Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams, Shinjuku Boys, film still, 1995.
[ID: film still showing three East Asian transgender men in different coloured suits. From left to right, their suits are coloured pink, blue-grey, red. The photo is high contrast and taken with flash on a Tokyo street at night.]
6.20pm Thursday 23rd September
On the 23rd of September, join us for a screening of a collection of contemporary and classic documentaries that seek to generate debate around popular conceptions of gender expression, challenging commonly-accepted standards of bodily beauty. The programme is followed by a Q&A with Shinjuku Boys director Kim Longinotto.
Queer East is an LGBTQ+ film festival that showcases rarely-seen queer cinema from East and Southeast Asia. Seeking to amplify the voices of Asian communities in the UK, the festival explores the forces that have shaped the current queer landscape in Asia, and aims to encourage more inclusive narratives. The second edition of Queer East Film Festival takes place across London from 15 to 26 September, with three dates here at The Horse Hospital on the 17th, 23rd, and 24th.
FATbulous Me (2021), dir. Chia-Hsuan Tsai [19 mins, Taiwan] - ‘Being fat’ often has negative connotations and is seen as a state that needs to be changed. Amy and Mallie suffered much frustration before learning to live in harmony with their bodies and advocating for body equality.
Moving In Between (2020), dir. Chia-Hsuan Tsai [32 mins, Taiwan] - This documentary follows Erika’s gender transition as she moves between Taiwan and Japan, and undergoes sex reassignment surgery. Moving in Between illuminates the journeys of transgender people fighting their way through the social system.
Shinjuku Boys (1995) dir. Kim Longinotto [53 mins, Japan, United Kingdom] - The Shinjuku Boys are three onnabe - Japanese women who live as men - working as hosts at a Tokyo nightclub for female clients. They dress like men and behave like men, a lifestyle that is not appreciated in Japan. Filmed at home and at work, they speak frankly about their lives, their hopes and their sexuality. Gaish acts tough and has many girlfriends, but in his heart, he is afraid of becoming lonely. Tatsu lives with his girlfriend. Kazuki has a relationship with a man who has chosen to live as a woman. The young women who come to the club often have relationships with the boys, but their underlying fear is whether such a relationship can withstand the pressures on a girl to get married and have children. This documentary from 1995 explores the complexities of sexuality in modern Japan.
Total Running Time: 105 min
Tickets available via the link below:
The Horse Hospital is hosting five programmes as part of Queer East Film Fest 2021. Tickets for each screening can be bought separately, or you can purchase a “QE2021 X THH Pass” that gives you full access to all events held here, plus 10% off drinks.
Save time and money - five programmes, one pass, only £22.50.
[ID: Light grey text against a bright blue background. The text reads ‘QUEER EAST FILM FESTIVAL 2021’]