Abstract
The commercial success of Cape No. 7 in 2008 marked a pivotal moment in the history of Taiwanese cinema in the new millennium. In addition to the aspects of industrial production and promotional strategies, scholars have explored the film's triumph from a plethora of angles, including cinematic language, historical nostalgia, ethnic amalgamation, the dynamics of the local and global, and the legacy of Japanese colonialism. Building on this foundation, this article applies Sigmund Freud's trauma theory and the concept of "resemblance" or "repetition" in narrative theory to scrutinize the personal aspirations, setbacks, and eventual success of each character, as well as the process of their retrieving lost love objects. Furthermore, by appropriating Søren Kierkegaard's understanding of "homesickness" as a simultaneously backward and forward movement, this article examines the place of the address Cape No. 7 as an imaginary hometown where one reminisces about the past while also envisioning Taiwan's future as an ideal community. Lastly, this article concentrates on the band as a symbol of national identity and utopian communalism, and by analyzing the three songs and their cinematic representation, explicates the essential reciprocality between subjects and skills of listening required to foster a sense of community.