinary city family.
The production was filmed over 42 days following cast training. To build natural on-screen rapport, actors Weber Yang, Chang Shih Ying, and Junior Hsieh spent time grocery shopping, cooking, and hiking with a wheelchair prior to filming. Lee grounded the setting in Taipei’s everyday rhythms, incorporating recognizable elements such as garbage truck music and daily commutes on the MRT.
Cast perspectives and upcoming screenings
Cast members described their preparation and emotional connections to the project. Weber Yang, who portrays an unemployed father experiencing a midlife crisis, noted that the script reflected universal themes such as communication difficulties and societal pressures. Chang Shih Ying, playing the mother, expressed that the complex emotional role provided new perspectives on family and marriage. Junior Hsieh prepared for his role as a young man disabled by a car accident by borrowing a wheelchair to adjust his perspective in daily life.
Producer Inch Lin and Mandarin Vision world sales representative Desmond Yang noted that the film centers on the universal theme of repairing family relationships.
Following its world premiere at Busan, “To Be Ordinary” is scheduled to screen at the Tokyo International Film Festival and the Golden Horse Film Festival. The film is set for a theatrical release in Taiwan on November 13.
