Directed by Alice Wu | USA | 98 mins
Saving Face is Alice Wu’s debut directorial film. A Chinese-American lesbian filmmaker, Saving Face is a film loosely based on Wu’s personal life. Despite protests from Hollywood production companies to white-wash the film, Wu insisted on keeping the cast strictly Chinese-American with Mandarin included in the film. Wu’s insistence to keep her film truly authentic to her culture and upbringing makes this film an influential step forward for the future of East Asian-American filmmakers. Not only does her film shine as a staple for the East Asian community in Hollywood, it also shines as one of the very few East Asian Hollywood movies that represents queer women. Wu portrays her queer female characters authentically and delicately, without sexualisation the way Hollywood films have historically portrayed queer people in the past. Her representation for queer women in an era of the 2000s where queerness, especially in women was still not accepted, makes this film an iconic part of Hollywood history that filmmakers lovers should be acquainted with.
Written by Catherine Mcdonald Vo.
Rated 14A for infrequent coarse language, sexual content, and mature thematic material.
Part of our Lovers Out East: Queer Asian Cinema Series.
Community Partner:
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, we honour and acknowledge that this screening takes place on Moh’kinsstis and the traditional Treaty 7 territory, as well as the oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6. Finally, we acknowledge all Nations, Indigenous and non, who live, work and play, as well as help steward this land, honour and celebrate this territory.