Chung-nan-pan-tao wei-chih-mou-chu (Somewhere unknown in Indochina)

In the 1970s, amidst the chaos of the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge genocide, a refugee crisis emerged in Indochina. Taipei established an Indochinese refugee camp in Penghu, but this history chapter is missing from UN records as if it were hidden and forgotten.
Two young Vietnamese sisters, Phuong and Chi, fled from Saigon, Vietnam, with their family aboard the "Thanh Phong" refugee boat. However, the boat was stranded at sea for 66 days, with only 34 of the 146 passengers surviving. These survivors were taken to the Vietnamese refugee camp in Penghu, Taipei. Phuong and Chi's mother and brother died on the boat, leaving the sisters as each other's only family. They lived in the camp for three years. Eventually, Phuong died in the camp, while Chi was later taken in by the Belgian government.
Decades after, Chi wakes up from a dream in tears in Brussels. In the dream, she sees her deceased sister Phuong and Phuong's dream. In this dream within a dream, Chi learns that the Penghu refugee camp will be demolished next month.

This VR work draws inspiration from three real sources: the director’s dreams, a mural, and the story of an actual refugee. In 1995, while stationed in Penghu, Taipei, I (Director Asio Chihsiung LIU) dreamt of a Indochinese refugee woman who warned me of the impending demolition of a local refugee camp. This dream led me to document the last remnants of the Penghu camp and explore this little-known chapter of history. During my research, I discovered a mural depicting a refugee ship and the former camp refugee, Chi, who now living in Belgium.
The narrative is set against the backdrop of the 1975 political upheavals in Indochina, encompassing Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. The Khmer Rouge genocide and Sino-Vietnamese War triggered a wave of refugees, some of whom ended up in Taipei’s Penghu refugee camp. However, records of this camp are absent from UN data due to Taipei’s lack of UN recognition since 1971. Through this VR project, we aim to shed light on this overlooked piece of Asian history.
Refugee camp history forms part of our unacknowledged maritime memory. The ocean symbolizes not only a physical barrier but also an emotional and painful “passage.” By connecting stories from different regions within a shared historical framework, we hope to create a universal emotional experience for global audiences. We are currently developing the "Indochinese War Refugee VR Museum v1.5," the first VR museum dedicated to "war refugees." Our goal is to use VR technology to allow global audiences and dispersed descendants of refugees to revisit the history of these camps.
In the face of unavoidable suffering in a grand historical context, despite devastation and loss, we hope people can learn from history, and respect that life can still grow and thrive in a new place.

PRODUCTION 1: MIMEO FILMS Ltd. - Asio Chihsiung LIU
6F, #1, Sec. 2, Dunhua S. Rd., Da an Dist.,
10681, Taipei
Tel. 886 229768100
mimeofilmsltd@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/mimeofilms
https://x.com/mimeofilms
www.instagram.com/chinliutao/

PRODUCTION 2: SEQUELS PRODUCTION
2F, #1, ALY 6, LN 230, Datong S. Rd., Sanchong Dist., - Feng Ting TSOU
241, New Taipei City
Tel. 886 229762536
tftproduction@gmail.com

PRODUCTION 3: DEMUTE - François Fripiat, Renaud Barne
Chaussée de Jette, 119
BE-1081 Brussels, Belgium
Tel. 32 486601845
francois@demute.studio

PRODUCTION 4: Hzalyzer Sound Ltd. - Chiin Lun KAO
2F-3, No. 352, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Da’an Dist.
106094, Taipei
Tel. 886 926716490
hzalyzer.sound@gmail.com

WORLD SALES : Hope Content Marketing Co., Ltd. - Ivy Yu-hua SHEN
7F.-3, No. 76, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.,
Taipei City 100034
+886 915 628 238
+886 2 8941 0166
international@hope-marketingent.com
www.hope-content.com

PRESS OFFICE 1: La Biennale di Venezia – Biennale College Cinema
Ca’ Giustinian 1364/a 30124 – Venezia, Italia
Tel. +39 041 2726644
biennaleimmersive@labiennale.org
presscinema@labiennale.org
college-cinema@labiennale.org

PRESS OFFICE 2: Hope Content Marketing Co., Ltd. - Ivy Yu-hua SHEN
7F.-3, No. 76, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.,
Taipei City 100034
+886 915 628 238
+886 2 8941 0166
international@hope-marketingent.com
www.hope-content.com