Overview

This project was commissioned by DFI, a company that provides a free bus service to the remote villages of Taiwan's Fuxing mountainous area.
The goal was to showcase the profound impact this service has on the lives of local residents.
To achieve this, we chose to follow the day of a child who lives two hours away from his school and relies on the bus as an invaluable lifeline.
The story is narrated by the child’s mother, who shares her heartfelt perspective on how the bus has significantly improved their family’s quality of life.

Challenges & Approach

The main challenge was the location. Due to the cold and the remoteness of some areas, we often had to rush. Adding to the difficulties, the people we filmed were not available to repeat a scene or action in case of any mistakes on our part during shooting. We had promised not to interfere with the family’s daily routine, so every shot was a one-time opportunity. Either the footage turned out good, or it didn’t—that was it.

Since there was no time to adjust settings, everything had to be done "on the go." I spent the entire day shooting while holding a heavy gimbal, which caused significant fatigue.

Despite how challenging it might sound, the family was incredibly kind and gentle with us, and I deeply appreciated their hospitality and patience. From the day we visited for a location check and to familiarize ourselves with the family, all its members went out of their way to make our team feel welcome, which made the challenges much more manageable.

The result

Our work not only exceeded our customer’s expectations but also played a key role in securing them a prestigious Gold Award for Sustainable Cities – SDG11 at the 3rd TSAA Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards 2023.