Guo Shang-Sing's short film “Swinging” talks about friendship, love and prejudice. With his slightly exalted and colorful production, he manages to give to the partly tragic story a tender and playful touch.
Qiu Qiu is a cheeky boy who is in love with the girl Zhen. Because another boy tests his courage, he lifts her skirt and exposes her. The teacher calls his parents to complain about him. Qiu Qiu has two fathers. His biological father has separated from his mother and is now married to another man. When the latter shows up at school, he is openly ridiculed by the children, as well as by Qiu Qiu's teacher. They think he is effeminate and weak.
The relationship between Qiu Qiu and his new father is difficult. Because of his two fathers, the boy is teased at school and therefore retaliates at home by disobeying his parents. Even though Qiu Qiu's father is offended by this behavior, he realizes that the boy is a victim of people's narrow-mindedness just like himself used to be and still is.
This short film, both humorous and thought-provoking, is about these prejudices. Tightly narrated and quickly staged, it deals with classic gender patterns and offers an alternative view of them. Although the actors show a slightly eccentric acting, they still maintain a balance between seriousness and self-irony. The presence of the young actors, who harmonize excellently, is very striking.
Faithful to the film's title, the director accompanies the images with a swinging jazz music. It gives the movie an additional dynamic and underlines the self-determined and combative character of the protagonists. At various points, the film seems a bit cheesy, even though it is basically cute and therefore overall convincing.
