A cursed swordfish, a haunted refugee, and three men who should've stayed on shore.
Four years ago, an accident chasing the swordfish took away the life of Captain Fu’s elder son. It was the last time the giant swordfish was seen. With no fish to catch, his other son Yee thinks about transforming the business. At the moment when their boat Victory is about to be abandoned, Fu meets a foreign boy Ruan who tells that the fish is still out there. Can’t resist the temptation, Captain Fu brings Yee and Ruan embarking on the journey to search for the giant swordfish. In their journey, Ruan encounters migrant workers, which triggers his memory as a wartime refugee. He recalls his dead mother’s words: “Never trust the people on the shore”. The obsessions that bring men to the sea eventually become their doom. Only one of them shall return.
Cinematography
The ocean becomes a character—beautiful, hungry, indifferent.
Direction
Lim Lung-yin merges action pacing with arthouse grief.
Director
Lim Lung-yin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The giant swordfish draws from Taiwanese maritime folklore where certain catches are considered cursed or divine punishment.
Director Lim Lung-yin reportedly insisted on practical boat filming in actual storms, mirroring his characters' self-destructive pursuit.
ID
MY
