Taiwanese director Tsao Jui-yuan unveiled his new drama series “A Time,” rooted in Taiwan’s campus folk music movement of the 1970s, at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF).
Tsao, known for “Crystal Boys,” “A Touch of Green” and “Seqalu: Formosa 1867,” spent eight years developing the project, which traces four decades of friendship, love and personal transformation.
Two generations of actors play five friends at different stages of their lives. Ning Chang, who is an executive producer for the first time, stars alongside “Meteor Garden” star Jerry Yan, Chen Yi-han, Golden Horse best actor winner Wu Kang-ren and Liang Cheng-chun. The younger ensemble features former NCT and WayV member Lucas Wong, Suri Lin, Fandy Fan, Iain Lu and Joseph Huang.
“The starting point for this project was my desire to come to terms with my own youth,” Tsao said. “I’ve always believed that campus folk music is one of the most important cultural IPs in contemporary Taiwan. Against that backdrop, I wanted to tell a story about youth, from youthful recklessness to the different stages of life.”
Written by Chi Hsi-lin, “A Time” follows the five friends after Si Mao is injured diving into an empty swimming pool. As he lies in a coma for decades, the others deal with love, guilt and personal struggles, eventually reuniting as long-buried secrets from their youth come to light.
Tsao likened casting the younger versions of the characters to searching for a needle in a haystack and praised the five newcomers for their performances and commitment.
Chang, who was first approached to act in the series before also taking on the role of executive producer, described Tsao as an “actor scanner,” able to detect even the slightest change in a performer’s emotional state.
Tsao said he invited Chang because of her resilience and commanding presence, qualities that reminded him of Kwak Sin-ae, the Oscar-winning producer of “Parasite.” “She’s actually someone I look up to very much,” Chang said.
Iain Lu, who plays the younger version of Chang’s character, said the director really emphasizes that actors must fully inhabit their characters. “If we lose focus or get distracted, even for a moment, he notices,” Lu said.
Wong, the first Hong Kong-born artist to debut with South Korea’s SM Entertainment, makes his acting debut as the younger Si Mao.
“Being able to work with such an outstanding cast on my first acting project taught me so much,” Wong said. “I also learned diving, guitar and dancing for the role. This performance has been a very meaningful experience for me.”
Joseph Huang, who comes from a musical family and plays the younger Mian Yang, said the dance movements were challenging for all of them, “but we also really enjoyed being able to express ourselves through singing and dancing in addition to acting.”
The five younger cast members performed the Taiwanese folk song “Seasonal Rain” at the press conference, recreating a dance sequence from the drama.
The production brings together more than 30 creative professionals whose work has been recognized by the Golden Horse, Golden Bell and Golden Melody awards, as well as international festivals.
“A Time” is scheduled to premiere in 2027.
