Queer Amsterdam x CinemAsia
CinemAsia Film Festival is joining forces together with Asian Pride during Queer Amsterdam (July 3 – August 4) to curate an unforgettable series of events celebrating the rich diversity of Asian queerness!
Join us for two special film screenings followed by an engaging after talk, and dive deeper into the narrative with our film club session. But that’s not all – as part of the Asian Pride program, we’re excited to unveil even more community events, creating safer spaces for dialogue, connection, celebration, and empowerment. Come be a part of this extraordinary journey as we spotlight the myriad voices and stories of Asian queers!
Best of all, some of the events are completely free, offering everyone the chance to participate and connect.
I Am What I Am + After Talk
Dir. Tamada Shinya | 2022 | Japan
Wednesday, July 10 – 21:00 – 23:00, Studio/K
Thirty-year-old Kasumi, portrayed by Miura Tōko in her first screen role since Drive My Car (2021), has always been single and uninterested in romance, much to her mother’s frustration. Pressured into an arranged marriage meeting, she unexpectedly meets someone who understands her perspective.
Supported by her lively friend Maho, Kasumi seeks to live authentically, free from the rigid expectations of love and marriage imposed on young women. Directed by award-winning Japanese screenwriter and director known for his work in both film and television, Tamada Shinya, I Am What I Am is a sensitive and sincere exploration of asexual identity, challenging the conventional notion that romantic love is essential for fulfillment. This anti-romance film opens a window into the lives of those who defy societal norms, offering a rare and poignant depiction of the struggle for self-acceptance and the pursuit of personal freedom.
After Talk
Join us for an engaging after talk after the screening. We’ll delve into asexuality, intersectionality and queer (Asian) representation within the film and beyond the screen with Yuè Leentjes and Amber Witsenburg (chairperson of the Netherlands Organisation for Asexuality, NOA), moderated by Zoë Horsten.
Solids By The Seashore + Film Club
Dir. Patiparn Boontarig | 2023 | Thailand
Saturday, July 13 – 16:00 – 19:00, Studio/K
In a southern seaside town, on a once-sandy beach eroded by high tides and now replaced by artificial rock sea walls, two young women meet. Shati, a local woman from a Muslim family, and Fon, an artist visiting for her new exhibition, find their lives intertwined.
As their bond deepens, Shati grapples with an internal conflict between her burgeoning desires and cultural norms. Caught between fear and longing, Shati faces a pivotal decision to carve out her own path.
Through the evolving relationship between Shati and Fon, the film subtly examines how traditions and societal expectations define their self-discovery. Set against the backdrop of a town reshaped by climate change, director Patiparn Boontarig explores the powerful forces that influence our world.
Film Club
Are you a movie lover who enjoys diving deep into film discussions? Stay for our Film Club following the screening, where we will dive deeper into different aspects of the film. Our event will feature a special guest speaker, soon to be revealed. This is the perfect place to connect with fellow film enthusiasts, share your thoughts, and engage in thought-provoking conversation, while enjoying complimentary tea and snacks.
Please note: You don’t need to have seen the film to join the film club event. However, we highly recommend watching the film beforehand.
queer.red x CinemAsia
We are thrilled to announce another exciting collaboration during Queer Amsterdam with queer.red. Mark your calendar and come celebrate solidarity amongst communities with us!
Dir. Yin Q and Yoon Grace Ra | 2023 | USA
Thursday, 11 July – 19:15 – 20:40, LAB111
Fly in Power is an award-winning documentary that follows Charlotte, a Korean massage worker and core organizer of Red Canary Song (RCS): a social justice collective of Asian diasporic massage workers, sex workers and allies who basebuild through mutual aid. Through her story, we learn how the incarceration system is pitted against Asian migrant women and their survival. Other RCS members, including Khokhoi, a young body worker, and Prof Elena Shih, Brown University, share powerful insights that debunk the myths of sex trafficking.
The film is a glimpse into the intimate spaces that not only connect these workers, but is also a testament to the global advocacy of women’s rights to work and thrive. This is the first film to center the narrative of an Asian massage worker in her own words, with her own agency of storytelling and editing. The intention of Fly in Power is to honor their practices of care, autonomy, and survival and to raise awareness of the oppressive systems that face us all.
In 2023 Fly in Power won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the LAAPFF. It has been screened at festivals such as the San Francisco Sex Worker Arts and Film Festival, Red Umbrella Film Festival, The 46th Asian International Film Festival, Tucson Sex Worker Film Festival, as well as at numerous academic institutions and community screenings nationally and globally.
