Program Note
A famous private school, Edison High School has implemented a system that allows its students to attend Harvard University with just the recommendation of the principal. Yeh transferred to this school with the dream of going to Harvard University. He tries to adjust to the spartan style education system and get along with his classmates who exclude him. In the meantime, Yeh figures our some secrets between the student who are always get the highest grades and the student who always get the lowest grades and get bullied. He fell into a dilemma in which he has to head to Room 420 and encounters a mystery like other students have before him. This film explores students’ personalities, in which IT, art, music and other talents, are wiped out by the misguided educational philosophy of the old generation. The director portrays the horrible hellish process that the students are transformed into parts in a uniform system. The director, Hsun-Wei David Chang, co-directed fantasy romance Nie Xiaoqian (2016) and assisted in Lucy (2014), which was directed by Luc Besson. This film stands out due to sensational miseen-scéne. The blue choker, facing Yeh, shows Taiwanese zeal for education and makes us look back at our lives to realize what true happiness is. (HONG Eun-hwa)