FILM No.2

East Palace, West Palace

Director:Yuan Zhang

Writers:Wang Xiaobo Yuan Zhang

Produced: 1996

Release Date:24 July 1998 (USA) Genre:Drama

Actors&Actresses: JunHu, Si Han, Ma Wen, Zhao wei (Bus driver)

In China, homosexuality isn't illegal, but homosexuals are routinely persecuted by police and arrested for "hooliganism". The film focuses on a young gay writer A-Lan who, being attracted to a young policeman, manages to have himself interrogated for a whole night. His life-story which he tells during the interrogation reflects the general repression of the Chinese society. The policeman's attitude shifts from the initial revulsion to fascination and, finally, to attraction

In Beijing, gays have hidden sexual encounters in a park during the night and are severely repressed by the police. The writer A Lan is arrested by the policeman Xiao Shi and along the whole night, he is interrogated, disclosing his hard life-story since he was a child and his crush on Xiao Shi.