"Voices in The Clouds" is an intimate look at one man's search for the spirit of his late mother through the discovery and exploration of his indigenous heritage. It is through the documentation of this journey that the audience will become well-acquainted with and emotionally connected with the indigenous people and culture of Taiwan.
The initial part of the story will focus on the background of Tony "Hwiyo" Coolidge, a thirty-something half-American half-indigenous Taiwanese living in Central Florida. The audience will learn about crucial aspects relating to Tony's and his mother Chu Yu's nomadic past, as well as Tony's marriage to Shu-Min Hsu, a young native Taiwanese from the county of Tainan. Through shared photographs and personal reflections, key story elements and themes will be revealed, hinting at indigenous Taiwanese heritage as a shameful stigma, as well as decades of assimilation and culture clash between Tony's and Shu-Min's ancestors.
It is only after learning of his mother's battle with cancer that elements regarding Tony's past start to seriously intrigue him. Upon his mother's passing in 1995, Tony travels back to Taiwan to be reunited with his mother's relatives, only to find out that his lineage lay deep within the mountainous landscapes. Inside Tony lived part of a culture so rich and mysterious, and so oppressed, that the void of having lost his mother was only greatened in knowing that she never accurately shared his past with him. Worse yet, she never truly shared herself with her son. "In conversation, she had always told me I was Taiwanese, but never that I was aboriginal Taiwanese," Tony states in a recent interview.
Upon his return to America, Tony slowly starts to transform himself into a vessel for the indigenous inhabitants of his homeland. Tony establishes "Atayal" (named after his tribe), an organization dedicated to being a "voice for his people," by spreading awareness of their existence throughout America. However, being a true stand for an entire legion of indigenous people takes more than just a simple proclamation. It requires not only relentless dedication and perseverance, but most importantly, it requires a genuine connection with the people you are supporting. And this was something Tony had yet to experience - what it "really meant" to be an indigenous person of Taiwan. After all, it was what his mother Chu Yu hid from him the most.
For the next five years, Tony struggles to reach the masses and "get the word out" about the indigenous cultures of Taiwan. His efforts through "Atayal," reaching a few hundred at most, have placed Tony's financial stability and business in jeopardy. To make matters worse, Shu-Min has suddenly departed for Taiwan (along with their two year-old son Johan) to take care of her ailing father, leaving Tony to fend for himself. For a brief moment the audience will get a sense that Tony's marriage to Shu-min is a microcosm of Taiwanese society, and how intercultural marriage between indigenous and native Taiwanese was shunned by both cultures. Specific reflections shared by Shu-min on-camera will show that this was not entirely untrue, as she had always struggled to have her parents accept Tony for who he was... "not just an American, but part aborigine as well." Any ordinary man would see this as a sign to give up and give in. But it takes an extraordinary man to transform a stumble into a stride, a misfortune into a miracle.
Flash forward to December 2004---Tony is on his way back to Taiwan, with his youngest brother Steven Coolidge alongside him. Tony reveals through interviews of his sudden intentions to truly discover his heritage rather than from an uninformed and naive point of view. "After I realized I wasn't putting myself in their shoes, I longed for a more personal connection with them... so I am going back to Taiwan, to take my brother to discover this for himself, and so he can meet his relatives for the first time." But what was it that prompted Tony to have such a revelation?
It is fall 2004, and Tony is putting the finishing touches on his first annual Indigenous Heritage Festival, his latest effort to not only expand awareness of his own people, but to also bring together tribal groups and performers from around the world. In this part of the film, intertwined with portions of Tony's latest trip to Taiwan with his brother, the audience will have a good sense of how Tony transformed himself during the festival, from a mere spectator, someone trying to fill a void left by his mother a decade ago, into a true leader for his people, fully self-expressed, destined to be connected not only with the culture he will forever represent, but also with the spirit of his mother Chu Yu.
Throughout Tony and Steve's amazing experiences, he will be reunited with key individuals (sub-characters) who participated at the festival, and who will play an important part in the film, providing a broader scope of the importance of Tony's hopes and goals.
One of these characters is a talented artist and animator, Hedy Yudaw Domzalski, who is studying at CalArts in Southern California. Hedy is a young woman who has also embraced her indigenous Taiwanese culture and has created artistic expression to share her passion with others. Hedy becomes one of the featured artists in his festival and also has her own dreams, which are to create an animation school for the children of her Truku tribe in Taiwan. She will reunite with Tony and his brother Steve in Taiwan in December 2004, and share her culture with them.
Tony also creates a relationship with Tien, Kuei-shih, who lives in Hualien, Taiwan. Tony deeply respects this man, who has spent his free time photographing and sharing the Atayal facial tattoo culture. Had Mr. Tien not dedicated his life to this mission, we would not have the visual record of a custom that remains a very important part of the Atayal tribe. Mr. Tien made his first trip to the United States to participate in the Indigenous Heritage Festival, strengthening the bond between the two "indigenous brothers." Tony and Steve will be guided by Tien, Kuei-shih to nearby villages where they will visit elders of the Atayal culture, and through them, find a deeper connection to their own Atayal heritage.
In Alice Takiwatan, Tony finds a mother figure --- someone he deeply respects and admires. She is a leader of the Bunun tribe of Taiwan and the Taipei Multicultural Arts Group. Alice and the group traveled to Orlando to participate in Tony's festival and instantly bonded with Tony. When he discovered her efforts to unite the tribes of Taiwan, he was deeply touched. Through reuniting with Alice in Taiwan in December, Tony plans to create a path for others to follow on the way to their own heritage.
Throughout his journey, Tony will also reunite with his wife Shu-min and their son Johan in Tainan County, and also visit Tony's hometown village, Wulai. It is during this part of the film that the audience will get a much clearer sense of how Tony's and Shu-min's relatives differ, both in custom and ideology. While it may seem idealistic, at least through Johan the audience can have a sense of culmination and closure, and a sense that there may be hope for future relations between the indigenous and native Taiwanese cultures. It is Tony's wish to eventually share his story with his son, and show him where he is from, and through this, show him "what is felt like to be part of something greater than yourself... a greater community that loves you... unconditionally... as one of their own."
It is this legacy that Tony hopes for to leave for his son, and other children like him. However, it is still uncertain what magic will be created during the visit to Taiwan from December 2004 through January 2005. What is certain is that the cameras will be there to capture whatever happens. It will be emotional, memorable, and nothing short of a miraculous conclusion to a seven year labor of love.
