''Queer China, 'Comrade' China'' (), directed by Cui Zi’en, is a 2008 independent Chinese documentary about

homosexuality in China Homosexuality has been documented in China since ancient times. According to one study by Bret Hinsch, for some time after the fall of the Han dynasty, homosexuality was widely accepted in China but this has been disputed. Several early Chinese ...

. The film features interviews with prominent academics and activists. Interviewees include the film's director

Cui Zi'en Cui Zi'en (), born 1958, in Harbin in the People's Republic of China, is a film director, producer, film scholar, screenwriter, novelist and an outspoken LGBT activist based in Beijing. He graduated from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences wi ...

, actress and activist

Shitou The Stone City () is the site of an ancient fortified city within Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. Almost all of the original city is gone; all that remains are portions of the massive city wall. History The original town was built during the ...

, sociologist

Li Yinhe Li Yinhe ( zh, t=李銀河, s=李银河, p=Lǐ Yínhé; née Li Sanfan; born February 4, 1952) is a Chinese sociologist, sexologist, and activist for LGBT rights in China. Her main academic interests have been sexual norms in contemporary Ch ...

and director Zhang Yuan. It covers 80 years of evolution of Chinese attitudes on LGBTQ people, ending with the proposed 2003 Same-sex Marriage Bill.

Film Content

Organization

The film consists of 11 "chapters" that discuss aspects and periods of homosexuality in China. Topics discussed include the decriminalization of homosexuality, its removal as a mental illness, the development of

queer theory Queer theory is a field of post-structuralist critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of queer studies (formerly often known as gay and lesbian studies) and women's studies. The term "queer theory" is broadly associated with the study a ...

in China, and the appearance of gay people on Chinese television shows.

Interviewees

In order of appearance: *

* Qin Shide * Zhang Beichuan * Fuxi *

* Guo Xiaofei * Tongge * Pan Suiming * Zhou Dan * Cheng Qingsong * Bai Yonggbin * Zhen Li * Zhang Yi *

Lisa Rofel Lisa Rofel is an American anthropologist, specialising in feminist anthropology and gender studies. She received a B.A. from Brown University, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University, and is now professor emirata at the University o ...

Qiao Qiao Qiao Qiao ( zh, s=乔乔, p=Qiáo Qiáo; born c. 1980) is a Chinese singer. The first openly lesbian artist in China, she released her first single called "Ai Bu Fen" (爱不分), which translates as "Love does not discriminate", in 2006. A vide ...

* Guo Yaqi * Xu Bin * Zhitong * Binglan * DongDong * Xiangqi * Fan Popo * Mai Kiang * Zhao Jing * Gogo *

Chung To Chung To (; born 1966 or 1967) is a Chinese AIDS activist. He founded the Chi Heng Foundation (CHF) in 1998, which primarily serves AIDS orphans in Hong Kong and mainland China. Early life and education Chung To was born in British Hong Ko ...

Paul Crook Paul Crook (born February 12, 1966) is an American guitarist known for recording and performing with Meat Loaf. He has also recorded and toured with Anthrax, Sebastian Bach and Marya Roxx. Biography Growing up in Green Brook Township, New ...

* Huang YingYing * Xu Gehui * Ming Ming * Hao Ting * Da Wei * Wei Jiang Jiang * Gao Yanning * Zhang Yuan * Yang Yang * Li Yu * Meng Nuo * Zhu Ri Kun * Wang Wo

Awards, nominations, and honors

Pusan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held from ...

**Official Selection * 24th Turino GLBT Film Festival **Audience Award Best Documentary *

Shanghai PRIDE Shanghai Pride () is a Chinese LGBT NGO who organize LGBT pride events in Shanghai, mainly in the form of art exhibitions and film projections. It was one of the first LGBT event to take place in mainland China. The events organized by the NGO i ...

**Opening Night Film *

Beijing Queer Film Festival Beijing Queer Film Festival (BJQFF), (), is an LGBT film festival, held annually in Beijing, the capital city of the People's Republic of China. It was the first LGBT film festival to be established in mainland China, founded in 2001 by the Chines ...

**Official Selection

References

External links