Where the Wind Settles

The timeline begins with the late-1940s civil conflict and the retreat of Nationalist forces. It then follows through decades of migration, political upheaval in Taiwan, and the lingering impact of the White Terror era. By the 1980s, generations have grown up away from the mainland, and in 2010, new connections to the homeland re-emerge, completing a long arc of memory and return.

The story begins in the rural fields of northern Jiangsu during the Huaihai Campaign, a harsh backdrop of war-ruined countryside. It then moves to the Taiwanese capital region, including a military dependents’ village in Taipei and the port city of Keelung, as survivors seek safety. Later, the narrative stretches to Shandong in the homeland of Sheng Peng’s family, highlighting decades of diaspora and return. The film’s geography mirrors the characters’ journeys from conflict to memory across the Taiwan Strait.

🗺️ Displacement

War drives the characters from their homeland into unfamiliar places. The retreat across rural Jiangsu and eventual relocation to Taiwan force the group to rebuild lives with scarce resources. Deserts and bribes for identity papers mark the practical perils of survival. The film traces how displacement reshapes loyalties, friendships, and personal identities across generations.

🎶 Memory & Music

Music becomes a bridge between past and present, binding Sheng Peng with Chiu Hsiang and the younger Feng-hsien. Piano lessons and shared songs evoke memories of home and lost times. The act of making music preserves a sense of community amidst upheaval. Through melodies, characters confront what they left behind and what they hope to carry forward.

⏳ Legacy

Decades pass, shaping new relationships and legacies that span continents. The film traces how love, duty, and tragedy travel through time, influencing choices in Taiwan, the United States, and back to the homeland. The final years reveal the cost of migration: families divided by borders, reunions tempered by loss. The ending underscores memory as a vessel for surviving, remembering, and continuing life.