Queer East Screening Programme: 'Silence Will Not Protect You'

esea contemporary co-presents with Queer East, ‘Silence Will Not Protect You’, a screening programme offering an unfiltered look into unseen and unspoken aspects of LGBTQ+ experience. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Dorothy Cheung, director of ‘Heart Murmurs.’

The four documentary shorts take an intimate look into the daily routine of a queer couple under military rule, the difficulties of living through the COVID pandemic with HIV, anti-trans persecution, and a man recounting his painful experience of seeking asylum in the UK. Each film’s protagonist recounts traumatic memories to the camera, laying bare lived experiences of prejudice and violence, while the filmmakers explore the potential of documentary form to gather viewers in a moment of solidarity. Revealing the many layers of oppression faced by queer East and Southeast Asian people today, these films are also testament to resilience.

This programme is curated by Yi Wang, Hester Yang, and Emily Jisoo Bowles from Queer East.

Programme:

Qeluar

The first person to receive asylum in the UK on the grounds of LGBTQ+ identity recounts their journey.

Dir. Justice Khor | UK | 2023 | 20min

The Bus Driver

A queer couple struggles to make ends meet in Myanmar.

Dir. Ku Ki | Myanmar | 2024 | 22min

Heart Murmurs

A young man lives in Hong Kong with a congenital disability and HIV.

Dir. Dorothy Cheung | Hong Kong, UK | 2023 | 9min

House of Rencong

Trans survivors of a police raid meet with an artist to explore performance as a means for collective healing.

Dir. Rizky Rahad | Indonesia | 2022 | 25min

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Content Warning: Discussions of homophobia, socio-political oppression, and violence, which some may find uncomfortable.

Biographies:

Justice Khor‍

Justice Khor is a queer Malaysian documentary filmmaker and LGBTQ activist. He is passionate about using factual filmmaking as a means of advocacy and entertainment. When not immersed in film, Justice contributes to Malaysian grassroots queer organisation PLUHO (People Like Us Hang Out!).

Dorothy Cheung‍

Dorothy Cheung is a filmmaker and artist from Hong Kong, whose work explores notions of identities and home. Her moving-image works have screened at the Whitney Museum of American Art and EYE Filmmuseum, and at international film festivals including Rotterdam and Leeds.

Ku Ki

Ku Ki, raised in Yangon, Myanmar, graduated from the National University of Arts and Culture. Having developed a strong passion for film, they have been working as a freelance cinematographer and scriptwriter, contributing to numerous projects including short films, music videos, and commercials.

Rizky Rahad

Rizky Rahad is an independent filmmaker who has worked with international media including VICE, HBO, Netflix, Fairtrade, Discovery, and Vox. His work seeks to reimagine Indonesia’s hetero-patriarchal narrative through intimate collaborations with the fringes of society.

About Queer East

Queer East is a cross-disciplinary festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities.

Image Credits:

1. 'Heart Murmurs', Dorothy Cheung, 2023, film still, courtesy of Queer East.
2. 'House of Rencong', Rizky Rahad, 2022, film still, courtesy of Queer East.
3. 'Heart Murmurs', Dorothy Cheung, 2023, film still, courtesy of Queer East.

About esea contemporary

esea contemporary is the UK’s only non-profit art centre specialising in presenting and platforming artists and art practices that identify with and are informed by East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) cultural backgrounds.

esea contemporary is situated in an award-winning building in the heart of Manchester, home to one of the largest East Asian populations in the UK. Since its inauguration as a community-oriented visual arts festival in 1986, esea contemporary has continuously evolved to establish itself as a dynamic and engaging space for cross-cultural exchanges in the British art scene, as well as in a global context.

esea contemporary aims to increase the visibility of contemporary art practices from the East and Southeast Asian communities and their diasporas. It is a site for forward-thinking art programmes that beyond exhibitions also include commissions, research, residencies, publishing, and a wide range of vibrant public events. esea contemporary values creativity, compassion, interconnectedness, and collectivity in implementing its mission.

Learn more at: www.eseacontemporary.org

Photo by Joe Smith.

Host or Publisher esea contemporary