Tongzhi in Love 2008
Distributed by Cinema Guild, 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10001; 212-685-6242
Produced by Thomas Lennon
Directed by Ruby Yang
DVD, color, 30 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Gay and Lesbian Studies, Asian Studies, Multicultural Studies, Sociology
Date Entered: 07/31/2009
Reviewed by Justin Cronise, University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkTongzhi in Love is a brief – but excellent – exploration of what it’s like to be a gay man in China. Award-winning filmmakers Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon (Blood of Yingzhou District) follow a group of gay friends living in Beijing as they struggle to confront the expectations of their parents and traditional Chinese society.
For Chinese men it is considered a son’s solemn duty to carry on the family line, and further pressuring Chinese men are the laws in China that limit most families to a single child. According to Confucian teaching, “Of the three filial offenses, failing to maintain the subsequent generation is the worst.” Many gay men in China resort to sham marriages, or marry lesbians, and Tongzhi in Love illuminates the enormity of the inner turmoil to instead ignore tradition and come out to their families.
Tongzhi in Love reveals how Chinese society is still vastly different from America and Europe, despite the effects of globalization. The film raises critical questions about not only cultural differences, but also the burden placed on gays all around the world by the greater society that may force them to make personal decisions based on cultural traditions.