TFFS 2026: Fly! Mountain Hawk-Eagle (2026)

Get ready to soar with the Mountain Hawk-Eagle and experience an epic adventure like no other! As part of Taiwan Film Festival in Scotland 2026: From the Mountain, From the Sea, we are delighted to present the European Premiere of Fly! Mountain Hawk-Eagle (飛吧！熊鷹), directed by Liang Chieh-te (梁皆得). Following ornithologist Sun Yuan-hsun and his research team deep into Taiwan’s mountainous wilderness, the film documents their efforts to observe and record the breeding of Taiwan’s largest and rarest bird of prey, the Mountain Hawk-Eagle. Braving typhoons, dense forests, and challenging terrain, the team witnesses the remarkable journey of a nesting pair as they raise their young. Beyond its ecological focus, the film explores the hawk-eagle’s profound cultural significance for the Paiwan and Rukai peoples, among whom its feathers have long been regarded as symbols of honour and status. Through conversations surrounding tradition, conservation, and environmental stewardship, the documentary examines how Indigenous knowledge and contemporary ecological practices can work together to protect both cultural heritage and biodiversity. A visually stunning and deeply thoughtful documentary, Fly! Mountain Hawk-Eagle offers a moving reflection on coexistence, demonstrating how humans and wildlife can share a fragile yet interconnected ecosystem. European Premiere Age Guidance: U *This screening features an online Q&A with director Liang Chieh-te. *This event is funded by the Ferguson Bequest. Professor Thomas Ferguson (1900–1977), Henry Mechan Chair of Public Health (1944–64), bequeathed his estate to the University with the instruction that it should be used to “foster the social side of University life”.