Incidental Journey

A meditative reflection on female desire that offers a daring and frank portrayal of lesbian love on screen.

After breaking up with her girlfriend, student Ching goes on a road trip around Taiwan. On the island’s east coast, she encounters hitchhiker Hsiang, an older, solitary artist. Hsiang takes Ching to visit her friend Ji, who lives on a peaceful rural farm with her husband. Here, Ching struggles to find inner peace, while Hsiang confronts long-repressed yearnings.

A meditative reflection on female desire that features accomplished performances, Incidental Journey made its mark in Taiwan’s film history, offering a daring and frank portrayal of lesbian love on screen. Using the pastoral, mountainous locations to powerful effect, director Jo-Fei Chen conjures up an idyllic, utopian environment: a place where the women, far removed from the messy complexities of urban life, have the time and space to contemplate their pasts.

This film is not rated