Cannot Live Without You

Cannot Live Without You (Chinese: 不能没有你) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama film directed by Leon Dai, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Wen-Pin Chen. The film explores the legal and social challenges faced by a father attempting to secure custody of his child.

Plot

The story follows Wu-Hsiung Li, a man living in an abandoned warehouse with his seven-year-old daughter, Mei. He supports them by working dangerous jobs on a boat. When he attempts to enroll Mei in school, he discovers he must first officially register as her legal father. During the registration process, government authorities intervene and take custody of the child, prompting Wu-Hsiung to embark on a desperate struggle to reunite with his daughter.

Background

The film is based on a true incident involving a man who was unable to register as his daughter's legal father because the child's mother was legally married to another man at the time of the child's birth. The film was released in Hong Kong on March 26, 2009, and in Taiwan on August 14, 2009. It has a runtime of 85 minutes and is primarily in Mandarin.