From November 8 to 10, 2024, a series of 10 recently produced films from the past two years, focusing on queer themes, including feature films, documentaries, and short films, will be screened over three consecutive days at the Goethe-Institut China. Filmmakers from China, Germany, and France will also engage in discussions on related topics. Please see the detailed schedule of events below
Event Schedule Overview
Date:
November 8-10, 2024
Venue:
Goethe-Institut China
Address:
Creative Square, 798 Art District, No. 2 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Film Language:
Original language with Chinese and English subtitles
Discussion Language:
Chinese
Entry:
Free admission, limited seating, first come, first served
Short Film Screening “Lesbian Story Series” and Q&A
Our Marriages - When Lesbians Marry Gay Men, Happily Ever After
Film Screening “Lesbian Story Series” and Q&A
When Lesbians Divorce Gay Men
Short Film Screening “Rainbow Bridge” and Q&A
Dive Into the Blue, Itching, Mimi’s Confusion, Love is a Book
Panel Discussion “Diverse Minds: Exploring Wellbeing and Community Support Through a Queer Lens”
Film Screening “Sad Jokes” and Q&A
Film Screening “UKI” (Director join the following panel)
Panel Discussion “Queer Futurism, Fantastic Nowness”
Film Screening “Queer Exile Berlin” and Q&A
Short Film Screening “Lesbian Story Series” and Q&A
© When Lesbians Marry Gay Men
When Lesbians Marry Gay Men
He Xiaopei, Yuan Yuan｜China｜2012｜Documentary｜42 min｜Mandarin Chinese｜Chinese and English Subtitles
Under different cultural backgrounds, homosexual people take different life styles. In China, where family and social traditions have strong marital pressures, many lesbians have resorted to unusual forms of marriage to defuse the pressures. They consult with gay to commit to a marriage agreement together, and then hold a wedding ceremony. After the wedding, unlike in heterosexual marriages, they continue to live with their same-sex partners and do not share the home, property, sex life, or birth plan with their husbands in formal marriages. Over the course of two years, When Lesbians Marry Gay Men not only portrays the desire to be both a lesbian and a dutiful daughter, but also gradually uncovers the true essence of marriage through the process of their negotiated unions.
He Xiaopei｜China｜2016｜Documentary｜37 min｜Mandarin Chinese｜Chinese and English Subtitles
"Happily Ever After" chronicles the emotional, relational, and life changes of four lesbians six years after they entered into contract marriages. The documentary explores how their relationships with their same-sex partners, their "husbands" in these contract marriages, and their own parents have evolved. This film delves into how these women have constructed their own queer families, prompting reflections on mainstream marital values and family dynamics
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Film Screening “Lesbian Story Series” and Q&A
© When Lesbians Divorce Gay Men
When Lesbians Divorce Gay Men
He Xiaopei｜China｜2024｜Documentary｜82 min｜Mandarin Chinese｜Chinese and English Subtitles
A decade after entering into lavender marriages, these lesbians have all divorced their contract husbands. During the filing, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, and the zero-COVID policy was implemented in China. The film captures the current living conditions of these lesbians, their emotional relationships with one another, their relationships with their parents, and their connections with the men who are no longer their husbands. It also documents my relationship with the subjects being filmed. What can the zero-COVID policy turn into “zero,” and what can emerge from nothing?
Short Film Screening “Short Collection: Rainbow Bridge” and Q&A
Gao Ge｜USA｜2024｜Feature Short Film｜19 min｜English, Mandarin Chinese｜Chinese and English Subtitles
Meng Lan, a 15-year-old Chinese girl, received a spine surgery which traumatized her both physically and mentally. Being in a foreign country, the conflict between Meng and her mother Wen Li became even more violent. Coincidentally, she had a chance to meet Olivia, an ethnic Chinese girl adopted by an American couple. The two girls quickly became close friends. Olivia invited Meng Lan to go swimming and encouraged her to do whatever she wants. Meng Lan kept the truth from Wen Li that she skipped her rehabilitation training and tried returning into water for the first time after her surgery. While enjoying the pleasure brought by rebellion, her relationship with Olivia is also experiencing a subtle change. However, Wen Li soon discovered Meng Lan’s secret. She decided to end Meng’s rehabilitation earlier and take her back home...
Hongyu Jiang｜France｜2024｜Feature Short Film｜30 min｜Mandarin Chinese｜Chinese and English Subtitles
A pair of father and son living together, they both had the symptoms of "itching". In their daily life, the appearance of a mysterious man made the father and son start to test each other's more private boundaries, and the father accidentally discovered that the son had something to hide. One night, they inevitably touched the secrets hidden in the hearts of both parties.
Yang Miaojing｜China｜2024｜Feature Short Film｜24 min｜Chinese Dialect｜Chinese and English Subtitles
In 2013, in a small county town in central China, ten-year-old girl Mimi was deemed too boyish by the adults. In order to prove that she was a girl, she struggled to assert her identity, nearly making a big mistake.
Lai Yuqing｜US, Cambodia, China｜2024｜Feature Short Film｜22 min｜English, Mandarin Chinese, Khmer｜Chinese and English Subtitles
The film consists of two love stories, "First, Second, Third" and "Love is a Book". The former tells the story of two male lovers who start with a sexual relationship, develop feelings, and then openly share their emotions, leading to a deep connection. The latter revolves around two female lovers, reuniting after a long separation, experiencing a surge of past emotions and the inevitable clash with present realities. Love is a book, and while they are in different chapters of their emotional journeys, both stories share similar, ambiguous, and pure expressions of love.
Panel Discussion “Diverse Minds: Exploring Wellbeing and Community Support Through a Queer Lens”
Panelists: Akira (Psychological Team for Trans People), Justine (Rainbow Anti-GBV Center), Bea (Gender and Sexual Diversity Community), Arnold Liu (Psychological Counselor)
Moderator: Jenny Man Wu (Independent Director, Producer, and Curator)
How do we typically define wellbeing? Is the state of wellbeing always fixed? How can the gender and sexual orientation binaries be restructured in the realm of health?
Starting from the current state and challenges of the queer community's wellbeing, the panel discussion will discuss the pressures and difficulties faced by this group in addressing their mental and physical health issues. The panel will focus particularly on the health needs of transgender, non-binary, and individuals with diverse sexual orientations, highlighting the profound impact of social discrimination and exclusion on their mental health. Building on this, the panel will introduce queer theory from a decentralized perspective to re-examine the definition of health and wellbeing. Through a more inclusive and fluid lens, we aim to understand that wellbeing should not be confined to a single standard. This discussion will also explore the essential role of community support in enhancing the
psychological resilience, emotional care, and self-empowerment of the queer community.
We are inviting professional counselor, creator of inclusive spaces, leader of anti-violence initiatives, and activist serving the trans community to jointly explore the positive roles of psychological counseling and community power in improving the wellbeing of the queer community, fostering greater understanding and inclusiveness.
Film Screening “Sad Jokes” and Q&A
Fabian Stumm｜Germany｜2024｜Feature Film｜96 min｜German, English, Swedish, Italian｜Chinese and English Subtitles
Joseph and Sonya are connected through a close friendship and their young son Pino, whom they are raising together. While director Joseph is working on a new film idea and dealing with the breakup from his ex-boyfriend Marc, Sonya is suffering from depression, which is increasingly pulling her out of her life. When she ends up in a clinic, Joseph must juggle not only his family life but also his artistic ambitions. In his second feature film, author and director Fabian Stumm (Bones and Names) blends a variety of emotional tones into a tragicomic reflection of reality. Sad Jokes is absurd and banal, hopeful and touching, or – like in real life – all of these things at once.
Film Screening “UKI” (Director join the following panel)
