Berlin based filmmaker Lucie Liu debut feature documentary Taipeilove*  is a compelling insider’s view on the evolving LGBTQ community in Taiwan as they fight to legalize same sex marriage.  It is no spoiler to add that it has a happy ending as it was widely broadcasted at the time, that thanks to the country’s remarkably supportive President, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to pass such a Law.

Liu sees it all mainly through the eyes of her three rather charming protagonists : Sarah a lesbian nurse , and David and Kevin who have been a couple for over 10 years. They talk quietly about their own ‘coming out’ experiences and acceptance in society.  They  discuss about being bullied at school which they bared stoically …. as David said, if he had told his mother about it , she would have assumed he was in the wrong and added her own beating!

Now they lead comfortable middle class lives in Taipei where they seemed content that each year they got more at ease in their own skins as society accepts them more.

There are the same parallels in this LGBTQ community’s fight for equal rights and also for same sex marriage as in so many other countries around the world.  It is the wealthy Right wing Christian Churches that will use their powerful base to instill the usual fear and ignorance to fight any normalization of  LGBTQ rights,  It is they who get enough signatures on a petition to ensure three inflammatory anti-gay questions are put on a Referendum ballot.

The Referendum is a landslide victory for the Churches which frankly could happen anywhere in the World.  As of now only Ireland have ever managed to win the popular vote  when it comes to legalizing Same Sex Marriage,  This all happened in May 2018 BUT by November of the following year after a great deal of political maneuvering Same Sex Marriage was finally legalised. In that first year there were 4021 marriages,

Showing this important slice of gay history mainly through these three sets of eyes doesn’t dilute the community at large’s passion for change , but it does lack any real sense of fear for what could have happened if things hadn’t turned out so well. Liu leaves it to one of the speakers at a LGBTQ victory rally who reminds the crowd to always remember that this is not the end.  Those forces opposed to our community will never ever give up.

 

 

 

P.S. TAIPEILOVE* is being screened at https://queereast.org.uk/ for FREE online July 17th – 24th. 

For details of future screenings  after that  https://www.facebook.com/taipeiloveTheDocumentary/?tn-str=k*F