The Man Who Couldn't Leave

Set in Taiwan’s Green Island Prison during the White Terror, The Man Who Couldn’t Leave recounts in 360° victims’ stories from this dark period of recent history.

A-Kuen was 17 when, in the 1950s, he was imprisoned as a political detainee in Green Island Prison. This docudrama captures A-Kuen’s experiences, albeit through the perspective of an old man frozen in time, who guides us through his story and that of his friend A-Ching who never escaped. Through striking visuals and powerful storytelling, The Man Who Couldn't Leave allows the viewer to witness the history of Taiwan's political persecution through the eyes of those on the receiving end of it.

Content Guidance: contains imprisonment, combat and death scenes. Themes of repression and bereavement.