Film

To Set a Spirit Free

2025 · 21m · Drama

Inspired by a true incident rooted in Taiwanese folk beliefs, To Set a Spirit Free begins with a religious fish-release ritual that takes an unexpected turn—someone brings a fish home instead of setting it free. Days later, an elderly man named Sheng-Bo mysteriously disappears. A local temple deity declares that he may have blocked a wandering soul’s path to reincarnation—and has been taken by a ghost. What begins as an act of kindness spirals into fear, accusation, and superstition. As rumors multiply and blame shifts from one person to another, the community slowly confronts an unsettling truth: sometimes, there is no one to blame. When facts fail us, what do we choose to believe—and why? With dark humor and quiet spiritual tension, the film explores faith, folklore, and the stories people create to make sense of the unknown.

Lu Wen-hsueh

Cherry Hsieh

Jacqueline Zhu

Cheng Chih-wei

Hsieh Chi-wen

Wang Yong-jun

Yu An-shun

• Fang You-chiDirector · Writer
• Lee Chia-chiDirector of Photography
• Tang Kai-feiOriginal Music Composer
• Chou Yu-chingEditor

Release date

December 16, 2025

Status

Released

Original language

Chinese

Runtime

21m

Genres

Drama