Ya Hsien: A Life That Sings (The Inspired Island 2)

“The necessity of tenderness/The necessity of affirmation/The necessity of a drop of wine and sweet-scented osmanthus/The necessity of decently watching a woman walk past…”

These are the famous opening lines of Ya Hsien’s beloved poem published in 1964. Two years later, he was invited to the International Writing Program at University of Iowa and shifted to editorial work exclusively afterwards, stopping publishing poetry all together after 1966.
How have one poet and his single book of poetry from the last century continued to inspire people today? What unique quality has the poet possessed? What stories have his poetry told? A Life That Sings follows the legendary poet Ya Hsien from Vancouver to Nanyan of Henan Province in China, to the mobile library from his childhood and the basement of his current home. Through his collection of books and love letters, the film unearths the treasure trove abound with precious stories of Ya Hsien’s life. Explored in the film, together with his creative career, are Ya Hsien’s encounters and over four decades of friendships with some of the most celebrated members of the creative community of Taiwan, including dancer and choreographer Lin Hwai-min, writer Jiang Xun, Poet Xi Murong, Wu Sheng and Chen I-chih as well as photographer Ruan Yizhong.
The life of the literary master unwraps like a romantic poem in this beautifully made documentary.