The crash of the B-24 bomber “Liquidator” in the mountains of southeastern Taiwan on September 10th, 1945 ends the postwar repatriation of 25 American Crews and Allied Forces prisoners-of-war from Okinawa in an alpine fireball that kills all aboard. Against a backdrop of postwar social upheaval and uncertainty, a motley team of Japanese, Taiwaness, Taiwan’s Indigenous, Amis and Bunun heads toward the crash site in hopes of rescuing survivors. With another typhoon bearing down, can they reach Mt. Hainsaran and complete their mission?
The deadly crash of the Liquidator in a typhoon is the catalyst for a rescue effort that, while imposing a deadly toll on its participants, sheds light on the deep emotional ties binding together the varied national and ethnic groups that call Taiwan “home”.