Film Review: Showroom is proud to bring five exciting titles to Sheffield

As part of their UK-wide “On the Road” tour, Showroom Cinema is proud to bring five exciting titles from the programme to Sheffield.

Featuring documentary, comedy, and drama, plus an essential arthouse classic, from across five different countries, the season will highlight the diverse experiences of queer people across the Asian continent.

The programme kicks off on Saturday 11 November with DIY documentary Bad Women of China. Consisting of intimate conversations between the director, her mother, and her daughter, the film helps to portray the ever-shifting social and political pressures experienced by Chinese women of all sexualities.

The screening will be followed by a virtual Q&A with director He Xiaopei, live from China, hosted by Dr Xi Liu from University of Sheffield’s School of East Asian Studies.

Our film on Monday 13 November takes a different direction. Hilarious Filipino rom-com I Love You, Beksman is a unique “coming out” story. Dali is a fashion designer within a large queer community. But when he falls for beauty queen Angel, he must speak his truth – he’s straight!

Moving from the Philippines to Japan on Thursday 16 November, Let Me Hear It Barefoot is a coming-of-age story that explores the masculine repression of emotions and desire. The film explores how two teenage boys use their senses of sight, sound, and touch, to express themselves without words. This screening will be accompanied by a special recording from the director Kudo Riho.

Peafowl is a South Korean offering on Monday 20 November that tells the story of transgender woman Shin-myung. When her estranged father dies, she is called back to her rural hometown to participate in a traditional dance ceremony. This screening will be introduced Dr Gemma Ballard, University of Sheffield, to tell us more about the Korean culture portrayed in the film.

Rounding off a brilliant festival on 23 November is a critically acclaimed classic from Taiwanese auteur Tsai Ming-Liang. His debut film, Rebels of the Neon God, is considered a masterpiece, telling the parallel stories of two young men during a transformative moment in Taipei’s history. Festival Director of Queer East, Yi Wang will introduce the film to explain its context and allow us to reflect on how the world has changed for LGBTQ+ people across time and place.

Tickets and more information can be found here: https://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/queereast2023