My Life after Disaster (Immersion)

Chan Wai-yee

My Life after Disaster (Immersion)

A joint venture between Hong Kong and Taiwanese artists dedicated to the study of history of the Hakka Cultural Park in Taipei city, My Life after Disaster is a work created for multimedia environment theatre. The project imagines an apocalyptic scenario, in which traditional culture is revived after a major hazard. The creative team will revamp the Hong Kong production after the initial launch in Taiwan, refurbishing it with a new text, narrative and presentation. The Hong Kong version will also be enhanced with local culture and advanced interactive programmes, and the adapted production will be released through digital media.

Chan Wai-yee

Independent theatre artist and curator Chan Wai-yee has been active since 1998. She has taken on multiple roles as producer, actress, theatre manager, arts educator and cultural column editor. Her works include Der Goldene Drache and Postcolonial Affairs of Food and the Heart for On & On Theatre Workshop, as well as A Concise History of Future (Berlin Theatertreffen Stückemarkt reading version) for Reframe Theatre. Chan is also responsible for an editorial feature for Sunday Mingpao, and the following publications including the photo album, Black List, Extravagance and Minimalism for the 2011 Prague Quadrennial and Back to Back in Black.

Yan Pat-to

Active in Hong Kong and German Theatre. A playwright, director and educator. Artistic Director of Reframe Theatre. Elected Council Member and Chairman of Literary Art Group of Hong Kong Arts Development Council. His play A Concise History of Future China was selected by 2016 Berliner Festspiele Theatertreffen Stückemarkt as one of the five theatre works presented. It is the first ethnic Chinese play ever selected. The play was premiered at Hong Kong New Vision Festival in 2016, and the German Premiere was produced by The Staatsschauspiel Saarbrücken in 2021. His play in Cantonese White Blaze of the Morning is awarded Best Play at the 8th Hong Kong Theatre Libre. Happily Ever After Nuclear Explosion is commissioned by Munich Residenztheater and premiered in June 2018. This play is under the programme of World/Stage. He directed a Cantonese version and it was invited by Tai Kwun Theatre Season as well as Asia Playwright Festival (South Korea) in 2019 and CINARS Biennale Official Programme (Canada) in 2021.

Chiu Chih-hua

Chiu Chih-hua works heavily on image-art. Wandering between reality and illusion, his works involve statics and kinetics. Inspired by documentary photography, in the early years, Chiu worked on single-channel filming which was performed in urban streetscapes. As time goes by, Chiu changed his form of art-making from urban photography to model-making and keeps working on images, spaces and model art creations. Since 2014, Chiu creates new image art through screendance by collaborating with sound artists, dancers, choreographers and filmmakers from different countries. This widened another aspect for him to dialogue with the city in urban art creation.

Reflecting on the Perils of Technology at the Demise of Civilization

If there were indeed only three of us left, do we carry on to the next civilization?

The story of My Life after Disaster begins with the Tamsui River in Taipei, which is at once a water source nurturing the earth and a lurking danger of fierce flooding. There seems to be something more worth contemplating than the apocalyptic situation, namely how to face the post-apocalyptic situation. The world is inherently unstable, whereas the Buddha emphasises impermanence. Therefore, disasters are basically inevitable.

Humans generally embrace technological development, but there is a cost to everything. As Yuval Noah Harari once said, “Together, infotech and biotech will create unprecedented upheavals in human society […]” It would be like allowing others to hack into our heads and bodies.

Ashi, Liangyi, Sixiang and OM – if they are really the only ones left after the flood, will they carry on to human civilization?

The creative team is composed of representatives from Hong Kong and Taiwan. The concept and script are conceived by co-director Yan Pat-to. Chiu Chih-hua is the co-director and editor. The cast includes Chang Ko-lan, Lin Sheng-tzu and Lin Fang-fang. The voice acting is performed by Bonni Chen.

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