Taiwanese Queer Cinema
Queer cinema: many aesthetics, human stories, and emotions. At Five Flavours, we often demonstrate that cinema has the power to change reality by showcasing the stories of unique protagonists and different points of view. This time, we take a look at stories from Taiwan, whose society is believed to be one of the most progressive in Asia.
In 2019,Taiwan was the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriages. Cinema and pop culture are often named as two of the catalysts that brought about the change in the Taiwanese society’s approach to this matter. The program of the section presents films touching upon various aspects of the lives of LGBTIQ+ community, and representing a wide variety of forms and genres.
The Taiwanese Queer Cinema Section includes seven titles – today we are announcing four of them! They include “Alifu, The Prince/ss,” a phenomenal portrayal of a clash between the big city culture of Taipei with the lifestyle of the local aboriginal tribes. Together with the protagonists of “As We Like It” we find ourselves in an idyllic land of no genders. In “Dear Tenant,” we will face the legal intricacies of a same-sex couple raising a baby. The classic “Eternal Summer,” very important to the local community, will take us to the world of teenage loves and dilemmas of the first serious relationships.
Debate
Taiwanese society is regarded as one of the most progressive on the Asian continent, but the road to today's state of affairs has not been easy. Traditional values, the extremely important social function of the conservative family model and intergenerational ties, strong local communities attached to customs that have been handed down for a century - this is still Taiwanese everyday life.
Cinema and pop culture are cited as factors that have supported the LGBTIQ+ community's quest for equal rights. How has this been possible? What narratives and ways of storytelling help build bridges between groups with exclusionary views? And does Wang Yu-lin's “Alifu” have anything in common with Łukasz Ronduda's “Fears”?
Debate: Daniel from Kurówko, Alifu from Taitung: tradition, localism, LGBTIQ+
Partners
Our Section Partner is Kampania Przeciw Homofobii (Campaign Against Homophobia).
Section Media Partner: Noizz
