Queer Asian Stories
Queer Asian Stories
April 1, 12:00 AM – April 30, 11:59 PM
Xerb.tv
$10.00
This is a virtual event. All shorts programs will be available between April 1-30, 2021 and all feature films will be available for ten days between April 8-18, 2021.
Featuring new sparks and tragic separations, please join us in celebrating queer Asian identities in this year's queer Asian shorts program. Curated by Sheen Hui and Jenny Xie.
A Cohabitation
In 2013 Taipei, a gay, interracial couple who just moved in together are forced to separate because one of them who is a Malaysian has HIV and is forced to be deported. Content Warning
Directed by Tung Wei Ye, 2019, 18 min, Malaysia, Mandarin/Chinese with English subtitles, G
Directed by Tung Wei Ye 18 m Mandarin/Chinese with English subtitles Malaysia
Between Us
Kei longs for a “normal” life in rural Japan. But for a transgender man who is jobless in his own hometown, getting to normal is one steep climb, especially since Erin, his Canadian partner, longs to move to Tokyo, where they can live openly and freely. On his way to a job interview in the city, Kei meets a stranger. Abandoning his journey to help her, he discovers she is the owner of the hot springs—a place he once loved, as a child. Kei's encounter with the healing waters is complicated by Erin’s turning up as well. Finally, the couple—one on the men's side, the other, on the women's—must face the truth about their divergent wishes, identities, and murky notions of belonging.
Directed by Cailleah Scott-Grimes, 2020, 18 min, Japan, English/Japanese with English subtitles, T/Q
Directed by Cailleah Scott-Grimes 18 m English/Japanese with English subtitles Japan
Halwa
On the eve of her wedding anniversary, empty-nester Sujata Chopra attempts to find some joy in her broken marriage, until she learns about the passing of her childhood companion’s spouse on Facebook. Having been disconnected from this woman for over 30 years over a misunderstanding, Sujata finds the courage to reach out to send her condolences. They reconnect, sparking friction when Sujata’s controlling husband, Dr. Chopra, finds out.
Directed by Gayatri Bajpai, Nirav Bhakta, 2019, 15 min, USA, English, L
Content Warning: Domestic Violence
Directed by Gayatri Bajpai 15 m English USA
Blue Suit
When a surprise party interrupts his plans, an anxious man has to find a private moment to confess his feelings for his friend before he moves away the next day.
Directed by Kevin J. Nguyen, 2020, 16 min, USA, English, G
Directed by Kevin J. Nguyen 16 m English USA
God's Daughter Dances
A transgender female dancer, Shin-mi, gets a call from the Military Manpower Administration, to attend the Military Service Examination. Shin-mi, with everything she has, takes the steps to face them.
Directed by Sungbin Byun, 2020, 25 min, Republic of Korea, Korean with English subtitles, T
Content Warning: Transphobia
Directed by Sungbin Byun 25 m Korean with English subtitles Republic of Korea