- Documentary 00:11:57

During the Enlightenment in the 17th century, science established a new worldview. People were freed from the earlier myths and fantasy, and started to understand the world with more detailed observation and documentation. Certain European countries had established themselves as major world powers and had colonized, exploited and plundered other parts of the world. During this period, exotic animals and plants became symbols of status and taste for the bigwigs in Europe. Their mysterious colors and forms attracted buyers to make remarkably high bids. The untamed and mysterious orchids, native in the tropical forests, were one of the plants that caught the attention of British and French people in the 18th century.

In the era of orchid fever, orchid hunters ventured one after another into the dangerous jungle to look for the rare orchid species that were yet to be known. Today, the thousands of known orchid species might have lost some of their rarity and mystery and the ardent orchid collectors are on the decrease. Still, history has already left its mark on each of the greenhouses, where the exploration of these species is taking place in a variety of ways across continents.

In one of native habitat - Taiwan, epiphytic orchids have been integrated into their culture, literature, idioms and daily life. Their symbolic significance is undeniable on this land. Yu-Chun Lo wonders how collectors around the world admire these orchids. And if the perspectives differ from one cultural context to another. This documentary visits epiphytic orchid fanatics in Taiwan, a native habitat, and the Netherlands, a foreign land. By following their pursuit, harvest, acquisition and admiration, it is shown that their culture and upbringing have an influence on how they deal with these plants.


身為世界強權的歐洲，從15世紀便開始往世界其他地區探索並進行殖民、剝削與掠奪。隨著十七世紀啟蒙時代展開，歐洲興起一陣透過科學建構新世界觀的研究，人們對於周遭萬物漸漸擺脫過去的神話與想像，轉而以更細緻的觀察紀錄來理解世界。神秘的異國動植物成了歐洲權貴用來顯示其地位與品味的象徵，他們深深受到神秘的色彩與造型所吸引，甚至不惜花費鉅額競標購買。而生長在熱帶森林中，野性而神秘的蘭花在18世紀的英國人與法國人眼中便是這樣的植物之一。

因而那個蘭花熱的時代出現了一批蘭花獵人，前仆後繼地前往危險的叢林中尋找未被發掘的珍貴蘭花品種。直到今日，已被發現的上萬種蘭花，雖然不再如往日那樣的珍奇與神秘，收藏蘭花的瘋狂愛好者也逐年減少，但歷史的痕跡依然潛藏在一個個溫室之中，以不同的方式實踐著跨域的物種探索。

回到附生蘭花原生地之一的台灣，蘭花是文化的一部分，存在在我們的文學、俗語、與生活之中，蘭花之於台灣人有某些特殊的象徵意義。因此我開始好奇，世界各地的「蘭花收藏」愛好者們如何欣賞這些植物？是否會因其背景脈絡不同而有不同的觀看視角？因而這支紀錄片以同時探訪附生蘭花原生地（台灣）與非原生地（荷蘭）的原生種附生蘭花愛好者，從他們如何追尋、採集、擁有來看文化和背景如何影響人與生物的互動方式。

January, 2020