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Related: • AsianWeek's Picks for S.F. Lesbian and Gay Film Fest • Review of Drift

AW Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Highlights

Fleeing By Night

Ing’er has always been obsessed with opera. She is thrilled that a traveling performance troupe is temporarily billeted in her family’s home. When Shaodung, her fiancé, arrives from America, she excitedly drags him to the Chinese Kun opera “Lin Chung Flees by Night.” They are both captivated by the exquisite voice of the lead singer, who is so immersed in his role that he has adopted the character’s name and entire identity. Ing’er, Shaodung, and Lin Chung begin to spend time together, exploring a shared passion for music, and eventually find themselves in an ambiguous relationship. One night, Lin Chung and Shaodung are stranded together during a snowstorm, and nothing is ever the same. A sensuous delight to eyes and ears, this film from the makers of Eat Drink Man Woman offers a complex story of forbidden emotions that transcend time and place, as the characters struggle in unexpected ways to overcome the obstacles to love.

— Source: www.frameline.org

Fleeing By Night dir. Li-kong Hsu, Chi Yin 2000 Taiwan 123 min. Taiwanese with English subtitles.

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Iron Ladies

The macho world of Thai national sports competitions can’t quite fathom that butch coach Bee has assembled her “dream team” from this unlikely assortment of characters: Mon, the lovelorn transvestite; Jun, the raucous drag queen with wildly over-supportive parents; Nong, the muscle-bound make-up artist; Pia, the transsexual stage star with a fickle boyfriend; Wit, the “straight” player; and Chai, the reluctant mediator of his teammates’ frequent outbursts. Facing parental shame, homophobic violence, and public discrimination, this lovable crew struggles to become a cohesive unit. The improbable story of this misfit team, who against all odds make it to the Thai male national championships in 1996, is made even more fantastic by the fact that it is based on a true story. From the wacky animated gender-bending main titles to footage of the real “Iron Ladies” in the end credits, you’ll find yourself cheering from your seat.

— Source: www.frameline.org

Iron Ladies dir. Yongyooth Thongkonthun 2000 Thailand 104 min. Thai with English subtitles.