In its 2020 edition, Queer East Film Festival too offers its program online. The festival launched a charitable initiative to raise money to support independent cinemas. Welcome to the Queer East: HomeSexual Edition that features five programmes, with 17 feature and short films from 9 countries. Their stories celebrate inspiring queer activism and storytelling from East and Southeast Asia
“Shall We Dance” is part of Shorts 1: She/Her at Queer East HomeSexual Edition on Demand 18 April – 17 May
“Shall We Dance” sets a lazy sunny day mood. We enter a sunlit apartment, photographed in warm colours. The overall high exposition and soft focus only accent the ambient. The idyll of the moment is broken by the arrival of the second woman. It doesn't take long for a quarrel to start. After that, there is only one way this story can go.
“Shall We Dance” only shows a fragment of a story, just the moment. Yet, it offers all you need to know. Obviously, Hanni (Li Hanni) and Ziyou (Ke Ziyou) tiptoe one around the other for some time already. Always so close, yet separated. Glances turn into flares of jealousy but they go on tirelessly. In this film, it is the emotion that matters. That is also the way Chen puts it. The framing and staging follow and create walls, separating the two women sharing the room. The cinematography dictates not only tone but also the pace of this brief etude.
Following these lines, Li Hanni and Ke Ziyou's nuanced performances capture the past and the present of their characters. In small gestures, positions of the head or perfectly timed looks they express the awkwardness of the ritual development of the visit, suppressed feelings as well as the subtle changes in the mood.
Chen Pin-Ru's “Shall We Dance” uses little to tell a lot, a fragment to express the story. It shows the filmmaker's skills and also the joy of filmmaking. Thanks to finely tuned style and actresses' performances, this composition offer the just amount of amusement. Oh, there's also a wink to all of you, Asian cinema fans.
