TOKYO WRESTLING ARTICLES [ENGLISH]

4. Lausanne's queer rock party

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:57:46 +0900

Other than its très cool cafes, Lausanne is home to Les Filles Affranchies. This incredibly hot lesbian collective is recognized throughout Switzerland for their wildly famous events geared to folks of all sexualities. Last year TW featured an interview with the group, but unfortunately―after four dedicated years of offering constant club, outdoor, cafe, artistic and other events―Les Filles Affranchies has disbanded, bringing an end to most of their activity. However, one original founder, Pauline, has committed herself to continuing the deeply beloved Kill Your Idols, a bimonthly queer rock party started early on in the life of the group. ※Kill Your Idols on October 4th, 2008. The venue was charged by the electro-punk band, Mosh Mosh.
A party like no other, Kill Your Idols hosts a wild range of performances and live music. It has become a popular fixture within the local scene and has caught like wildfire among lesbian, gay, queer, and straight revelers alike. Moreover, quite possibly triggered by the power of Kill Your Idols' fresh style of rock celebration, a new queer event has just made the scene this year. The event is called "Unglaublich", or "Unbelieveable" in German. It has only been held twice thus far, but already talk of its impending rise has raised waves of excitement among party-goers. Following the performance of the Paris-based Japanese unit "Romanesque" at its second event, Unglaublich is now the brand-spanking-new hot place to be.
Next we'll be posting photos from the October 4th Kill Your Idols! ★For the TW Note on October 4th's Kill Your Idols, click here. ★KILL YOUR IDOLS INFO ●Place: Le Romandie ●Address: 1b, place del’europe 1003 Lausanne ●℡/+41 (0)21 311 17 19 ●Le Romandie's homepage: www.leromandie.ch ●Les Filles Affranchies' homepage: www.lesfillesaffranchies.com

translated by rr

★Coming soon 【5. Queer Rock Shots】. Be sure to check back! [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ]

3. Geneva's L Cafe, Livresse

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:17:11 +0900

Compared to Le Phare, Livresse is frequented by more lesbians. This cafe-library, in fact, features a bookstore inside and exudes a sweet, casual feel. As its name and concept suggest, many LGBT books are available for purchase here. ※Geneva's lesbian cafe & bookstore, Livresse

Livresse opened just a couple years ago and, since it's fully internet equipped and just 5 minutes from the University of Geneva, it's extremely popular among college students looking to escape campus between classes. ※Internet availability in every room. It's no wonder that students from the nearby university flock here.
※Inside Livresse has a real at home feel. Shelves along the walls are lined with LGBT and other books available for purchase.
Just as at Le Phare, Livresse's owners are second-to-none when it comes to friendliness. The cafe is a delightful place to spend some time laid-back on one's own in the afternoon. Definitely a must-see establishment for anyone visiting the area! ※Livresse's extremely friendly owners, Vera (left) and VG ★Livresse ●Open Monday - 1:00 - 9:00 pm; Tuesday - Thursday 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, Friday & Saturday 9:00 am - 1:00 am ●Address: 5, rue vignier 1205 Genève ●℡: +41 (0)22 320 80 57 ●Homepage: www.livresse.ch ●The University of Geneva's LGBT organization, Think Out, meets here every other Tuesday.

translated by rr

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2. Geneva's own queer cafe/bar

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:09:15 +0900

Judging from the number of events alone, Geneva and Lausanne are thriving centers for queer life. In Lausanne, the hotspot "Mad" - a five-story, techno/house venue that the hip have flocked to for over 10 years - has continued a queer event every Sunday for the last 5 years on its basement floor. In Geneva, a group called 360° hosts its own regular event, distinguished by quality beats, and also publishes the French Speaking region’s only LGBT magazine. While these two events are established old favorites, the floodgates have now been opened for new styles of clubs and cafes that have nourished new sizzle for the scene in recent years.
※Le Phare, Geneva's own fashionable queer cafe/bar.
About ten minutes from Geneva station is the cafe/bar Le Phare, which only opened a few years back. Its interior is snazzily decorated, and the atmosphere makes for comfortable lounging around even when on your own. Since it's along an alley a little ways in from the main road, in the summer customers can enjoy time out on the terrace. With numerous sofas and bookshelves, the cafe is popular for its warm, cozy setting and homey charm - perfect for chilling out with friends. Locals are even known to drop by and spend the afternoon lollygagging in plush comfort. ※Le Phare's extremely pleasant terrace, popular with locals. ※The cozy atmosphere suitable for spending time on one's own is an attractive bonus. At a glance, staff and customers are mostly gay men, but straight and queer folks of all sexes, ages, and persuasions frequent the establishment as well, no doubt attracted by the alternative-yet-cute interior decor. The modern spirit of hetero-friendly is alive and well here. ※Le Phare's friendly owner, Pierre Le Phare's owner, Pierre, is extremely friendly, and ensures that the café experience is enjoyable for customers in groups, pairs, or solo. The magazine 360°is available on premises, as are numerous LGBT flyers. On your next visit to the area, this is undoubtedly THE place to go check out what's going down in the local queer scene! ★Le Phare ●Open Monday - Saturday 3:00 pm - 2:00 am; Sundays from 5:00 pm ●Address: 3, rue Lissignol 1201 Genève ●℡: +41 (0)22 741 15 35 ●Homepage: www.myspace.com ●The University of Geneva's LGBT organization, Think Out, meets here every other Tuesday.

translated by rr

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1. Switzerland is becoming more open...

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:47:18 +0900

In recent years, European countries such as France, Germany, Spain, and Belgium have each successively made way for the institution of laws and systems supporting same-sex civil unions and marriages. When speaking of liberal Europe, Paris or Amsterdam may immediately come to mind - but there is so much more. Switzerland too enacted its own same-sex partnership system in 2007 and definitively took its place among queer-friendly nations. Over the last several years, as progressive changes in Switzerland's political attitudes and ideas picked up speed, a delightful transformation became visible within cafes, clubs, and the Swiss queer scene in general. Compared to just ten or fifteen years ago, when lesbian bars were nearly non-existant and the atmosphere of queer establishments in general tended to feel at times isolated, oppressed or dark, it is a revelation to see so many establishments opening AND popularly frequented by both straight and queer folks alike. Also, edgy, squat-based artistic collectives have taken a multitude of social scenes by storm with hetero-friendly eye-opening events. One such group, Les Filles Affranchies, has rocked the foundation of the party scene of Lausanne with events that both embrace and go beyond sexuality, bringing enthusiastic devotees together and inspiring the local media to cover their ventures. TW has compiled an assortment of cafes, bars, and events in the French speaking regions of Switzerland, as frequented by queer and straight fun-seekers alike. Also, the article's latter half includes an interview with the young founder of the University of Geneva's newest - and only - LGBT organization. (*Switzerland has three official languages. In each of three regions, people speak German, French, and Italian.)

translated by rayna rusenko

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4. Education through comedy

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 14:47:02 +0900

--Your film has been shown at several LGBT film festivals - from Toronto to LA. But Canal Plus has more of a straight audience. Did you have Canal Plus’s audience in mind when you made this? Their viewers are mainly straight, so I figured I had to do something for a straight audience. But I also wanted to. I am a lesbian cultural militant, and I have intellectual friends that are lesbians but also not in the know. I wanted to make something that was interesting for them too. When we showed it to a lot of gay guys in Paris, they were like, “Oh my god! I never knew lesbians could be funny!” Lesbians still suffer from this stigma that we're not funny, or we don’t know how to dress, or we’re not fun, or we’re angry, or not sexy - so I wanted to address all this stuff. I knew Dinah Shore had that. ※A lesbian in Wonderland at Dinah Shore
--Did your image of Dinah Shore change at all after you saw it? Before I went to Dinah Shore I thought it was a lipstick lesbian event. You know, only the type of lesbians who would be mostly from Los Angeles. But there were all types of women - the types I wanted to show - from different countries, classes, races, cliques. And I thought that was awesome. The great thing about filming was that Canal Plus had faith in me. They let me do what I wanted to do, and I feel that I really succeeded in doing it. --Well I’m so glad they had you write yourself into it, because I felt it was your spirit and your personality that carried the film. It was amazing! My cheeks hurt for hours from all the laughing I did. And I'm also glad I went to my first Dinah this year, so I could better relate. Also, I thought it was really cool when you focused on the girl whose mom was gay, and also focused on her story. Education through comedy, that’s my documentary style. ※Being Katherine Moennig (Shane from The L Word) at the 2008 Dinah Shore. --What will you start now? Well, what would really interest me now is to do things all over the continent. You know, like to go and discover a place in South America, like Buenos Aires... --Like the Dinahs of the world? But not like Dinah. I’m actually having talks regarding getting involved in a show made specifically for lesbians. It would cover whatever is going on in lesbian culture in places around the world, like Tokyo, Moscow, Buenos Aires, South Africa... whatever place I'm in. You know, like an exotic travel show. In this way you could find out about the local culture and what's going on. --I can't wait to see it! ※Before a panel for celesbian photographs at Dinah Shore.
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3．They said “yes” to everything

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:45:36 +0900

--So the French cable channel Canal Plus produced ”A Lez in Wonderland” for broadcast on its airwaves. How did you get this project? Did they approach you? This film is the result of the many years I spent as an underground video and film maker and performance artist, trying to break into becoming a serious filmmaker. This film cost 8000 euros, which is like $100,000 US. This is the first time I dealt with that large a budget. They had asked ten lesbian filmmakers from around the world to do ten minute short documentaries on their cities. I had never done a documentary, so I kind of invented it and the idea of a reporter. ※At the 2008 Dinah Shore's L Word private conference" with Rachel Shelley (Helena) from The L Word. --Was this the Dinah thing? No, my first work was on lesbian life in Los Angeles. They liked it. And then two years later, they contacted me asking for a proposal, so I gave them one on the annual Michigan Women's Music Festival. However, they said, “No. We don't want this kind of lesbian. They are too ugly.” They said, “We want Dinah Shore.” So, last year I told them, “Sure.” I explained that I wanted to do a piece on the lipstick lesbian revolution, and they loved it. They came to me and said, “We learned so much from your presentation. But we don’t want a 60 minute documentary. We want you in front of the camera - and we want you to make us laugh. We want to know what this event is, who goes there, and what's it about. And we want everyone at the end of the film to want to go and see it for themselves.” --And so you ended up appearing in the film? Yes, at their urging. I had to write myself into this serious documentary I had prepared. So, after thinking, I went back to them and I said, “Ok, I’m a mime. The screen’s black. I’m in the dessert. It's a metaphor for looking for other women.” I did my pitch and, it was just so crazy that they had to say yes to everything I wanted. I told them, “I want a convertible. I need money for clothes. I need a haircut, a facial..” Also, I got them to agree to an all American lesbian film crew. I didn't want to take a French film crew. And at the same time, I wanted to give lesbians jobs. But, I also didn't know how the women at the lesbian weekend event would react to me saying, “Hi! I’m from French television! Can you tell me your most intimate details?” when they’re having fun getting drunk and trying to get laid. But their reaction was good - contrary to what I expected. It was fascinating. ※The opening scene for the film, director Albelo searching for a woman out in the desert. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

2．Three filmmaking basics

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:43:31 +0900

--I heard you received the third place audience award in Toronto for "A Lez in Wonderland" screened in the "Bad Grrrls" program . Yes, that was awesome. --How did you get your start in directing? I studied TV and media. I got into film school and I was set on going to Paris. In America, I was focused on going from one goal to the next and the next and the next. At the time, in the 1990’s, it was like “Oh, you want to be the youngest filmmaker?” People couldn’t believe it, but then all these things started happening - independent films started happening. Everybody was trying to get there as fast as possible - just “Go, go, go!” All of a sudden, I realized, “Look, I did it!” And I did it on my own. My family didn’t have any money. I paid for my own college education. I had like 3 jobs. But I also realized that I didn’t want to keep going so quickly. I want to enjoy life. But to do so, I knew I had to relearn life. Here in the US, you live to work. But in France you work to live. That’s why the French have not only minimum wage, but also they have 5 weeks paid vacation, and a paid 13th month, and a two hour lunch... --A two hour lunch! I don’t know if I’d come back! (Laughs) But you do. The system is designed so that people can live well. And still work and make money. I myself started with video. I’m really a do-it-yourself filmmaker. That’s the path I chose after gaining an official education in college. I did a lot of free workshops, like teaching girls how to film. My first job was in Paris, where I worked for Sony video. Everyone says, “I want to make a film, but I don’t have the money.” All I can say is, “Today, compared to like 10 -15 years ago, if you have a video camera and you have a computer, you can make a movie!” --Is there any advice you give to people interested in making films? AM: Well, there are three things you have to do to make a movie: do it, edit it - meaning finish it, and then show it. The important thing here is to finish it and show it. Most people film it and then don’t finish it. And if they finish it, they don’t show it. Even if you show it to five friends in your living room, the important thing is to show it and send it in to film festivals. Too few lesbians send in films. There may be a lot of lesbians making films, but I’ve been doing film festivals for 11 years and I see very few come in. If you do have your film shown at a film festival, try as much as possible to be there. And if you can be there, try as much as possible to have the film festival let you do a question and answer session - or at least to introduce you to the audience so people know who you are. Then later you can have that discussion - a dialogue with the people who see it. Even if your film sucks, don’t worry. Every time you see it with other people, you see it another way. You’ll start absorbing and getting different points of view. All this helps you objectively see your film, and you can improve from there. Money is not an excuse. Time is not even an excuse. --True. I think if you really want to do something, you will find a way. In my case, I just had to do fashion. I just started by doing fashion shows at local clubs and selling my work from out of my house and my truck. It all depends on how deep your drive runs. ※Director Anna Margarita Albelo (at far left) and Vanessa Craig (2nd from the right) with friends.
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1. Falling in love with Paris

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:40:16 +0900

In 2006, director Anna Margarita Albelo, aka Anna La Chocha, went to film her documentary "A Lez in Wonderland" at the　Dinah Shore Weekend, the world's largest lesbian party and wild scene popularized by its appearance in the first season of the American drama The L Word. This humorous and deliciously summer-ific film was shown at the 2007 Outfest in Los Angeles, and also debuted in Japan at the 2008 Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. During the Tokyo showing, the theater roared with laughter as the audience succumbed to Albelo’s light-hearted presentation, comedic antics, and the overall titillating journey. Albelo, of Cuban descent and raised in America, has spent much of her time over the past 15 years living in France and now, ever the international lesbian, travels back and forth between LA and Paris. Her film has been released as a major production in France on the Canal Plus cable station, and in fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone there who has not heard of it. We caught up with her to find out more about her work, the path she forged to mainstream sponsorship, behind-the-scenes talk on production, the response to her film, and her own personal background. LA-based fashion designer Vanessa Craig, also known for her event productions, such as Tokyo Wrestling’s own launch party, takes on Albelo for our interview. Vanessa herself became familiar with the Dinah Shore Weekend scene after introducing herself - and her brand - to the event two years ago. TW is now proud to present their conversation on lesbian scenes and culture. Anna Margarita Albelo's homepage can be found here:　www.annaalbelo.com Her Myspace page can be found here:　www.myspace.com/annalachocha ※Vanessa Craig (left) and Anna Margarita Albelo after the interview chilling at a lesbian bar in LA. --Please tell us, what is the story behind you and ‘Paree’? I moved to Paris in 1993, when I was 23. It’s hard to explain, but I had many different reasons for going - I loved the history and I love France. Also, since I grew up Cuban in America - where I spoke Spanish at home but was raised with an Anglo-Saxon thing, I never liked too much of either Latin or Anglo. In that sense, France is like a mixture of both to me. I can have Anglo intellectualism with Latin emotionalism! There are so many paradoxes in France. I love everything it exemplifies. Where you live tells a lot about you, and I like that. There’s a weird nonconformity about living in Paris. It has all these romantic images and at the same time it’s kind of difficult. In New York, only the strong survive, but in Paris, too, only the strong survive. However, it happens in a more finessed way. In New York, if you’re tough enough - if you’re strong enough, you can break down the doors. In Paris that doesn’t really work. You have to learn this kind of finesse to explain what you’re doing and then, just like any major city, you have to be tough. You learn how to survive by getting beat up. --Interesting… And the women…. I’ve only fallen in love with French women. It’s not an easy burden (shakes head). Not a light burden. --I totally get what you mean.
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5. Taiwanese butch and femme

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:56:37 +0900

--I'm sure that many of our readers would be interested in visiting Taiwan. Can you recommend any T bars? (Laughs) (Laughs) Well, I definitely recommend this one place, a pub, called LesNight. Also, you'll find that lesbian parties are held frequently, but they change location every time. Can I ask you a question, too? (Laughs) Do tomboys in Japan bind their chests? --It depends on the person. Some people wear Nabe-shirts (a shirt to flatten the chest). But none of the boyish lesbians I know wear it. In Taiwan there are actually very many. Isn’t it rare in western countries? --Probably. I think fewer people do it in western countries. More than lesbians, you'll find transgendered folks do it. Recently, it seems that in the West there are fewer boy-girl or femme-butch couples and more neutral couples instead. There are also a lot of couples where both partners are tomboys or both are femmes; Are there more femme-butch couples in Taiwan? Yes. There are more in Taiwan. ※Chao Yi-Lan and Serena Fang
--What is the opposite of a tomboy, such as a femme, in Taiwan? We call her a "P". The Chinese character is ”婆” (read "bou"). What about in Japan? --They're not identical to "butch" and "femme", but we have “Tachi” and “Neko”. Tachi is from Kabuki, as in the tachi (male) role, right? --Yes, you are right! How did you know?! And we also call people who can flip between both “reversible”, or “riba” for short. Now, you have been culturally educated and you are ready to go to Shinjuku Nichome! (Laughs) Great! (Laughs) Thank you very much!

Translated by Kaori Takyu

※Video message from Zero Chou and her partner Hoho Liu.
※Video message from Chao Yi-Lan and Serena Fang.
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4. Androgeny and lesbians in Taiwan

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:55:04 +0900

--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.
＊Chao Yi-Lan (Diego)
--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

※From the left: Chao Yi-Lan, Serena Fang, and Zero Chou at the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Festival.
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3. Drifting Flowers

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:53:41 +0900

--I heard that originally you had given "Drifting Flowers" a different title. Yes, I had. From the early planning stages up to of the end of filming, the movie was supposed to be called “May & Diego & Lily”, taken from the names of the three main characters. However, after we completed filming, we started to consider distribution, among other things, and decided to change it by incorporating literary elements into the title. ※Lily (right) and Diego from the 3rd story in "Drifting Flowers".
--The way you incorporate the theme of what brings people together, "the ties of brotherhood", into both of your films left quite an impression on me. Is family an important theme for you? Yes, like the bonds that parents and children share, or those that brothers and sisters share. I personally cherish the emotional connections between families and relatives, and I think my movies reflect that. -- Your movies include the lives of differently abled characters. For example, one character in "Drifting Flowers" is blind and in "Spider Lilies" one character suffers memory loss while another is an Alzheimer’s patient. Are you personally close with many differently abled people? That's true. I do have many visually impaired friends who I got to know from filming a documentary. Overall, I'm generally interested in how they experience the world. Also, I don’t know why, but it seems that most of my friends are anything but ordinary (laughs). In Taiwan, people have referred to me as "the director living among drifters,” which is supposed to mean that my films portray drifters, or rough and tumble people from the streets. Maybe it's true, seeing as I have almost no intellectual or elite friends in my circle. ※Jing (left), who is blind, and Diego (right) from the 1st story in Drifting Flowers.
--I think queer folks are also part of this world. In fact, don’t you think being a so-called “outsider” becomes is a talent of its own as well?( Many people in the world - including lesbians and gays, blind persons and alcoholics - tend to be excluded from society. Somehow I find myself more attracted to them and their lives.

Translated by Kaori Takyu

※Serena Fang (Left) and director Zero Chou (Right)
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2. Spider Lilies

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:52:15 +0900

--"Spider Lilies" was shown at the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival last year and this year it was shown at the Cinemart Roppongi theater as part of their Taiwanese Cinema Collection. As a result, the movie has gained quite a strong following in Japan. Can you tell us more about what inspired you to make it? ※Isabella Leong (right) as tattoo artist Takeo and Rainie Yang (left) as Jade.
The story started to develop when I came up with the idea for the role of Jade, performed by Rainie Yang in the film. Jade is modeled after two women I personally know. One was a girl I met while filming a documentary about Taiwan's September 21st (1999) earthquake. What struck me about this young girl was how - though when I first met her she told me her mother had died in the earthquake - it came to light during the same conversation that her mother did not actually die but abandoned her daughter later, after the disaster. The other woman is a friend of mine. She's a university student with great academic talent, and at the same time that she attended perfectly to her studies at school, she also propelled herself into the world of internet idols. She was making a life for herself in the virtual internet world. Even though I can see that she enjoys what she does, I also felt that a hidden loneliness was involved. I created the character Jade by combining the common loneliness of these two women while mixing their personalities together. --Is your net idol friend also lesbian? No. She is bisexual. --Did the fact that Rainie Yang is a celebrity idol pose any problems in getting her to act in this lesbian love story? Not really. Rainie had originally said that she wanted to act in this movie, but her management would not permit it so easily. The reason why was not because the character was lesbian, but because there were issues over the salary. Since the Taiwanese film industry is facing a downturn, her office simply thought she could earn more from work in TV dramas rather than films. I believed Rainie Yang was perfect for this role and really wanted her to accept it. I still believe that among all Taiwanese idols today, she has the best grasp on acting. --It surprised me when I heard this movie was funded by the Taiwanese government. Is it fair to interpret this to mean that the government supports films that address homosexual themes? Whether one receives a grant or not is decided not by the Taiwanese government, but by judges of a particular review committee. First of all, they review the script, and if at that stage the project is evaluated highly, then ultimately it does not matter whether the central theme of your script is homosexuality or anything else. © THREE DOTS ENTERTAINMENT
I see. Another main character from the film, Takeko - played by Isabella Leong, is the child of a Taiwanese father and a Japanese mother. I was happy to see this and it spoke to me as a biracial Japanese woman. Could I ask why this background was added to Takeko's character? Well, as you mentioned, Takeko is biracial and was born after her Taiwanese father went to work in Japan where he met and married a Japanese woman. Takeko spent her early years in Japan and then was brought to Taiwan later by her parents. Takeko’s father recognized Japan as a country famous for its exceptional tattoo culture, and he went to learn about the tattoos. As far as the craft is concerned, I also personally think that Japan is one of the best, due to its long history of tattooing. Japan may be the only country with its own tattoo museum.

Translated by Kaori Takyu

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1. Taiwan's only out lesbian director

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:16:20 +0900

Zero Chou, director of the movies "Spider Lilies" (2007) and "Drifting Flowers" (2008), traveled to Japan this past July to attend the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. "Spider Lilies", her second film, rapidly gained international exposure last year and ultimately won the Berlin International Film Festival's Teddy Award for Best Gay/Lesbian Film. Quite notably, the film was funded by the Taiwanese government and features Taiwanese super idol Rainie Yang in its lead role. Chou is the only out lesbian director in Taiwan today. Her debut film, "Splendid Float" (2004), took up the story of the lives of drag queens, while her second and third films were lesbian through and through. She points out that she is eager to also incorporate straight-themes in future projects, on top of her work on sexual minorities. Following the screening of "Spider Lilies" at the TIL&GFF last year, word of her work has spread like wildfire through the queer girl grapevine and, before her arrival in Tokyo this year, Chou was already quite popular among Japanese lesbians. She has them right by the heart strings. Audiences who had come to the film festival to see Chou's latest film, "Drifting Flowers", were excited to find that actresses from the film, as well as Chou and her partner of over eight years, cinematographer Hoho Liu, were present to take part in a special talk session. ※At the talk session held after the screening of "Drifting Flowers" at the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival: (from left) Chou’s partner Hoho Liu, Chao Yi Lan (Diego), Serena Fang (Jing), and director Zero Chou. During the talk session, Chou spoke of "Spider Lilies" and "Drifting Flowers": “[Spider Lilies] was filmed in an urban setting and made to look like a fictitious and illusional world; however, my new film is set in the country. I wanted a more realistic depiction - indigenous to Taiwan - of the circumstances by which Taiwanese sexual minorities live their lives.” Chou's conscious choice to cast several real-life boyish lesbians as actresses for the film came from this same desire for natural authenticity. In fact, a deep sense of the reality is amplified in the film by many vehicles, including the casting of an out gay male actor in the role of Yi-hang, an HIV-positive patient. When staff from the film festival asked how she met her partner, Hoho Liu, Chou's cheeks turned visibly red. “How embarrassing!", she replied charmingly, "I've never talked about Hoho in public before..” TW spoke with this fun-loving director for an interview on "Spider Lilies", "Drifting Flowers", Taiwanese lesbian bars and more. Following our interview we will post a video message from actresses Chao Yi Lan and Serena Fang , as well as from Chou and her partner Hoho Liu! Be sure not to miss any of it!

Translated by Kaori Takyu

※Director Zero Chou (left) and her partner of 8 years, cinematographer HoHo Liu

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2. No need for the "No Photography Zone"

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:57:37 +0900

★A message from Co-Director for the 2008 Kansai Rainbow Parade, Asami Kitaguchi "This year, in my position as co-director for the Kansai Rainbow Parade I had the opportunity to realize the precious value of growth in our relationships - all relationships that develop between individuals, between organizations, and between LGBT people and our communities. Already, I can almost see a day where LGBTs can celebrate openly and publicly in future parades with even greater pride...and we would no longer need the "No Photography Zone". Each day represents another step taken towards the society we envision, where the joy of falling in love would be denied to no one...and many smiling LGBT faces await us.” ※Owing to the fact that many LGBT people in Japan are not out and/or do not want to be publicly recognized, a “No Photography Zone” (designed to shield marchers from being photographed by the media) is a fixture at every pride parade. ●Kansai Rainbow Parade Official Homepage (Japanese): www.kansaiparade.org/2008/ (English): http://www.kansaiparade.org/2008/index_en.html Official Blog: blog.kansaiparade

※ZUMANITY, the well-known organizer of many gay events in Kansai. 　　　 ※Kansai's Aranuji ※The annual release of balloons at the parade's destination, Motomachi Central Park ※This year, as a symbol of encouragement, local residents captured photographs of event balloons soaring through the air, as seen from their own homes (above), and sent them in to the Parade's committee . [ 1 ] [ 2 ]

1. One of Japan's newer pride events

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:28:35 +0900

LGBT pride marches are relatively new to Japan; the country's first took place in Tokyo in 1994. However, pride has been contagious, as parades and events have spread to Sapporo and other cities across Japan. One of these newer pride events is the still relatively young Kansai Rainbow Parade of Osaka, now in its third year. Although small in scale when compared to other parades around the world, it has grown far bigger than one would expect for an LGBT event so young - and in Japan. Already the parade boasts over 1000 attendees and receives broad coverage throughout the Kansai media. This year it was held on Sunday, October 19. Roughly 1140 LGBT people and their friends gathered at Midosuji in Osaka for a lively outdoor affair graced by nice weather. In the next half of this report we'll also post a message from the 2008 Kansai Rainbow Parade's co-director, Asami Kitaguchi, so be sure not to miss it! ※From the left: Host - Junpei, steering committee member - Aya, Top☆Star Asami Kitaguchi, Top☆Star Takumi Matsumoto, steering committee member - Taki ※From left: Junpei, Aya, Takumi Matsumoto, Taki ※KO Rangers from KO Company, a supporter of the Kansai Rainbow Parade each year
●Kansai Rainbow Parade Official Homepage (Japanese): www.kansaiparade.org/2008/ (English): http://www.kansaiparade.org/2008/index_en.html Official Blog: blog.kansaiparade [ 1 ] [ 2 ]