There are LGBTQ movies from China so this makes no sense. One of my favorites is Lan Yu (藍宇) from 2001. Most of the characters are gay men and the plot is even critical of how the army handled the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident.

Did y'all learn about what China is like from Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons or what

[–] shoop@lemmy.ml 30 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The wiki explains that most of the crew from this movie is from mainland China, however it was made by a Hong Kong director and was filmed without permission from the government.

It explicitly states

at the time, no mainland Chinese publisher would have published it, nor would the author be safe from government reprisals. Hence, its anonymous publication on the Internet.

The film did had a brief showing run in December 2001, at Peking University, where interest by Chinese citizens was quite high, selling out the showings.

[–] autismdragon@hexbear.net 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Peking University

In Beijing

Sounds like the oppressive Chinese government allowed them to show the movie.

[–] shoop@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

From the Beijing film festival wiki

The Festival originated from Peking University, and is considered to be "the only community-based non-governmental film festival in China with a special focus on gender and sexuality"

[–] autismdragon@hexbear.net 30 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Didnt say it was a government event. Said the governemnt would implicitly have had to allowed it to happen, or it wouldn't have. Or at least, thats what people who think the Chinese government is an all powerful oppressive force would say. Which is my point.

ETA: Like the fact that a festival like that exists AT ALL, in the nation's capital, proves that the government isnt an evil opressive anti-queer regime that people paint it as.

[–] shoop@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The movie was filmed without permission, what makes you think it couldn't have been shown without permission?

Good Chinese folk can find ways around unjust restrictions just like any other country in the world. The first "festival"was held in a library in the University, probably not the type of festival you are imagining.

[–] autismdragon@hexbear.net 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They didn't get explicit permission, but they also didnt get shut down.

Also, the "filmed without permission" is weird phrasing anyway. Does every indy movie in other countries get explicit permission from the government to be filmed? A Wiki article for, say, an Australian indy movie about queer people that covers Australian oppression of the indigenous wouldn't go out of its way to mention "the government didn't give permission for it to be filmed" because why would it? The government doesn't need to approve such project. Including the "government didnt give permission" feels like editorializing to make things sound more sinister then they are.

[–] shoop@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

They operated for less than a month, could have gone unnoticed?

And no I don't think it's weird phrasing. It's absolutely common practice to get permits to film in public places and historic sites: https://www.thefilmfund.co/how-to-get-film-permits-and-location-releases/

If you're filming on private property your supposed to get they owners permission too.

If a Australian film did some guerilla filming I'm sure that would be mentioned in it's wiki because it can serve to promote the movie.

Edit: try googling "movies made without permission" https://www.dailyhindnews.com/top-10-movie-scenes-shot-without-permission-its-all-illegal/

[–] 420blazeit69@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

It's absolutely common practice to get permits to film in public places and historic sites:

Lmao that's an entirely different thing than "you need government permission to make a film with a certain type of subject material."

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