In a sleepy town in China, a middle-aged man is unwilling to endure a stagnant existence, and experiencing true love, decides to come out of the closet. Meanwhile, a lesbian couple go in search of a gay man, in order to get married and have a child. Behind these fiery love stories lies an absurd drama about identity politics, as these lonely souls struggle with the legacy of the communist past.
Zhang Zhiyong gives a superb performance in the lead role and won Best Actor at the Golden Horse Awards, where the film was nominated in all the major categories; it also won best cinematography and editing. Stylising daily reality with a biting black humour, director Geng Jun subtly critiques popular assumptions about gender roles, social etiquette, and what is considered age-appropriate behaviour.
Queer East
A cross-disciplinary festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities. Queer East On the Road 2025 brings this diverse programme to 15 cities across the UK
Director Geng Jun
Year 2024
Duration
1h 56m
Language Mandarin with English Subtitles
Cast Zhang Zhiyong, Xu Gang