A Cinema of Wounds and Wonders
During this period, Tzu Tung created self-scripted, self-directed narrative films such as Wave and Embrace—works rich with mysticism, queer desire, and the intricate emotional terrain of love. These films marked a pivotal moment in their artistic journey, weaving together poetic visual storytelling and deeply personal exploration.
However, during the production of Wave, Tzu Tung experienced traumatic incidents of sexual violence—an event that profoundly altered the course of their practice. In response, they initiated Writing the Time Lag along with a series of works grounded in activism, feminist resistance and trauma-informed artmaking. What began as an intimate inquiry into love and longing transformed into a sustained artistic language of survival, justice, and collective healing.
2012
Wave
Wave follows a woman haunted by longing and unresolved love, as she sets out on a journey to search for her absent mother. Meanwhile, a pair of abandoned jeans—infatuated with her scent and memory—transforms into a man and begins to follow her. Blending queerness, mysticism, and surreal desire, Wave explores the fragile boundaries between reality, imagination, and loss.
2010
Embrace
Embrace is a surreal love story set in a nation where physical contact is forbidden. In this world, a tailor becomes a secret conduit for intimacy, offering brief moments of human touch through dress fittings. When the state intervenes, one returns for a final embrace—leading to a radical act of love and defiance.