Queering the Chinese Diaspora: Shorts selected by the Beijing Queer Film Festival

Four bold shorts from Chinese diaspora filmmakers, which explore queer migration, identity and imagination – curated by the trailblazing Beijing Queer Film Festival.

Here, Hopefully 希望在哪里
Dir. Hao Zhou 周豪 , 2022, Mandarin Chinese, Hunan dialect, English, with English subtitles, 11 mins
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.

The Parisian in Bali Village 巴黎人在八里庄
Dir. Bingxing Cen 岑冰星 , 2023, Mandarin Chinese, Sichuan dialect with English subtitles, 15 mins
Li Simiao, a girl who lives in Bali Village, Chengdu, China, has never travelled abroad. But she is convinced that she is a true Parisian at heart. And many others like her share the sense of “hometown disorder” …

Flying Fish 会飞的鱼
Dir. Mengmeng Ming 明萌萌, 2024, Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles
The film combines real family archives with fictional narratives to explore the complex journey of self-discovery and gender identity. Portraying the fluidity of memories, Flying Fish also reflects the societal pressures and performativity of gender.

Outpicker
Dir. Lesley Le Luo, 2024, Mandarin Chinese and English with English Subtitles
A Chinese queer immigrant finds the sense of belonging in Victoria through litter picking with other queer women. Outpicker was the winner of the VicScreen Best Director of an Australian Short at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival in 2024.

Curated by the Beijing Queer Film Festival.