“The Most Precious Sponsorship!” Qi Bolin: A Short but Heartfelt Message, Gratitude for Life

Narrated by / Qi Bolin Compiled by / Li Anjun, Zhang Tingzhen  Source /Fanily – Share with you


▲ Qi Bolin travels tirelessly across Taiwan to share his observations of the environment. On November 1st, the aerial documentary film *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above* is finally set to be released. Everyone is welcome to support it in theaters. (Photo / Qi Bolin’s Facebook fan page “Flying Over Taiwan”)

“The Most Precious Sponsorship!” When I received this email, saw its subject line, and read through the letter, I was so moved I couldn’t speak. My heart ached, yet at the same time, I felt a warm current flowing through me. “How incredible something like this can exist in the world.” During the filming of *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above*, there were many tough moments, but receiving such a heartfelt message from a friend—that “most precious letter”—has filled me with lifelong gratitude that I will always cherish.

Actually, when I first started filming aerial shots for *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above*, I wanted to deliver a wake-up call, to show Taiwan’s most painful and shocking realities. But many people told me, “Berlin, this is your first directorial work. Don’t shock everyone right from the start.”


▲ *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above* contains beautiful landscapes, but also some truly striking realities. (Photo / *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above* Facebook)

So, I included events like the Mazu pilgrimage and the burning of the King Boat... and other divine worship rituals in the film—symbolizing that Taiwanese people don’t ask for much. All they want is peace, stability, national prosperity, and favorable weather. Then, towards the end of the film, I give everyone a big boost of encouragement, inspiring all to bravely overcome challenges.

At that time, I remembered the *Hand-Clapping Song* performed by the Dongpu Elementary School Choir from Xinyi Township, Nantou County. I got in touch with the “Original Sound Education Association” in advance, shared my idea, and even went to visit the association in person.


▲ The *Hand-Clapping Song* by the Taiwan Original Sound Children's Choir. (Video / from YouTube)

As soon as I met the chairperson, Ah Kuan, she said bluntly, “I’ve checked you out thoroughly, no problem at all. Don’t worry. The principal and I fully support you. Just focus on creating. I’ll handle all the arrangements for the kids to perform on Yushan.”

After some time, I went to check on the progress, listened to the children sing, and told them, “Don’t let your eyes wander. No matter where the plane flies, we’re recording the whole time. You must keep performing.”

The Bunun children were shy, well-behaved, and obedient. Everyone worked hard to memorize the song. The next day, Principal Ma Pi-teh, who had been coaching the children, invited me to Dongguang Church in Dongpu to listen to their choral prayer and blessing performance.

I don’t have any particularly strong religious faith, but listening to the children’s pure voices and watching the ceremony moved me deeply and stirred my emotions. On the way back to Taipei, the sound of the children’s singing lingered in my mind and I couldn’t forget it.

In fact, the “Original Sound Education Association” also struggles to find resources, and arranges for the children to perform and receive donations in order to sustain their educational mission.

Back in Taipei, I immediately told the producers at my company that I wanted to donate NT$20,000. But after thinking it over, I felt a bit embarrassed, so I told the producer, “Let’s make it NT$100,000 in the company’s name.”

As my friends know, filming *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above* has been a huge financial drain—we’ve been burning cash, taking losses, scrambling for funding, and even making other commercial films to support it. Funds have always been tight. The producer pulled me aside and said, “Brother Qi, don’t act impulsively. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

But I kept remembering the children’s moving voices and their shy expressions. No, I couldn’t wait. That very night, I downloaded the donation form and, before anyone else arrived at the office the next morning, I faxed it out.

In truth, those 15 children needed one mountain guide per child, plus the principal and teachers, not to mention professional cold-weather gear, a tour bus, food, and more—all of which required money. Chairperson Ah Kuan told me they would find sponsors themselves, and not to worry. But I remained concerned. That NT$100,000 was really just intended to help cover the costs before and after the climb.


▲ Filming the *Hand-Clapping Song* on Yushan wasn’t a simple task.

I sent the form in, but strangely, I never received any deduction notice, nor did anyone call to follow up. After a few days, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I asked the company accountant to call and inquire. At the same time, I received an email in my inbox with the subject line “The Most Precious Sponsorship.”

The content roughly went like this:

“Mr. Qi, we received your donation form, but we’ve been considering whether to accept the NT$100,000 because we know you need help too. After discussion among the board members, we decided to accept your ‘most precious sponsorship.’ We will arrange everything properly for the climb (35 people in total), so please don’t worry—just focus on your filming. A sponsor in the U.S., having learned of the entire process, has decided to donate NT$1 million to you to partially cover the aerial filming costs.”

I… I received this “most precious” email, and was so moved I couldn’t speak for a long time. I didn’t know how to express the overwhelming emotions of gratitude and excitement. It was truly an unbelievable thing. My colleagues were deeply moved as well.

Later, when I told this story to many people, some even said I was “fishing with a long line,” trying to get something big in return. That made me really sad. My original intention was kind—I truly had no ulterior motives. But no matter what others say, I know myself, and I understand the intentions of all the kind friends who supported us.

I love aerial photography. I feel like an eagle soaring through the sky. As a child, my favorite cartoons were *Science Ninja Team Gatchaman* and *Mazinger Z*, where the characters could fly. I used to fantasize about flying. Before that, I watched *Little Raccoon*, *The Story of Xiaoying*, and *Searching for Mother Across Ten Thousand Miles*. Watching those cartoons, I cried. “The characters in those shows are all so kind!”

Those acts of kindness—people, things, and moments—that I thought only happened in cartoons actually occur in the real world too.

▲ Kindness isn’t only found in the world of cartoons. Director Wu Nien-jen (left) lent his voice to narrate parts of *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above*. (Photo / Qi Bolin’s Facebook fan page “Flying Over Taiwan”)

Post-interview note: Upon hearing the heartwarming and true little story behind “the most precious sponsorship,” Qi exclaimed, “It’s truly magical!” He smiled and said, “Yeah, I think it’s amazing too.” He pulled out his laptop, opened his inbox, and said, “Look, it’s this one.” As I read the heartfelt message he described, tears welled up in my eyes.

Since I’m sort of familiar with Qi’s younger sister but not really — more like that kind of friend where every chat is always fun and full of vibe — I know more about the dangers, hardships, and the warmth and coldness among people during the filming process. But Brother Qi rarely talks about those. He always speaks resolutely about the moments and process of aerial filming, or describes them in a tone like, “Oh, it was really just like that.” He doesn’t put on airs; everything he talks about comes out lightly from his mouth.

Or perhaps it’s better to say, what he wants to share, what he wants to express about his love for this land of Taiwan, is all in the film *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above*. Director Qi offers another perspective, capturing images from high above with his life on the line, allowing viewers to feel his deep love for Taiwan’s land and its people. Here’s a quick insert: On November 1st, *Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above* officially premiered.