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JOMEC Journal Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies JOMEC Journal Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies Published by Cardiff University Press From ‘Celluloid Comrades’ to ‘Digital Video Activism’: Queer Filmmaking in Postsocialist China Hongwei Bao The University of Nottingham, Department of Culture, Film and Media Email: [email protected] Keywords Queer Cinema China Identity Politics Abstract Although homosexuality was decriminalised in 1997 and partially depathologised in 2001, LGBTQ issues are still strictly censored in the Chinese media. With the rapid growth of China’s LGBTQ community, an increasing number of independent films featuring LGBTQ issues have emerged in the past two decades. In this article, I trace a brief history of queer cinema in the People’s Republic of China in the postsocialist era (1978 to present). In particular, I chart the significant turn from ‘celluloid comrades’, i.e. queer people being represented by heterosexual identified filmmakers in an ambiguous way, to what leading Chinese queer filmmaker Cui Zi’en calls ‘digital video activism’, in which LGBTQ individuals and groups have picked up cameras and made films about their own lives. In doing so, I unravel the politics of representation, the dynamics of mediated queer politics and the political potential of queer filmmaking in China. I suggest that in a country where public expressions of sexualities and demands for sexual rights are not possible, queer filmmaking has become an important form of queer activism that constantly negotiates with government censorship and the market force of commercialisation. Rather than representing a pre-existing identity and community, queer films and filmmaking practices have brought Chinese gay identities and communities into existence. Contributor Note Dr Hongwei Bao is Assistant Professor in Media Studies at the University of Nottingham, UK. He holds a PhD in Gender Studies and Cultural Studies from the University of Sydney, Australia. His research primarily focuses on gay identity and queer politics in contemporary China. He has published articles in Cultural Studies, Health, Culture and Society, Interventions: A Journal for Postcolonial Studies, and Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research. He is co-editor of Queer/Tongzhi China: New Perspectives on Research, Activism, and Media Cultures (with Elisabeth Engebresten and William Schroeder. Copenhagen: NIAS Press, 2015) and author of Queer Comrades: Gay Identity and Tongzhi Activism in Postsocialist China (Copenhagen: NIAS Press, forthcoming in 2018). Citation Bao, Hongwei. 2018. ‘From “Celluloid Comrades” to “Digital Video Activism”: Queer Filmmaking in Postsocialist China’. JOMEC Journal 12, 82–100. https://doi.org/10.18573/jomec.171. Accepted for publication 1st February 2018. www.cf.ac.uk/jomecjournal @JOMECjournal I. Introduction and sexual identities and build their communities. More importantly, in a Talking about queer filmmaking in the country where opportunities for People’s Republic of China immediately grassroots political mobilisation remain raises the question of its seeming limited and where LGBTQ issues stay impossibility. 1 Although homosexuality controversial, queer filmmaking has was decriminalised in 1997 and partially become an important part of China’s depathologised in 2001, homosexuality is ongoing LGBTQ activism; it has still largely seen as taboo in contributed to a changing landscape of contemporary Chinese society (Bao gender, sexuality and desires in today’s 2010a).2 The Chinese government bans China. public representation of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual and In this article, I trace a brief history of Queer) issues in mainstream media and queer cinema in the People’s Republic of social media. China’s media censorship China in the postsocialist era (1978 to 3 also applies to filmmaking: queer films present). In particular, I chart the have been excluded from accessing significant turn from ‘celluloid comrades’, public funds and gaining public i.e. queer people being represented by screening rights. Despite the heterosexual identified filmmakers in an aforementioned constraints, independ- ambiguous way, to what leading Chinese ent, or often known as underground, queer filmmaker Cui Zi’en calls ‘digital queer filmmaking is booming in China. video activism’, in which LGBTQ identified With the rapid growth of China’s LGBTQ individuals and groups pick up cameras 4 community, an increasing number of and make films about their own lives. In independent films featuring LGBTQ doing so, I unravel the politics of issues have emerged in the past two representation, the dynamics of decades. mediated queer politics and the political Despite the continuing existence of 3 I use the term ‘postsocialist’ and ‘post-Mao’ media censorship, films have contributed China/era interchangeably to refer to the to, and participated in, the way that historical period after Mao when China embraced capitalist economy and neoliberal ideologies. For LGBTQ people understand their gender a discussion of postsocialism in the Chinese context, see Lu, 2007; McGrath, 2008; Xudong Zhang, 2008. 1 An early version of this article appears as a blog entry (see Bao 2016). Unless otherwise stated, 4 I use the term ‘celluloid comrades’ to refer to ‘China’ in this chapter refers to the People’s implicit and often ambiguous representations of Republic of China, or Mainland China. For homosexuality in cinema. I have borrowed the discussions of queer filmmaking in Hong Kong, term ‘celluloid comrades’ from Song Hwee Lim’s Taiwan and diasporic Chinese contexts, see Fran 2006 book titled Celluloid Comrades, which Martin (2000), Song Hwee Lim (2006) and Helen probably got its inspiration from Vito Russo’s Hok-Sze Leung (2008). 1995 book titled The Celluloid Closet. 2 While I use LGBTQ as a shorthand to refer to all Unless otherwise specified, I use the hanyu pinyin sexual minorities, I acknowledge the limitations system of Romanisation unless the conventional and problems of such a ‘naming’ strategy. I hope spelling of a person’s name is otherwise, e.g. that this article can shed light on the complexity Stanley Kwan and Chou Wah-shan. I also follow of the ‘naming’ issue, especially in the Chinese the Chinese convention in spelling Chinese context. names, i.e. surnames first, followed by first names, e.g. Cui (surname) Zi’en (first name). 82 www.cf.ac.uk/jomecjournal @JOMECjournal potential of queer filmmaking in China. I to talk about ‘queer cinema’ in multiple suggest that in a country where public and contingent ways. expressions of sexualities and demands for sexual rights are not possible, queer Talking about ‘queer’ and ‘cinema’, as filmmaking has become an important well as the combination of the two, often form of LGBTQ activism that constantly conjures up a post-Cold War imagination negotiates with government censorship of China: with China’s entry into the and the market force of global neoliberal economy, both sexuality commercialisation. Rather than and media are also ‘opening up’ to representing a pre-existing identity and ‘global’ practices despite the long-lasting community, queer films and filmmaking constraints. Such an imaginary predicts practices have brought Chinese gay the complete ‘liberation’ of the two and identities and communities into the fully-fledged development of queer existence. representations in some unknown future, when China is fully incorporated into neoliberal capitalism. The ‘postsocialist II. Problematising queer cinema allegory of modernity’, in Lisa Rofel’s (2007) words, puts gender, sexuality and In this article, I use the term ‘queer desires at the core of the social cinema’ or ‘queer films’ loosely to imaginaries and ideological encompass a wide range of cinematic contestations, thus effectively legitimising representations and media practices the neoliberal present at the cost of the surrounding LGBTQ issues. I am aware of complete erasure of the socialist past the problems in talking about the ‘queer and its related social concerns. cinema’: both ‘queer’ and ‘cinema’ are vague and illusive terms whose The queer cinema in China is of meanings are open to debate and necessity a Leftist and socialist project resignification. Questions such as how that recognises the legacy of the past, as ‘queer cinema’ might be different from well as the democratising, participatory ‘lesbian and gay cinema’, and what is so and even utopian dimensions of media ‘queer’ about ‘queer cinema’, have engagements at the present. Such a triggered heated debates in academia project usually starts from the ‘pre- (Aaron 2004; Benshoff and Griffin 2004; queer’ era of the 1980s and 90s. Mennel 2012). This article makes no attempt to engage with these complicated debates; I hope to present III. ‘Celluloid comrades’ the complexity of the issue through unfolding a contested history of queer Although explicit depictions of filmmaking in contemporary China. homosexuality were banned in mainland However, if we acknowledge that films, China in the 1980s and 90s, LGBTQ- both in their traditional forms and in the themed films from overseas entered form of digital videos, have dealt with China in the form of pirated video LGBTQ issues in various ways, and that cassettes, VCDs and DVDs. At the same the term ‘queer’ (ku’er), in its ongoing time, many mainstream films were seen process of cultural translation, has a life by the LGBTQ audience as ‘queer’ for in contemporary China, it is still possible their homoerotic ‘subtexts’, or ‘hidden messages’, e.g. the display of male 83 www.cf.ac.uk/jomecjournal
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