Who is Government?

 Michael Lewis has become a favorite author.  He likes to take a complicated story and start with what his readers might assume is irrelevant.  Then he shifts to another apparently irrelevant story and eventually connects them all.  He also points out unexpected consequences.   Life is complicated, but underneath it all, we are all connected and Lewis is a master of reminding us.

"Who is Government?" (2025) is another example.  He has contacted a number of writers he admires and asked them to tell stories demonstrating contributions made by government employees that are not much noted by the general public.  Voters see government as faceless and more of a problem than having much relevance to them.

Too many of us take the government for granted.  Some assume employees are lazy and not able to get a real job.  Still others feel they are "the problem."  But Michael Lewis points out they are human and do in fact make life better for all of us.  In an earlier book he described how the Trump administration did not understand the important role played by government.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/01/the-fifth-risk-latest-from-michael-lewis.html   

A key point is that after his 2016 victory, the Trump administration dismissed and discarded work that had been done to explain how the American government was set up so they could more easily make the countless decisions that had to be made.

The examples given in this book are American, but bear a resemblance to other countries.  The government is responsible for the well being of all citizens.

One chapter was devoted to the National Cemetery Administration that was set up by Abraham Lincoln concerned about all the soldiers that had died in the Civil War and most likely forgotten.  Since then  government employees have set up a system so no one has to be forgotten.  Lots of details overlooked by the public.  There are a few covered in the book.

Another chapter is devoted to measuring national finances, specifically a Consumer Price Index.  The arrival of a number is very complicated and potentially misleading, but necessary to have some measure of what the economy is doing.  Prices vary depending on location.  The items chosen for the calculations are not necessarily used everyday or by everybody.  They are broken down in different categories, but the main one publicized is subject to public criticism and is supposed to indicate the rate of inflation.  Some people are able to downscale their expenditures in response.  

A story to demonstrate how measuring the wrong thing can have a negative effect.  Going back to wartime it was noted how many bullet holes were in planes returning from battle.  Initially it was thought necessary to reinforce the wings and fuselage as that is where most of the bullet holes were found.  Someone realized it was more important to realize that although there were apparently no bullet holes found by the engine, that indicated the bullet holes that made it to that part of the plane were the fatal ones and the engine area had a greater need for reinforcement.

The Internal Revenue Services is often criticized for harassing hard working people.  One might recall that police forces were not able to imprison the gangster, Al Capone, but he was taken out by income tax evasion.  Of course modern day crooks are aware of that and try to stymie any efforts to prove their guilt.  A modern day concern is crypto currency which for some people is one way of avoiding the law.   In 2014 it was ruled that profits from crypto transactions would be considered as capital gains and taxed as such.  Undercover work investigating gangsters revealed that terrorists, drug dealers and sex traffickers were hiding behind crypto, but were dealt with the legal and prison systems.

The National Archives are accessible to the public (except confidential ones), but has to have been updated and made more accessible.  A lot of documents are very old and modern users would find cursive writing almost impossible to read.  They have used volunteers to digitize while still making the original documents available  The 2022 election was the first where Maine and Vermont were splitting their electoral votes.  To make the records more accessible  they work with Wikipedia, Family Search and Ancestry among other outside sources.

You might remember Trump literally took a lot of records including some that were classified as confidential that have been mostly retrieved, but the case was never settled.  Records are important and must be cared for.

W. Kamau Bell wrote the chapter on anti trust legislation.  Resented by some, but in fact their decisions affect everyone.  Corporations that get too large reduce competition and innovation as well increasing prices.  An illuminating example occurs after the assassination of President James Garfield in 1881 by a man upset unable to get a job with the government.  The realization led to a revamping of hiring practices from essentially the spoils system to one more based on merit.  see a blog inspired by W. Kamau Bell.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/05/should-we-defund-police-what-does-that.html

An excellent quote comes from one of W. Kamau Bells' sources,  Oliva Rynberg-Going;  "I think the American dream shouldn't impede on other people's dream."

Michael Lewis handles the last chapter that deals  with the Food and Drug Administration department, but it does so in a round about way.   The connecting focus was on a very rare disease.  A disease that would not be of interest to large pharmaceutical corporate laboratories.  But the disease reached the attention of a government employee who was interested and was able to use her resources to fix the fatal disease that also helped save a marriage.  The study of such rare diseases seems wasteful to some, however it was pointed out that American soldiers are sometimes stationed in tropical areas where such rare diseases are more apt to occur.  Besides the information gained from rare diseases research can lead to good well from countries who cannot afford such research.   

Generally government jobs, especially entry level jobs pay less than for profit business and naturally a lot of graduates go for the big money.  That is not 100% true as there are graduates who have other motives, such as wanting to be of service.  An increasing concern is student loans which can be a burden that forces many to change their course.  The government needs talented people and perhaps this debt load might present an opportunity.  The military will give free education in return for a commitment.  Another angle might deal with loan forgiveness or tax rebates.  The Biden government ran into resistance for their plans for debt forgiveness, but at some point the general public (that is voters) need to realize they are losing when the government cannot attract motivated top graduates.      

 Unfortunately politics (really, big business) forces society in certain directions.  Part of the population realizes big business is only interested in money and not humanity.  Hopefully "Who Is Government?" will make more people realize the importance of government and the need to attract competent people.  First we have to rid of Trump and his supporters.

This was read as an ebook from my local library.

Two other blogs covering books of Michael Lewis that you might find relevant

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/11/the-premonition-is-more-relevant-than.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/12/boomerang-by-michael-lewis.html

A Two Spirit Journey

The Canada Reads contest has interested me for several years.  There are great books, but even more the discussions that are part of the contest are very engaging. This past year the five contestants were known ahead of time and I was able to reserve all five of them at my local library.  I read four of them, but "A Two Spirit Journey" (2016), subtitled "The Autobiography Of A Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder" the actual winner, was not available in time and in fact I only got a copy recently, well after the contest had been decided.

Ma-nee Chacaby is a very interesting person and this story is one of the most honest told by an indigenous woman.  Born of ambiguous parentage in remote northern Ontario she was abused and sexually abused.  She was surrounded by alcoholism and started drinking at an early age.  She and her near age friends indulged in sniffing exhaust fumes.  She was forced to move several times and until she was about 20 did not speak much English, relying on Ojibwa and Cree.

Her story includes being raped, beaten and getting drunk.  On the positive side she learned survival skills such as hunting, trapping and tanning animal hides.   Her step father wanted her to realize that hunting is not bad and is needed for survival.  At a very young age she was able to sell fur to the Hudson's Bay Company who set up an account for her that she let build up until at an older age she used it for a building project.

As she aged she tried to stop drinking, but usually failed until she got involved with Alcoholics Anonymous in Thunder Bay and even then struggled for awhile.  Towards the end of the book she boasts that she had not drunk any alcohol for over 30 years.

She goes through some relationships giving birth to 3 children and fostering children.   She helps counsel others not to drink and delivered several babies, including for strangers.  She got involved with translating information from English to Ojibwa and Cree, but as her vision deteriorated she had to give that up.

Through Alcoholics Anonymous she attended a segment for lesbians that awakened her interest.  She did not understand her attraction to women and kept it secret.  Eventually she broke through her hesitation lived with at least three women and got involved with Pride promotions.  At one time she dressed up as Elvis Presley for an event. 

She wanted to tell her story not only for herself, but for her children, grandchildren and other relatives.  She had met Mary Louise Plummer, a social scientist and writer.  As it happened circumstances conspired  to free Mary Louise and she agreed.  At the time she was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  They connected through the internet and conducted over a hundred hours of interviews sorting many details.  Other writers of indigenous stories failed to credit the actual person, but Mary Louise felt that Ma-nee was unusually open about her history and as a natural story teller was given primary credit.

Shayla Stonechild was the champion for "A Two-Spirit Journey" was very well prepared and articulate.  She is an indigenous model, actress and health advocate.  If not for her ability I might have been tempted to not bother as I had already read the other four books and had already written a blog on them.  I am glad I listened to her and got to read a very interesting book.

There are many decisions to make when selecting a book you hope to immerse yourself with and one tool for me has been the Canada Reads contest.  Not only are good books involved, but with a champion for each book over four episodes you get insight.  If you are interested the CBC holds this contest once a year around March and can be seen on television or the internet.  This particular book is well worth an effort, but the contest will suggest others.

This first link is to the 2025 Canada Reads with the four other contenders.

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/03/canada-reads.html

There were a lot of books from this contest over the years that I enjoyed reading and watching the contest.   For me it has been mind opening.

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/indian-horse-by-richard-wagamese.html 

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/10/canada-reads.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/the-book-of-negroes.html 

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/09/ducks-my-first-graphic-novel.html 

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/09/hotline-canada-reads-nomination.html 

A propos d'Antoine (About Antoine) returns

A most unusual series apparently based on reality has returned.  Although I had done a blog on the first season there is a confusion with English information. 

It is unusual in a number of ways.  The focus is on Antoine, a young boy who cannot walk, cannot talk, is autistic and has periodic epilepsy incidents.  The father, Marc and mother, Justine each blamed the other without verbalizing it and divorced after which Marc met another woman, Julie, married her and surprisingly the current and previous wives liked each other and took part in taking care of Antoine.  Despite such a serious matter the story will often make you laugh in fact essentially this is a feel-good film.  For me at least it is pleasant to see a film in a favorite city, Quebec City.

The second season starts out with a serious doctor talking to the three adults trying to explain what had happened to Antoine.  It turns out that Antoine was the victim of some random cellular action and that nobody should be blamed.  A new set of dynamics with Julie feeling she should give Justine and Marc a chance to reconcile. 

Georges, the brother is not ignored and is concerned about Antoine.  He has been give some good lines.

Another character, Kaya seems thrown in for effect, but she, a trans female does not only add color, but does in fact contribute to the action. 

Julie's ex boyfriend, Leandre plays a role in both seasons.

The Cast and crew are critical to its success.  Here are some key personnel.

Claude Desrosiers was the director.  He has one listing as a comedian which many of cast and crew share, Claude has 23 directing credits and 3 for acting.

Cathleen Rouleau was a writer and the leading actor, Julie.  She has done many tv. commercials for the Quebec market.   Cathleen graduated from the Ecole National de l'Humour.  She has performed comedy at festivals n Quebec, Switzerland and Belgium.  Cathleen has 4 credits as an actor and 3 as a writer.

Sylvain Parent-Bedard is the producer and matches many of the details of the leading male, Marc.  He created the Festival Grand Rire de Quebec.  He has produced shows for Madonna and Celine Dion.  He has 28 credits as a producer.  Also noteworthy, he is a big supporter of charities for epilepsy and autism.  

Shawn Pavlin was one of he cinematographers.  He has 33 credits for cinematography, 21 for the Camera and Electrical Department and 5 for the Editorial Department including "Mommy" (2014).  The other cinematographer was Vincent Biron who has 63 cinematographer credits, 9 as director and 7 as writer.

Claude Legault played Marc, the festival owner.  He has 65 acting credits and 10 as a writer.

 Antoine Parent-Bedard plays the focal character.  Despite his multiple handicaps he always has a smile.

 Fanny Mallette plays Justine, Marc's ex wife who is still considered and acts like a member of the family.  She won a gold medal in 1989 at Canadian junior judo championships.  She has 56 acting credits, 1 for directing and 1 for producing including "The Barbarian Invasion"(2003).

Micheline Bernard played Margot, Marc's mother who lives next door.  She has 50 acting credit including "It's Not Me, I Swear!" (2008) and "Matthias and Maxime" (2018).

Sylvain Marcel plays Patrick, a brother and business partner with Marc.  He has been successful in television commercials. He has 53 acting credits including "Good Cop, Bon Cop" (2006).

Edward B. Laroque plays Georges, younger brother to Antoine.  He got his first acting role at 6 years old.  He has 9 acting credits. 

Iannick n'Doua-Legare played Leandre, the ex boyfriend (they remain friends).  He has 48 acting credits including "Starbucks" (2011) and "Three Pines" (2022).

Christen Marlot plays Kaya a trans female who helps Julie.  Does fashion modeling.  She has 2 acting credits.

I do want to repeat, this is basically a feel good series, although the condition of Antoine is serious.  It is available subtitled and dubbed on Netflix, under "About Antoine", but if you care to check on IMDB or Wikipedia you will need to specify "a propos d'Antoine."

for the first season check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/07/a-propos-dantoine-or-in-english-about.html

D.E.I. Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Trump is upset about D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), maintaining that it is unfair.  Some of us feel the MAGA followers really want to take advantage of privilege.  The goal is supposed to be the best person for each position gets hired.

The original signers of the U.S. Constitution were landowning white males of a certain age.  Their rights to own slaves were respected.  Voting rights were determined by the states.

Over the years voting rights were extended to blacks (mostly former slaves), women, younger people, indigenous and even poor people.  Prejudice and legal tools were used to limit actual voting by minorities. 

It takes many years including generations for prejudices to lessen in society.  It involves heroes and martyrs like Martin Luther King Jr. or Harvey Milk.  Forced to work with minorities some whites came to appreciate the "other" was not evil or incompetent.  Adjusting to having women as bosses was hard for men, but some of us got used to it.  Making judgments when confronted by hijabs, turbans, skullcaps or even baseball caps is still normal for most of us.  Handicapped people are often ignored, although they are generally reliable employees.  Society too often takes its time to mature, but more of us are making the effort.

All of humanity is not equal, but generally complement one another.  Opportunity is also not equal and in effect means we do not always get the best mix.  The offspring of wealthy successful parents are not necessarily as talented or even as ambitious.  

In the meantime society controlled by those with power is able to protect their position against outsiders.  Here are a few areas that make a difference to who gets opportunities or real choices.

Home ownership is actually the basis for many family fortunes, but denied to many blacks as they could not get affordable credit.  Minorities are discouraged from the better neighborhoods.

Education is supposedly the tool for poor people to rise and it can work.  However the quality is not the same in all neighborhoods.  Not every student comes to class equally rested and nourished.  

Jobs are not only a measure of talent, but also a mark of status.  Discrimination based on race, gender  religion or class ensure there is not true competition.  Income affects the whole family.

Health is vital.  Statistics have pointed out that blacks die more frequently than whites at childbirth and have a shorter life span.  They receive poorer quality care from doctors.  

These factors are going in the right direction, but still have a way to go.  Despite the listed obstacles many black and other minorities have succeeded, but that seems to alarm many whites.  Population trends point that racial minorities will be the majority within only a few decades. 

Undoubtedly some deserving whites lose out and in a sense we all lose when that happens.  Competition often is used a a decider.  Being privileged means a lot is taken for granted.  Over time the ideal should be to find the best fit for every human.  Fairness is another ideal which means that society should not judge merely by outside features, but examine more closely the talents and merits of individuals. 

A legitimate concern is that we hire the most suitable.  At the same time those in power make the rules that suit them.  Donald Trump has appealed not only to bigots, but to other aggrieved groups such as Evangelicals, gun owners, fossil fuel investors, etc.

D.E.I.has served America well, in fact better than privileged decision makers of the past.  In the future it will be less and less necessary, that is if allowed to further prove its worth. 

A bit on how Trump got to be Trump

 Trump is a very powerful man.  What he has done with his power is noted everyday.  How he got to be powerful was not in a vacuum.  "The Apprentice" (2024) attempts to cover a key part of his life.

The details are disputed by Trump and his legal team, but seem roughly aligned with the current perspective.

The film is introduced by a speech from Richard Nixon, proclaiming he is not a crook.

Trump meets Roy Cohn who disposes of a legal problem by blackmailing.  He imparts 3 rules:  1. Attack,  2. never admit wrong doing, and 3. claim victory.  He brags about his connection to Richard Nixon

Trump uses Cohn as a mentor and with moral support builds Trump Tower behind his father's back.

He meets Ivana and after an arduous courtship marries her.  She is well liked and there seems a dose of jealousy from her husband.  We do not get to his divorce, but a rape is reenacted (dependent on court records, but her version is modified afterwards).  We are also made aware that he is unfaithful.

Against Cohn's advice Trump gets involved with Atlantic City gambling casinos.  It seems to go well, but we hear of bankruptcy charges.  I think it likely that Russians were enablers for his recovery, but this is not hinted at.

We are aware of personal dynamics.  His brother Fred is insulted by his father and sinks to alcoholism.  We watch Trump try to take advantage of his father's dementia to increase his share of inheritance. 

He has medical work done on his scalp and he has surgery to lessen his abdomen.

Roy Cohn is a constant advisor, but deteriorates and acquires Aids.  Trump avoids him as much as possible, but holds a dinner in his honor.

 A lot of the dialogue and actions have to be improvised, but looking at the consequences and Trump's own words it is very believable. 

Much was filmed in Canada including Toronto and Hamilton.  As a Hamiltonian I have long watched in awe the Scottish Rite building, pictured to the left where some scenes were filmed.

Distribution was hindered by Trump's legal team; the film has a limited release in the U.S. on October 11, 2024.  Trump wins in November.  Despite adoration of the public Trump is heavily dependent on lawyers

It takes a ton of talent to make such a film.  Here are a few of the people.

Ali Abbasi was the director and a producer.  He was born in Tehran and has made one film highlighting female discrimination in Iran.  As a young man he went to Sweden to study architecture.  He next went  to study at the National Film School of Denmark.  He lives in Copenhagen.  He has 8 directing credits, 5 for writing and 2 for producing.

Gabriel Sherman was one of the writers.  He wrote the biography of Roger Ailes, "The Loudest Voice" which was the basis for the movie in 2019.  He has 3 credits as producer and 2 for writing.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/11/the-loudest-voice.html

David Holmes wrote music.  He was a DJ in Belfast, Northern Ireland and was involved in the music scene.  He has 62 composing credits, 16 for the Music Department and 5 for producing including "Ocean's Eleven" (2001), "Ocean's Thirteen" (2007) and "The Fall" (2013).

Kasper Tuxen was the cinematographer.   Lives in Copenhagen.  He has 63 cinematography credits, 26 for the camera and electrical department and 2 for additional crew including "Beginners" (2010), "Hateship. Loveship" (2013) and "The Worst Person in The World" (2021).

Olivier Bugge Coutte was the editor.  He has 57 credits for editing, 1 for producing and 1 for directing including "Reprise" (2006), "Oslo, August 31st" (2011) and "The Worst Person in the World" (2021).

Sebastian Stan played Donald Trump.  He was born in Romania and once spoke that language in a film.  He has 57 acting credits, 2 for producing and 1 for soundtrack including "I, Tonya" (2017) and "Sharper" (2023).

Jeremy Strong played Roy Cohn.  He attended Yale where he acted in their theatre.  He has won a Tony Award and one Prime Time Emmy.  He lives in Copenhagen.  Jeremy has 30 acting credits and 7 for additional crew including "Robot & Frank" (2012), "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012), "Parkland" (2013), "The Judge" (2014), "Detroit" (2017). "Molly's Game" (2017), "Serenity" (2019), "Succession" (2018-2019) and "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (2020).

Martin Donovan played Trump's father, Fred.  He has 123 acting credits, 1 for directing and 1 for writing including "Insomnia" (2002) "Indian Horse" (2017) and"Tenet" (2020).  See about the book "Indian Horse" which was the basis for the film...http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/indian-horse-by-richard-wagamese.html

Maria Bakalova played Ivana Trump.  Born in Bulgaria she has performed in that language.  She had an interest in music, being part of a touring choir as a youngster and also playing the flute at the university level.  Maria has 26 acting credits and 3 producing including "Borat Subsequent MovieFilm" (2020).

Mark Rendall played Roger Stone.  A Canadian, at age 10 with no acting experience he auditioned and won a role with a touring "Oliver" company.  He has 65 acting credits including "The Exploding Girl" (2009), "Victoria Day" (2009), "Transplant" (2019-2022) and "Departure" (2019-1022).   

Available on Crave.

Do I recommend this film?  Yes, but only so you might better understand how such a powerful person developed.  

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the links you might be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Mad Unicorn, Exciting Series from Thailand

Thailand is upping its international presence, partly due to Netflix.  

"Mad Unicorn" is based on a true story, a rags to riches tale based on a local hero.  Jira Maligool, the executive producer interviewed Kamsan Saleen who started poorly and built a delivery express business that became very huge.  From there the story was developed by a team.

In the series Santi starts off as a worker in a sand pit, but is able to negotiate money for a bigger opportunity in Bangkok.  Working for a touring company he helps a wealthy Chinese man have sex with a Thai woman by translating each to the other.  He gets invited to Shanghai where he gets embroiled in a drinking challenge.  There he meets up with an older mentor, Kanin and is given an opportunity.  He also meets up with a Chinese Thai woman, Xiao who seems very sophisticated.  You sense a romance, but it doesn't end the way you would hope.

Between Kanin and Xiao he does get started on an Express company, but soon finds himself betrayed and up against formidable obstacles.  The focus on the series is how he innovates and steels himself.  Constantly looking for investors with the major ones being Chinese.  Tension mounts, but he is a tough cookie.

Basically it is a business story with lots of crookery and determination to overcome it.  A little more physical action than might be typical.  Santi is a very likeable as is Xiao, but Kanin is evil.  It is engaging--one of the most intense bingeing adventures for me.

The cast and crew are key to its success.  Here are a few contributors.

Jira Maligool, was the executive producer who started the ball rolling.  He has 40 producer credits, 4 for directing and 8 for script and continuity including "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies" (2024).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/04/how-to-make-millions-before-grandma-dies.html

Nottapon Boonprakob was the director and one of the writers.  He studied Social Documentary Film in New York.  He has 4 directing credits, 5 for writing and 3 for the camera and electrical department.

Tanida Hantaweewatana was a key writer.  She has 7 writing credits including "Bad Genius" (2017).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/06/bad-genius-out-of-thailand.html  

 Vichaya Vatanasapt was the music composer.  He got a degree in architecture, but had joined a band and  soon helped form a music producing company.  He has 30 composing credits and 3 for the music department including "Bad Genius" (2017).

Phalao Jiraungkookun was the cinematographer.  He has 7 cinematography credits including one of my favorites, "Bad Genius" (2017).

Natara Nopparatayapon played Santi.  He studied Mandarin for two months and was able to master a two page monologue in that language.  He has 8 acting credits including "Delete" (2023).

Jane Methika Jiranorraphat played Xiao.  She was once a runner up for Miss Teen Thailand.  She joined a girl band and has been involved with singing.  Methika  was part Taiwanese and didn't have to learn Mandarin.  She has 23 acting credits.

Thaneth Warakulnukroh played Kanin, a ruthless business man.  He was a singer and also record producer.  Thaneth has 10 acting credits including "Pop Aye" (2017), "Bad Genius" (2017) and "Thai Cave Rescue" (2022).

Thailand has produced a number of memorable movies and is developing the necessary multitude of skills. "Mad Unicorn" is available on Netflix, subtitled or dubbed.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time and if you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

Forget You Not--something from Taiwan not to be forgotten

Standup comedians are not people that attract my attention.  I saw the trailer for "Forget You Not" several times before making the decision to actually watch.  It wasn't what was expected, but left a strong impression.

It is not until the second episode that we learn how she got into being a standup comedian.  Prior to that we watched her wedding that took place after her comedy career had started. 

There is laughter, but a lot of sadness.  We learned about her mother abandoning her when Le-Le was only 8.  She learned English to look for her (she thought in the U.S.) and ended up as a tour guide, but that career did not work out.  Her father seems forgetful and gradually descended into dementia.

Ultimately the story is about the relationship of a father and daughter.  We follow right through his decline into dementia.  She has other relationships notably with two female friends and a husband.  Her husband was a successful lawyer from a wealthy family and although he tried to be under-standing their marriage didn't last.

To create such an interesting film takes a number of talented people.  Here are some of the key ones.

Rene Liu was the director and one of the writers.  She graduated from California State University with a degree in music and went on to sing  on 20 music albums.  She has 35 acting credits, 2 for directing and 4 for writing. including "Us and Them" (2018).  

Shing-Ming Ho was another writer.  He graduated from Boston University.  Recently he was involved writing a mini series in main land China.  Shing-Ming has 8 writing credits, 1 for directing and 3 for the Sound Department including "Us and Them" (2018).

Ju-Feng Yeh was one of the producers.  She has 46 producing credits, 3 for additional crew and 2 for Production Manager including "A Sun" (2019).

George Chen is credited with music.  Not able to learn much about him except he has been a prolific music album producer and that much of the music in this film is enjoyable.  I am trying to track the song played during the closing titles.

Ying-Hsuan Hsieh plays Cheng Le-Le,  the main character.  She has 35 acting credits including "Dear Ex" (2018), "Little Big Women" (2020) and "Wave Makers" (2023).  A favorite actress.

Chin Han plays the father, Cheng Kuang-chi.  He has 115 acting credits, 1 as a director and 1 as a writer.  

Esther Liu plays a close friend Huang Su Fei.  She also has been a prominent singer.  She has 34 acting credits including "Light the Night" (2021-2022).  

Wallace Huo plays her husband, Chang Kai.  He has 35 acting credits, 1 for producing and 4 for soundtrack including a cameo in "Light the Night" (2021-2022).   

Bo-Chieh Wang played the younger Cheng Kuang-Chi.  He has 43 acting credits including "Life of Pi" (2012) and "Light the Night" (2021-2022).

Chen Yiven plays Mark, the manager who hired  Le-Le for a stand up comedy platform and encouraged her telling personal stories, but not to the point of deflating the audience.  He has 42 acting credits, 5 directing and 3 for writing including "A Sun" (2019) and "The Falls" (2021)

Some of the listed Taiwanese films are covered in a previous blog:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/08/taiwan.html

You can watch "Forget You Not" subtitled or dubbed on Netflix.  I highly recommend it, but you might need a strong stomach.  At the same time you will find many moments very touching

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the link you might be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up