--We see many boyish lesbians in "Drifting Flowers", but how important was it to you to use boyish actresses?

Actually, I wanted a character who was feminine in appearance but had a boyish attitude, much like Takeko (played by Isabella Leong) was in "Spider Lilies". However, I ultimately decided to instead use lesbian women who are more androgynous in appearance in order to be closer to Taiwanese reality. I also wanted to present the main character, Diego, who binds her chest in the film, as an undeniably tomboy character. In Taiwan there are more women like Diego.

--That was what I wanted to ask you! Is it true that there are a lot of boyish lesbians in the Taiwanese lesbian scene at the moment?

I think so. Chao Yi-Lan, who played Diego’s role, is generally very close to what real lesbians look like. Lesbians like Diego are a majority among queer women in Taiwan.

--By the way how do lesbians generally meet in Taiwan?

They meet at lesbian bars or find all sorts of information on the internet. The internet right now has significant power.

--Are there many lesbian bars in Taiwan? And how do you refer to “lesbian bars” in Taiwan?

Lesbian bars are called “T Bars”. T stands for tomboy, or it also can stand for androgynous people. Lesbian bars are found in Taipei, and there are almost none in countryside. Compared to gay bars, there are far fewer lesbian establishments.

Translated by Kaori Takyu