ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival – Day 7: Queer Histories
June 24th
Theme: Queer Histories
For more details, please see the full Festival Program at shpride.com/films
East Palace, West Palace (1996 China)
Director: Zhang Yuan
20th Anniversary Screening featuring Q+A with a very special guest
On the edges of Beijing’s Forbidden City stand the East Palace and the West Palace, two public bathrooms and popular cruising grounds for the city’s gay men. Homosexuality isn’t illegal, but homosexuals are routinely persecuted by police and arrested for “hooliganism.” One night, a young gay writer named A-Lan is arrested and held in custody by an attractive policeman. Over the course of his interrogation, A-Lan tells the story of his life, his sexual becoming and his desire to be seen for who he is. As the dawn creeps in, both men find themselves changed forever.
Zhang Yuan’s tale of a policeman and a young gay man is one of the most beloved and important films in Chinese queer cinema. Released in 1996, it was the first film of its kind from the Mainland to explore explicitly homosexual themes. In the twentieth anniversary year, we pay tribute to the extraordinary production and huge legacy of East Palace West Palace.
Short Film
The Chrysalis (2015 China)
Director: Yi Ding
When Ding Yi’s boyfriend was pressured into marriage, he hired a French actress to play his girlfriend, and filmed the results.
Time: 7:00PM
Address: XIN CAFE 462 Changle Rd (near South Shaanxi Rd, inside United Valley)
If you want to learn more about the program, please follow ShanghaiPRIDE WeChat Account or athttp://shpride.com/films/
~生为平常 I Am Me~
