Bad Women of China
Director:Xiaopei He
Screenwriter:Xiaopei He
Cast:Yunqin Li, Xiaopei He, Zhiqiao Zheng
Producer:Xiaopei He
Cinematographer:Yuan Yuan, Xiaopei He
Running Time:82mins
Region:China
Year:2021
Language:Chinese, English
Production Company:Pink Space
SYNOPSIS
The film documents the lives and desires of three generations of Chinese women since the 1920s.
Director Biography
Xiaopei He holds a Ph.D. degree in cultural studies and is an independent director. His works include: Our Marriages: Lesbians Marry Gay Men in China (42 min) which tells the story of four lesbian women’s marriage of convenience with gay men; The Lucky One (36 min) which shows female AIDS patients tell their personal stories of desire; Gay Cats (3 min), a sex story of two gay cats; Polyamorous Family (26 min), a multiracial, multinational, multigender family story; Love You Too (16 min) which documents the art project of discussing sexual desire with intellectually challenged people; Yvo and Chrissy (64 min), a story of two Britons giving up their inheritance as well as their birth gender and looking for an alternative life; Playmates (46 min) shows the childhood of two boys—one in rural Sichuan and the other in England—from the age of 2 to 10 and observes how they understand differences in class, race, nationality, sex, and gender; Happily Ever After (37 min) which revisits the four lesbian women in Our Marriages in northeast China to see how they build a queer family with their lesbian partner, gay husband, and the parents of two sides after their marriage of convenience. These innovative and deliberate family forms suggest a reflection on the mainstream concept of the family.
Director's Statement
Documenting women’s sexuality and desire is my creative intention. Women’s voices, experiences, and desires are often obscured and ignored by the mainstream media, and women themselves often unconsciously belittle their desires, ideals, and life experiences. It is precisely visual creation that can help women express their desires and cherish their personal needs and experiences. By documenting the stories, desires, and needs of women and other marginalized groups such as sex workers, people with disability, sexually discriminated persons, and people with HIV, the director’s desire is to express what is repressed.


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