Free Time Out film screening: East Palace, West Palace
East Palace, West Palace
Dir Zhang Yuan, 1996; Drama/LGBT
Time Out Shanghai shows one of the greatest Chinese films of all time at Glam, M on the Bund, with complimentary gourmet popcorn and specially tailored drinks. This month it's Zhang Yuan's East Palace, West Palace.
The most daring and well-realised of all the 'illegal' independent films made in China in the '90s – and quite probably the last, since it prompted the Film Bureau to formally outlaw unauthorised production and confiscate Zhang Yuan’s passport. A-Lan, a young gay man, is arrested in a Beijing cruising park and held for overnight interrogation by Shi, a macho but latently sexually ambivalent police officer. As he describes his life since childhood and his sexual history, it becomes clear that his stories are actually expressions of his desire for the cop. This realisation makes Shi more aggressive.
Entry is free, but you need to reserve a seat. Send ‘Film’ to our WeChat ('timeoutshanghaieng' or extract the QR below) to book your spot.
Glam Seventh Floor, Five on the Bund, 20 Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu. Sun 25. 4.15pm. Free.