Chi Po-lin
Aerial Photographer & Director of "Beyond Beauty"
Modern Taiwan
1964–2017
Chi Po-lin, born in 1964 in Taipei, was Taiwan's most representative aerial photographer and environmental documentary director. He worked early in his career in a government agency, where the need for engineering records first brought him to aerial photography, and he gradually became captivated by the view of the land from high above. For years he shot from helicopters, amassing a vast body of precious imagery recording Taiwan's mountains, rivers, coasts, and cities. He captured not only the island's magnificent beauty but also, with a keen eye, the scars left by deforestation, river pollution, and land development. To fully portray Taiwan, he resolutely quit his stable job and threw himself into high-risk, high-cost documentary filming. In 2013 his documentary "Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above" was released, its stunning aerial footage letting countless viewers see their homeland anew and stirring wide public concern for environmental issues, achieving rare box-office success for a Taiwanese documentary and winning recognition at the Golden Horse Awards. The work also pushed the government and society to take land conservation and environmental protection more seriously. In 2017, while scouting locations for a sequel, "Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above II," he died in a helicopter crash at fifty-three, shocking and grieving the whole island. Chi is seen as a pioneer who awakened environmental awareness through imagery, his aerial work and sacrifice long an important symbol of Taiwan's memory of its land and environment.
Directed the documentary "Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above" (2013)
Died in a helicopter crash while filming a sequel (2017)
Aerial Photographer & Director of "Beyond Beauty"
Chi Po-lin
Era
Modern Taiwan
Lifespan
1964–2017
Chi Po-lin, born in 1964 in Taipei, was Taiwan's most representative aerial photographer and environmental documentary director. He worked early in his career in a government agency, where the need for engineering records first brought him to aerial photography, and he gradually became captivated by the view of the land from high above. For years he shot from helicopters, amassing a vast body of precious imagery recording Taiwan's mountains, rivers, coasts, and cities. He captured not only the island's magnificent beauty but also, with a keen eye, the scars left by deforestation, river pollution, and land development. To fully portray Taiwan, he resolutely quit his stable job and threw himself into high-risk, high-cost documentary filming. In 2013 his documentary "Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above" was released, its stunning aerial footage letting countless viewers see their homeland anew and stirring wide public concern for environmental issues, achieving rare box-office success for a Taiwanese documentary and winning recognition at the Golden Horse Awards. The work also pushed the government and society to take land conservation and environmental protection more seriously. In 2017, while scouting locations for a sequel, "Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above II," he died in a helicopter crash at fifty-three, shocking and grieving the whole island. Chi is seen as a pioneer who awakened environmental awareness through imagery, his aerial work and sacrifice long an important symbol of Taiwan's memory of its land and environment.
Directed the documentary "Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above" (2013)
Died in a helicopter crash while filming a sequel (2017)