August 22, 2008
November 20, 2008
November 27, 2008
December 25, 2008
February 14, 2009 (edited version)
December 26, 2009

March 18, 2010

Running time 129 Minutes

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Gross revenue

Cape No. 7 ( traditional Chinese : 海角七號 ; simplified Chinese : 海角七号 ; pinyin : Hǎijiǎo Qī Hào ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : Hái-kak Chhit-hō; Japanese : 海角七号 (kaikaku nana gō)) is a 2008 Taiwanese romance comedic music-drama film written and directed by Wei Te-Sheng , his first full-length motion picture. The film is in Taiwanese and Mandarin Chinese with significant lines in Japanese . Before its commercial release, the film was world premiered on June 20, 2008 at the 2008 Taipei Film Festival as the opening film. The film later won 3 awards in this festival.

Prior to this film, the two leading actors Van Fan and Chie Tanaka only had minor acting experience while some of the supporting roles were filled by non-actors. Even without a strong promotional campaign, the film had become so popular in Taiwan that on November 1, 2008 it became the 2nd top grossing film in the country's cinematic history, behind Titanic . The film has grossed over US$13,804,531 since its release.

The film has won 15 awards to date, including 6 at the 2008 Golden Horse Awards . It was also Taiwan 's entry to compete in the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film , although it did not secure a nomination.

In the 1940s near the end of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan , an unnamed teacher ( Kousuke Atari ) dispatched to the southernmost town of Hengchun falls in love with a local girl with the Japanese name Kojima Tomoko (Rachel Liang). After the Surrender of Japan , the teacher is forced to return home as Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China . On his trip home, he pens seven love letters to express his regret for leaving Kojima Tomoko, who originally planned to elope with him to Japan.

More than 60 years after the teacher left Kojima Tomoko, Aga (Van Fan) is introduced as a struggling young Hengchun-native rock band singer who could not find success in Taipei . After returning to his hometown, Aga's step father (Ju-Lung Ma), the Town Council Representative, arranged a position for him as a postman , replacing the aging Old Mao (Johnny C.J. Lin), on leave after a motorcycle accident broke his leg. One day, Aga comes across an undeliverable piece of mail that was supposed to be returned to the sender; the daughter of the now deceased Japanese teacher has decided to mail the unsent love letters to Taiwan after discovering them. Aga unlawfully keeps and opens the package to discover its contents, but the old Japanese-style address can no longer be found.

Meantime a local resort hotel inside nearby Kenting National Park is organizing a beach concert featuring Japanese pop singer Kousuke Atari , but Aga's step father makes use of his official position to insist that the opening band be composed of locals. Tomoko (Chie Tanaka), an over-the-hill Mandarin-speaking Japanese fashion model dispatched to Hengchun, is assigned the difficult task of managing this hastily assembled band, led by Aga along with six other locals of rather particular backgrounds. After a frustrating trial period, Aga and Tomoko unexpectedly begin a relationship. With some assistance from hotel maid Mingchu (Shino Lin), who is revealed to be Kojima Tomoko's granddaughter, Tomoko helps Aga find the rightful recipient of the seven love letters. Tomoko then tells Aga that she plans on returning to Japan after the concert because of a job offer. After returning the seven love letters, a heartbroken but determined Aga returns to the beach resort and performs a highly successful concert with his local band alongside Kousuke Atari, during which Tomoko read the seven love letters composed 60 years ago.