MacGyver taught us two things: first, plans are great, but something always goes wrong. Second, there’s always an alternative solution close by. In a year that’s been one big, wild and brutal episode, FFi has been converted into a hybrid festival. In fact, the 14th Slovak Queer Film Festival (FFi) is taking place in cinemas Kino Lumière in Bratislava and Úsmev in Košice through 14 – 19 October 2020, and through 20 – 25 October 2020.
We’re so excited to share with you, though limited, yet intriguing FFi selection of Asian films: three features in the Queer Asia section and one short film in the Shorts section.
Relationships after 50 is the subject of Hong Kong’s Suk Suk (d. Ray Yeung), a film about two retirement-age men who bravely take the chance to come out, at least to each other. This contrasts with the story of a gradually unfolding bond between two young men, set in a Catholic school at the end of Taiwan’s martial law era, in the Sydney Pollack, Wong Kar-wai and Alan Parker-influenced romance Your Name Engraved Herein (d. Liu Kuang-Hui). Whereas in Taiwan same-sex marriage is legally enshrined, in Hong Kong homosexuality is still quite taboo.
The documentary Queer Japan (d. Graham Kolbeins) takes audiences on a fascinating, illuminating journey through various corners of LGBTQ+ Japan, from the art world, manga and the club scene to movements for LGBTQ+ people’s human rights. In the process, you’ll also learn that while hentai sex might include octopuses, its image of sexuality is actually ridiculously conservative.
Presented within the Shorts: Self-discovery block, Military dog (d. Wang Ping-Wen) leads us into the life of a soldier discovering his submissive side.
