‘Why do you want to make this film?’ As a director, every time when I try to get a film made, this is the question I am asked countless times by the judges, the investors and the crew members. Of course, Day Of began with my childhood memories; I want to share the heart-warming anecdotes that happened at a barber’s as well as the story of a family-run barber’s in Taiwan and that barber happens to be my mother. During the past three years while I was developing this film, I had never strayed away from my initial motivation. When I teach scriptwriting, the question I ask my students the most often is – Where is the character from and where is he or she heading? 

In Day Of, the heroine is an ordinary middle-aged barber. Having her own views on the world, she heads straight for the values she believes in and never cares about if she will gain or lose on the way. All the characters in the film head for what they believe in; some still do not know where the destination is, and some are not sure whether they have made the right choice. They are just like you and me, like everyone; every day, we are pushed ahead by life and time.

‘Where am I from? Where am I heading?’ These are the questions that everyone answers all the time. At the end of the day, we all are moving along on our own. When we meet, let us cherish each other. When we part, let us wish each other all the best. Let’s head straight ahead and all will be fine, don’t worry!

The most important thing in life is to take action. In Day Of, everyone takes action. They are not prompted by the rhetoric we often hear or the values in winning or losing defined by others. Only when you take action can you define who you are. 

Like A Rui the barber, we do what we should do without thinking about what we will gain in return. 

Like Ling played by Beatrice Fang, we take action if we want to pursue happiness. 

Like Chuan played by Fu Meng-po, we pick up the phone and call those who we care about.

Like Xin played Annie Chen, if we fail three times in the driving test, we take it again for the fourth time.

Take action and make whatever films we want to make; life is the result of one’s own actions. After work, you can take action, inviting your family, colleagues or friends to see Day Of in the cinema or you can go by yourself. This story will give you a power that keeps you company just like it has kept me company in the past few years. No matter how many difficulties I must face in my life, I feel calm and always believe that this is how we should lead our lives.