The Lucky Woman

Story

The film follows Vietnamese men and women who left their home country to work in Taiwan. Escaping from the harsh treatment and lack of medical insurance in their previous jobs, they live their lives as illegal residents hiding in plain sight. We meet Thao Van who has worked in a Chinese restaurant, in a construction site, and as a care worker twice, once for an elderly client and once for a cancer patient. We also meet Tran Duy Hung, a painter, a voice for the experiences of many runaway workers, and a demonstrator in protests against the government. The film depicts traffic accidents and illnesses—the death that plagues these individuals’ lives. Both Van and Hung turn themselves in to the police and end up being forced to return home. Van had lived in Taiwan for 4094 days. (From Official Catalog of Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2021)