Screening international queer cinema in China

Guo, T. and Evans, J. (2023) Screening international queer cinema in China. Transnational Screens, 14(3), pp. 217-235. (doi: 10.1080/25785273.2023.2231754)

Abstract

Given the restricted number of foreign films which can be officially screened in Mainland China and restrictions on the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in visual media, international queer cinema tends to be screened at non-theatrical events such as film festivals, film clubs and café screenings. Building on existing work on Chinese film festival studies, this article draws attention to the wider ecosystem of screening practices in China, which engage with international queer film culture through their choice of films and also their mediations of LGBTQ+ cultures. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork, this article examines how such events navigate language difference through translation, how they engage audiences through discussion or other means, and how they participate in the pink economy. The sorts of negotiation of meaning taking place demonstrate the complexity of transcultural queer cinema practices. The reception of films in translation leads to a notion of queer cinema in China as a cosmopolitan but local activity that contributes to local worldmaking practices.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK, under grant number AH/S00209X/1.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Evans, Dr Jonathan
• Authors: Guo, T., and Evans, J.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures
• Journal Name: Transnational Screens
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 2578-5273
• ISSN (Online): 2578-5265
• Published Online: 06 September 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Author(s).
• First Published: First published in Transnational Screens 14(3):217-235
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license