The stag
At a deer farm in Changhua County, a middle-aged man is asked to cut off a stag’s antlers in front of his two kids.
The director spent a year in the deer farm before making the film. Antler harvest is an annual event in Changhua County. Many locals will gather every April for this physically intense event. They believe antlers have aphrodisiac and healing effects to men. The director try to explore masculinity and see how it influences the next generation through this film. The actors are all farmers and villagers there.
The stag
Han Chu
Taiwan 2024
15′
Regia
An Chu is a graduate of the MFA Film program at Columbia University. He participated in the Locarno Filmmakers Academy. His short film, The Stag won the The International Fiction Short Film Jury Award at Sundance Film Festival. The film was also selected by Visions du Réel at the International Medium Length & Short Film Competition program.