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发帖数: 1822 | 1 Friday, July 8, 2011
Asia's gay film scene opens Tokyo up to brave new experiences
By KAORI SHOJI
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ff20110708a4.html
Special to The Japan Times
Now in its fourth year, the Asian Queer Film Festival is an eye-
opener
for anyone who has thought that "queers" have a bad time in their quest
for
love and freedom in Asia.
The AQFF is a small, two-weekend affair that opens July 8 at the
Cinemart
Roppongi theater in Tokyo and runs until Sunday, picking up again the
following weekend.
With a total of six days and 26 programs (consisting of shorts and
features)
, the AQFF may not have much notoriety, but it has amassed a staunch fan
base and helped spread the news that Asia may be less uptight about
liberal/
gay issues than many of us had thought.
The Southeast Asian film industry clearly has an advantage over the
north —
Thailand makes up for a lack of big-budget films with great story lines
and
a relaxed, open attitude toward gay sexuality. Saratsawadee
Wongsomphet's "
Yes or No, So I Love You" is a case in point: An honest and insightful
depiction of lesbian relationships at a Bangkok university, the story
brims
with girlish audacity and the confusing but joyous sensations that make
up
youthful desire. It helps, of course, that the cuteness level of its
cast
could sink the frontline battalions of AKB48. The girls here are stylish
without effort, willfully separating themselves from both commercialism
and
male-dictated standards of femininity.
It's also a revelation to see gay films coming out of mainland China,
which
until only 10 to 15 years ago had banned sexually explicit everything. A
must-see is the festival's closing film, Francois Chang's "Bad Romance."
A
tale of seven men and women and their migrating sexual relationships (
culminating in many intriguing combinations), unfolding against the
backdrop
of an increasingly glamorous Beijing, "Bad Romance" has been described
as
an "orgasmic experience" by a Singaporean critic. Twenty-four-year-old
director/writer Chang spent his childhood in France, and it shows in his
characters' excessive ardor, offset by periods of near-silent ennui.
Another surprise is "When Hainan Meets Teochew," which hails from
business-
is-booming Singapore. A transgender comedy by Han Yew Kwang, its
nonsensical
plotline and sexual pranks/innuendoes will have you in stitches. For
more
sophisticated viewers, the story may seem a bit too naive; but when you
consider that Singapore's film industry had been virtually nonexistent
until
the new millennium, it's a wonder that such a liberated piece of cinema
has
been released there at all. "When Hainan Meets Teochew" opens the AQFF
on
just the right note — preparing the viewer for the conviction that love
can
happen among men, women and those who fall in neither category.
A distinct notable is "The Secrets," by Israeli Avi Nesher. Addressing
the
issue of traditional religion within a (possibly) lesbian relationship,
"The
Secrets" is rich and dense, with an aftertaste of bitter chocolate. The
story charts the emotional ups and downs of two young women studying at
a
temple in Israel, and their mutual secret admiration for a mysterious
woman
living across the street from their dormitory (portrayed by iconic
French
actress Fanny Ardant). This is quality entertainment with an underlying
message about love and its many guises, tenderly construed by a seasoned
filmmaker.
AQFF Director Miho Iri says the word "queer" in the festival's title is
not
a spoof or an indication of defiance but "a celebration of all sexual
minorities including gays, lesbians and transgenders, and everyone who
wishes to live freely, unhampered by conventions."
She hopes the festival will mature into a vehicle with a broader
outlook, to
include works from the Middle East, from immigrant Asian filmmakers
working
in the United States and Europe, or even from gay filmmakers who have
come
out about their identities but whose works aren't necessarily about
homosexuality.
"People in sexual minorities have suffered under categorizations for so
long
," says Iri. "We hope the AQFF will in time become less about the title
and
more about relaxing restrictions of every kind."
Unfortunately, there are no Japanese films shown at AQFF. Iri says that
in
the festival's search for "queer films" across Asia, Japan finished last
in
terms of numbers. "There aren't that many Japanese queer films out
there,"
says Iri.
She says also that Japanese films dealing with gay characters have a
tendency to dwell on the subject's dark underside, or simply escape to
stereotypes.
"We hope that the Japanese media will come to ditch the notion that
being
gay is condensed to the issue of coming out, and for us to see in-depth
stories about everyday living, or loving relationships in a broader
sense,"
says Iri.
In her opinion, the beacon of light in the Japanese gay film industry is
Ryosuke Hashiguchi, who has the distinction of being a sexual minority
working in a mainstream environment.
"But the burden is too heavy for just one person to bear," says Iri. "We
need to see a lot more filmmakers like Mr. Hashiguchi."
The Asian Queer Film Festival runs July 8-10 and 15-17 at Cinemart
Roppongi,
Tokyo. All films have English and Japanese subtitles, unless the film
itself is in English.
http://www.aqff.jp/2011/home.html
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