Portrait of the Families

In 1987, the 38-year martial law rule in Taiwan came to an end. Stories about the 1947 massacre and the subsequent purges began to surface. Old photographs hidden for fear of political denunciation were gradually unearthed. The history was rewritten.

Ten years on, in 1997, Lin Hwai-min used the projection of old photographs and oral recounts by families of victims from the turbulent era as backdrop and soundscape for Portrait of the Families to address the traumatic history of the island.

What has been said

Portrait of the Families was not a dogmatic school lesson but contemporary dance theater of the highest level. Lin told the story of the last 100 years of Taiwan's history by concentrating on the individual stories of people, their suffering, and survival. Though specific, Portrait of the Families is of general truth.
Der Standard, Vienna

The political theater often has the problem that it is either too demagogical and hits you like a hammer or that it fades away into a gesture of pure bewilderment. Therefore, it came as a big surprise to experience political theater as a healing hit on the head and a warm touch to the heart. That is exactly what happened with the Portrait of the Families performance by the Taiwanese choreographer Lin Hwai-min and his Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. Lin Hwai-min's family pictures present themselves like everything which aesthetically prevails: Despite its clearly defined topic, it surpasses its boundaries with exemplary quality. 
Süddeutsche Zeitung

A visually stunning blend of slide projection and dance, both solo, and group. The dancers' performance is perfect, and Cloud Gate Dance Theatre has once again proven that they are one of the world's top dance companies, equal to any from Europe or America. We are unlikely to encounter another choreography equal to Lin Hwai-min's and thus far best work in the foreseeable future.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Portrait of the Families

Choreography             
Lin Hwai-min 

Music                
Arvo PÄRT
Nan Kouan (Classical music of Southern China)
Ha Ka Traditional Music
Excerpts from the interviews

Set Design
Ming Cho LEE

Lighting Design
LIN Keh-hua

Slide Projection
Design Elaine MCCARTHY
Slide Projection Consultation  Wendall HARRINGTON
Photo Consultant  CHANG Chao-tang

Costume Design               
CHEN Wan-li

Technical Design              
Richard LOULA

Interviewer               
LU Chien-ying and
Reporters of "Report of Survey" at Super TV Channel

Performed by            
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan  

Premiere
September 20, 1997, Taipei, Taiwan

Recorded
September 26, 1997, Taipei, Taiwan

Visited venues include
Berliner Festspiele, Berlin, Germany
Impuls-Tanz Internationale Tanzwochen, Vienna, Austria
Israel Festival, Jerusalem, Israel

Music is used by arrangement with and permission of ECM Records/Verlag.