And it’s not your everyday Chinese documentary.
I wrote a long time ago about the difficulties gays face in China (I know, a lot has changed since I wrote that in 2002) as well as the unacknowledged crisis of AIDS in China – another topic this filmmaker has focused on in her documentary The Blood of Yingzhou District. It’s good to see these topics come into the mainstream.
Update: Here is the link to the web site of Tongzhi in Love. The movie is on the short list – the nominations haven’t been announced yet. Sorry for the initial mistake.
1
By Raj
Don’t suppose you’ve seen it, have you? Sounds interesting – hope it gets a fair consideration.
October 11, 2008 @ 5:45 pm | Comment
2
By Richard
No, just heard about it today. I’m sure it won’t be running at any of the local movie theaters.
October 11, 2008 @ 5:56 pm | Comment
3
By lensovet
i’m sorry, i must have missed the relationship.
regardless, this article is an interesting read on that relationship potentially existing.
October 12, 2008 @ 1:40 am | Comment
4
By Richard
The relationship is that the filmmaker made a documentary about AIDS in China, and a documentary about gays in China. The now-deleted comment that accused me of claiming AIDS is a “homosexual disease” was certifiably insane, as I never said any such thing and she missed the entire point – that a filmmaker has had the courage to make two separate documentaries about two separate taboo topics, AIDS in China, and gays in China. That comment is gone because it came from one of the three or four commenters who are permanently banned for crimes against humanity.
October 12, 2008 @ 10:27 am | Comment
5
By Richard
And Lensovet, I have read Fumento’s book and I believe he does make some valid (and incredibly controversial) points, BUT… if you read my own post on AIDS in China (the link is in the post above) you will see that indeed gay sex is absolutely NOT the main cause of the spread of AIDS here. It is contaminated needles used for blood collection (a practice that has seen considerable reform since I wrote the piece in 2003) and injection drug users.
October 12, 2008 @ 10:30 am | Comment
6
By Jason Lee
Thanks. I will look this film up.
I also recommend James West’s new book, Beijing Blur. West is a young gay Australian journalist who devotes at least three entire chapters to Beijing’s emerging gay scene. I reviewed his book a month or two ago on my site, if you’re interested.
October 12, 2008 @ 5:03 pm | Comment
7
By Shanghai Slim
Thanks for this heads-up, Richard! I had not heard of this film.
Hope all is well up there in the Big Jing. 🙂
October 12, 2008 @ 8:30 pm | Comment
8
By Edward Spodick
“The Blood of Yingzhou District” played a cople times her in Hong Kong a few months back and I had the opportunity to see it. Very impressive, and moving. An excellent documentary which I would highly recommend to anyone. I will be watching for ‘Tongzhi in Love’ in case it makes a showing.
October 13, 2008 @ 9:08 am | Comment
9
By lensovet
thanks Richard.
i looked a bit into some of his more recent writing, and now i feel a lot more skeptical about his AIDS stuff. regardless, good to know about the Chinese side of the causes issue.
October 14, 2008 @ 11:56 am | Comment