Sino Queer Short Film Festival
Lethe Flow and Nowhere Netherlands will co-host the "Sino Queer Short Film Festival", marking a fresh start for 2025. The festival will feature three short film collections under the following themes: "Rainbow Bridge" "Beyond Borders" "Queer Diaspora"
All the selected films are created by Sino-Queer filmmakers.
Jenny Man Wu, committee member of the Beijing Queer Film Festival (@beijingqueer ), will bring recent years' featured films from BQFF to Europe. Additionally, director Kit Hung (@kithunghk ) will showcase several exceptional works produced through the Queers Across The Waves - Queer Filmmaking Talent Development Programme. Kit will also attend in person to introduce and share insights about these films. Some of the participating directors will join us online for interactive discussions with the audience! Can’t wait to see you there!
Ticket Information: €10 for each session, €20 for the Whole Day Pass;
1st Jan to 7th Jan, limited to the Whole Day Pass.
8th Jan to 18th Jan, both kinds of tickets are available.
All the films are with Chinese and English subtitles;
We will have discussions with the director(s) online after every session of screening.
Agenda
13:00 - 15:00 First Session Rainbow Bridge Screening
15:00 - 15:30 Q&A
15:30 - 16:00 Break
16:00 - 17:30 Second Session Beyond Borders Screening
17:30 - 18:00 Q&A
18:00 - 19:30 Break
19:30 - 21:00 Third Session Queer Diaspora Screening
21:00 - 21:45 Q&A
Introduction of Third Session Queer Diaspora
How do diasporic experiences of Chinese individuals influence their queer identity and expression? What latent connections exist between cultural memory and queer representation? This program showcases six short films that enrich the singular narrative of queer identity, reimagining queer subjectivity through the interplay of culture, field, and personal identity. These multidimensional expressions turn diasporic experiences into significant opportunities for redefining Chinese queer identity, while resonating with broader intersections of queer culture and globalization. From inner loneliness to cultural displacement, from philosophical reflection to intimate relationships, these films capture the intricate emotions of queer individuals seeking belonging and self-redefinition.
At the same time, these films reveal how queerness functions as a force to counter the silencing of subjects within the diasporic condition. This silencing is not merely a linguistic struggle but reflects the marginalization and erasure of identities within dominant narratives. Here, Hopefully and Frozen Out both draw on themes of migration and dislocation, exploring how queer identity is reconsidered or redefined in foreign lands. In the fissures of cultural and social frameworks, the protagonists strive to find a sense of belonging. Their diasporic experiences deepen their understanding of their queer identity while challenging the boundaries of identity itself. Flying Fish blends reality and fiction, reevaluating the connections between drag performance and childhood memory, showing how cultural memory and queer self-discovery intertwine. Wegen Hegel uses philosophy and desire as its narrative thread, exploring the conflicts of loneliness, free will, and reality during the pandemic, with ‘Asian queer' identity becoming a lens through which self-reflection unfolds. The Parisian in Bali Village and Water Under the Bridge approach the themes of identity dislocation and cultural recognition from another angle. These films explore how queer individuals seek new modes of expression within the cultural framework of their homeland and how globalization shapes their queer identities.
Through visual expression, queer subjects reclaim their voices in diverse ways: they leverage personal narratives and artistic practices to transcend societal constraints and infuse new meaning into their diasporic experiences. In this struggle, queer identity emerges not only as a form of self-affirmation but also as a creative tool for rebuilding a sense of belonging. These short films aim to provide viewers, especially those navigating their own diasporic conditions, with a profound dialogue on singular identities, diaspora, and belonging.
– Curator Jenny Man Wu
3 - Queer Diaspora
3-1 Here, Hopefully
Hao Zhou | 11min | 2022
Zee, a nonbinary aspiring nurse from China, strives to build a gender-affirming life in rural Iowa, US. After graduating from nursing school, they work tirelessly to pass their licensure exam in hopes of obtaining a work visa.
3-2 Frozen Out
Hao Zhou | 5min | 2021
An émigré retreats to frozen prairies and swamps, hoping to find a meaningful story and escape the anxieties of dislocation. Delivered as a film-letter to the protagonist’s sister in rural China.
3-3 Flying Fish
Mengmeng Ming | 10min | 2024
The film combines real family archives with fictional narratives to explore the complex journey of self-discovery and gender identity. I found many artistic photos from my childhood, which made me realize certain connections between photo studios and drag performances. In a fictional studio, I discovered a group of crocodile companions, where all the crocodiles could dance freely…
3-4 Wegen Hegel
Popo Fan | 15min | 2023
“The real is rational, and the rational is real”, says German Philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. But when the pandemic hits Germany, everything changes. Chinese student PING just started his philosophy studies and faces many obstacles: hostility, loneliness, lockdown. On a dating app he receives spicy photos from MAX, who proposes a “social distance hook-up”. Ping is excited and embarks on his adventure. Offered a mysterious drug, he is about to have sex, when he suddenly notices a book by Hegel. It sucks him into a drug induced reflection about free will and reality, which kills the vibe of the moment. He flees after an argument and loses himself in the drug experience. The next morning, he makes another unexpected discovery – and all that because of Hegel (Wegen Hegel).
3-5 The Parisian in Bali Village
Bingxing Cen | 15min | 2023
Li Simiao, a girl who lives in Bali Village, Chengdu, China, has never traveled abroad. But she is convinced that she is a true Parisian at heart. And many others like her share the sense of "hometown disorder"...
3-6 Water Under the Bridge
Yichuan Zhan g| 16min | 2023
Two girls, returning to their hometown, Yibin, for different reasons, matched on Tinder. They were each contemplating their next steps: one had just lost her job in Beijing and moved back home, while the other was on vacation after returning from the United States. One of the girls’ question brought their thoughts together: would the world change us, or would we change ourselves? During their date, questions and discussions gradually revealed the issues between them. The river and the passing train illuminated their relationship.
Content Warning
Please note that some of the films contain images of nudity, sexual content, and scenes that may involve sexual violence. These themes are integral to the storytelling and provide important context for the experiences explored in the films. Viewer discretion is advised.
Click here to find more about the program.