Post: 致辞 Preface

2014年11月28日

北京酷儿影展今年第7届了。在大环境日趋收紧,民间影展寒冬不知何时过去的当下,北京酷儿影展很骄傲地发生了两个重要的进化,一个是双主席制,一个是由双年展改为单年展。

双主席制自然是北京酷儿影展人丁兴盛的外在体现,团队日益茁壮,自影展2001年创办起,团队中既有电影人把握入围影片的专业水准,也有NGO贡献消除社会对同性恋歧视方面的经验,二者的跨界合作,使得北京酷儿影展不只是中国唯一的、高质量的酷儿影展,也是中国同志平权运动中重要的角色之一。

单年展的实行,不只是影展周期的简单缩短而已,也不只是侧面印证了中国酷儿电影越来越兴盛活跃,更重要的是,酷儿影展的观众群已经不只是酷儿,不再只是圈内的狂欢,我们信心满满地向所谓的主流观众进军了。纵观一百年来全世界反歧视运动的历史,女权运动的成功,在于男性“主流”意识到性别歧视的错误;美国黑人民权运动的成功,在于马丁路德金成功争取到白人“主流”的支持;南非种族隔离制度的废除,更是整个世界的“主流”都站在南非黑人这一边。所以,固然天助自助者,作为受到歧视的中国酷儿要自我赋权,同时争取中国“主流”民众的支持,也是整个平权运动中决定性的一环。电影是影响思想的利器,我们听过很多这样的故事,费城故事、断背山、霸王别姬……改变了观众对同志的成见,所以北京酷儿影展所担负的一项责任,就是“直同交流”,让酷儿电影更加频繁地出现在尽可能多的“主流”公众眼前,并通过一年一度的影展,增加酷儿电影在主流媒体的曝光度。

前面谈的都是北京酷儿影展对同志平权与酷儿文化的意义,如果我是直人,不歧视甚至完全不关心酷儿的存在,那么酷儿影展对于我有什么意义呢?我们每个人都希望生活在一个文化富足的国家,那才是幸福的一生。而现在的中国却是经济在天上飞,文化在地上爬。文化发展的必要条件在于多元,北京酷儿影展的存在就是为了中国文化的多元化而坚持,是为数不多的种子之一,为了我们有一个文化富足的明天,我们相信那一天终将到来!

感谢所有支持北京酷儿影展的朋友们,正是你们的支持使北京酷儿影展虽然艰辛但坚强地发展至今。

第7届北京酷儿影展轮值主席

吴漫  李丹

2014年9月

 

Preface 致辞

The 7th Beijing Queer Film Festival is taking place and moving forward. In the midst of an increasingly restrictive and uncertain environment for independent film, the Beijing Queer Film Festival is proud to announce two important developments: the introduction of a Co-Director system and the shift from a biennial to an annual festival.

The introduction of a co-directorship, of course, is a reflection of the team behind the festival. Since the festival’s conception in 2001, the team has been comprised of both filmmakers who ensure a professional standard in film selection and NGOs dedicated to eliminating discrimination against LGBTQ people. This collaboration means that the Beijing Queer Film Festival is a unique film festival with high standards that also plays an important role in China’s LGBTQ rights movement.

The switch to an annual festival does not simply shorten the cycle of the festival, nor does it just confirm the growth of activity and achievements in the realm of Chinese Queer Film. Importantly, the Beijing Queer Film Festival is not only for queer people, but also engages confidently with a “mainstream” audience. Internationally in the last hundred years, the success of the feminist movement relied on a realization among the mainstreamworld that gender discrimination is wrong. In the African-American Civil Rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. successfully fought for mainstream support from both whites and blacks. For the abolition of apartheid in South Africa, the entire world became the “mainstream” standing in solidarity with black South Africans. Thus, while self-empowerment is essential to fighting discrimination, gaining the support of broad segments of Chinese people is a crucial part of the LGBTQ rights movement. Film is powerful a tool to change hearts and minds. We have seen this with films such as Philadelphia, Brokeback Mountain, and Farewell my Concubine; these are films that have transformed audience’s preconceptions. With this in mind, the Beijing Queer Film Festival aims to expose mainstream audiences to queer themes, and will increase the presence of queer cinema in the mainstream media.

So far we have discussed the significance of LGBTQ rights and culture. But if I am straight, and I neither discriminate against queer people nor have any particular interest in them, what purpose could this film festival have for me?  Each of us hopes to live in a culturally rich country; this is key to leading a happy life. In the present moment, China’s economy is flying sky-high, but its culture is crawling on the ground. Diversity is a necessary precondition for cultural development, and the Beijing Queer Film Festival exists to uphold China’s diversity and to plant the seeds necessary for a culturally rich tomorrow. We believe that this day will come.

We would like to thank all those who support the Beijing Queer Film Festival. It is your continued support that has enabled the festival to overcome difficulties and progress this far.

 

Jenny Man Wu & Li Dan

Co-Directors, 7th Beijing Queer Film Festival

September 2014

[英译 English Translation: Lucy Edwards]