Director Cheng Fen-fen has crafted a winning, sweet tale of budding romance that features extended sequences presented via sign language. A carefree and loveable young man, Tian-kuo makes a living delivering meals from his family’s restaurant to a hearing-impaired swimming team. He soon develops a crush on Yang-yang, who is often on hand to cheer on her deaf older sister Xiao-peng. The kind and strong-willed Yang-yang supports her sister’s dream of competing in the Deaflympics, and she remains optimistic despite the financial challenges of sustaining her. When Yang-yang finally meets Tian-kuo, she assumes that he, too, is hearing impaired, a mistake that Tian-kuo chooses not to correct as he tries to develop their burgeoning romance. The sign language sequences suit Tian-kuo's expressive pursuit well, as we are presented with a series of his clumsy, sometimes adorable courting attempts. As Yang-yang begins to fall for Tian-kuo’s awkward charms, a resentment grows between her and Xiao-peng while the true nature of her personal sacrifices on her sister’s behalf comes to light. Overflowing with kindness, Hear Me was the most popular movie in Taiwan in 2009 and will appeal to the young and young at heart.


Written by Cheng Fen-fen. Photographed by Chin Ting-chang. With Eddie Peng, Ivy Chen, Michelle Chen. (109 min, Trigram Films)