Your Name Engraved Herein (2020)
•a thread of things you should know about the film, actors, and production

Title: Your Name Engraved Herein/刻在你心底的名字
Director: Patrick Liu (Kuang-Hui Liu)
Screenplay: Arthur Chu (Yu Ning Chu)
Genres: Coming-of-Age, Romance
Cinematography: Yao Hung-i
Budget: TWD50,000,000
Release: September 30, 2000 (Cinema)
Netflix Release: December 23, 2000

The setting was in 1987, the year martial law ends in Taiwan. At the time, people were confused by the end of decades-long state oppression and are just starting to think of their orientation.

Shooting locations: Taichung, Taipei, Penghu Islands, Canada.

1. It is based on the director, Patrick Liu’s first love. Eighty percent of Chiang Jia-Han's backdrop is based on the director's life.

2. The director did not play trumpet when he was in the band, instead he played the flute. He made A-Han, play the trumpet because he said that the trumpet has the sound quality of "wanting to say something but not being able to get it out". A feeling parallel to A-Han and Liu.

3.1. The screenplay-producer, Chu, went with him to the same high school and is familiar with the story of his first love. The story of how he met a woman who soon became the reason for the love triangle and Liu confiding to the school priest are true.

3.2.According to Chu, Liu even wrote 20 pages of A3-sized letter to his first love. Liu asked Chu to proofread it but after reading 3-4 pages, he told Liu to hand it to his first love. Liu and his first love drifted apart for a while like how A-Han and Birdy did in the film.

4.1. The movie screened a year after same-sex marriage was legalized in Taiwan, being the first in Asia to do so. During this time, the film was already in production. This made the Liu to have a mixed feeling towards the legalization of same-sex marriage.

4.1. He said that while people were celebrating in the streets, he had this thought that for people from his generation, it might be too late for them to catch on the “train of happiness”. This influenced the themes and message of the film.

5. Liu’s message: “There are no differences between homosexual or heterosexual relationships,” Liu says. “There’s still pain, there’s still envy. We hope to show people that in homosexual relationships, love is still love.”

6. Patrick Liu came out to his mother after directing the film.

7. Wang Po-te (idiot) insisted to be called “Birdy” which is based on the Vietnam film, Birdy.

8. The main actors lived together for almost two months for the film. During this time, they exchanged journals with each other where they wrote what they wanted to tell to each other or to their characters. This helped them break the ice and relate to their characters more.

9. They also did workshops in blindfold and made them familiarized with each other’s bodies and breathing.

10. Tseng Jing Hua is popular for his film, Detention. Jing hua is an introverted person and describes himself as a “tsundere”. (someone who is cold but warm inside)

11. When he auditioned for the film, the production thought that he only had the looks, a slang for untalented and only handsome actor. But when he acted the script, the production was mesmerized, shocked and amazed by his performance. “He’s that genius type,” said Chu.

12. Edward Chen has been popular for playing homosexual roles before (e.g. Red Balloon). He has been participating in LGBTQ events to show support especially for his sister who he said has also came out of the closet.

13. The budget for YNEH prior to shooting was TWD30,000,000. After the first day of shooting, they raised it to TWD40,000,000 to TWD50,000,000

15. The telephone scene was the first scene that they shot. It was not shot at the same time, Edward’s scene was in the morning while Ching Hua’s was in the evening.

16.1. Edward has always found difficulty acting crying scenes. During the scene, he told Liu and Chu that he does not think he would be able to cry. Because Edward is close with his mom, during the telephone scene, they played sad music for him +

16.2. In the middle of the music was a pre-recorded voice message from his mom that they have prepared beforehand for Edward. This brought the emotion out of him.

17. Jing Hua only finished shooting another film when he got in the set of YNEH. He was not familiar with the set and with the 1st scene being heavy, he thought he would not be able to do well. What the production did was played the song, YNEH, which made him cry his soul out.

might add some clips and edits soon or maybe make another thread for them

In the film, there was a scene where A-Han and Birdy see a protester covered in condoms in the streets of Taipei. The name is Chi Chia-Wei, who is a real figure in Taiwan for fighting for gay rights for more than 30 years. It was in the same exact street.

(forgot to add this)

sorry for the typos and errors esp that 2000*, should be 2020. made this thread while drunk-rewatching YNEH last night.