While many queer individuals from the Chinese diaspora often struggle with their gender and sexual identities, some found in Hong Kong a relatively friendlier haven to discover and grow — one in which they could live and thrive as their ‘true selves’.
Here are some of their stories — in light of enormous challenges that remain ahead.
Candle Leung - Jean-Luc Bonefacino Jean-Luc is an award-winning director and producer based in Asia for more than 10 years. He has worked in France, Hong Kong, Peking, Shanghai, Canton, Taiwan, Singapore... in advertising for international brands (Louis Vuitton, Accor Hotels, ING...), in movies with renown directors (Olivier Assayas, Pang Ho-Cheung...), as well as with international TV stations: TV5 Monde (France), Channel 4 (UK), NBCUniversal (USA), Hunan TV (China), Netflix... He created Mar Vivo Films, an indie production house in Hong Kong who received several international awards (movie festivals, advertising).
Director Statement
I have been living in Hong Kong and China for more than 10 years, and I always heard friends telling me that the Chinese tradition goes against homosexuality or gender fluidity. But in fact, looking at the ancient Chinese culture and art, you can find many stories or "gay/lesbian-related" themes, and you would be surprised that the Chinese language doesn't even differentiate He and She.
In this film, I wanted to confront this contradiction in a visually entertaining and thought-provoking way.
Comments