The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony
1985, Chinese. Directed by Hu Tai-Li.
The Return of Gods and Ancestors is the first locally made ethnographic film in Taiwan. The film, captured with a hand-cranked Bell & Howell 16 mm camera, documents the most magnificent five-year ceremony in Paiwan tribe. During the festival, the Paiwan people expect to receive blessings of the gods and ancestors by piercing rattan balls with extended bamboo poles; however, they also try to prevent any harm caused by evil spirits. The Paiwan five year ceremony is not only the reunion of the dead and the living, but a meeting of the old and the new.
- Runtime
- 0h 35m
- Post-credits
- None listed
- Language
- Chinese
- Rated
- Check local
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Where to watch The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony
The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony isn’t streaming on any OTT platform in India yet; it released on 1 January 1985.
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Cast & crew
Details
- Released
- 1 January 1985
- Original title
- 神祖之靈歸來：排灣族五年祭
- Country
- Taiwan
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The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony: quick answers
Is The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony worth watching?
The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony doesn’t have enough ratings for a verdict yet.
How long is The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony?
The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony runs 35 minutes (0h 35m).
Does The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony have a post-credits scene?
None is listed for The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony. Viewers tag these on TMDB, so a brand-new film may not be tagged yet.
The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony parents guide: is it suitable for kids?
No age rating is listed for The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony yet.
Which OTT platform is The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony on?
The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony isn’t streaming on any OTT platform in India yet; it released on 1 January 1985. (Checked 14 November 2026.)
What movies are like The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony?
If you liked The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony, try Ex Libris: The New York Public Library, Birth of the Living Dead, To Kill a Tiger.
Who directed The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony?
The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony (1985) was directed by Hu Tai-Li.