Queer East: Bad Women of China + Virtual Q&A 18

This film is F-Rated

Celebrating the empowerment of women in the film industry. Read more >

From the archive

This film was last shown on 11 November 2023

Filmmaker and activist He Xiaopei's first feature-length documentary commences with an attempt at reconciliation with her mother, before taking the audience on a journey from the 1920s through to the 2020s.

With a raw, DIY aesthetic, the film brings to life the experiences of three generations of Chinese women – He’s mother, herself, and her daughter – as they come to terms with political and social change.

Combining interview, video essay, and home movie formats, the film offers a refreshingly irreverent perspective on historical experiences, while wryly documenting the potential of lesbian and polyamorous lifestyles to challenge established ideas of feminine propriety. Through intimate conversations, Bad Women of China demonstrates how women are unconsciously led to belittle their own desires, experiences and hopes.

This screening will be followed by a virtual Q&A with director He Xiaopei hosted by Dr Xi Liu from University of Sheffield, School of East Asian Studies.

F-Rated: Directed by He Xiaopei