Reeling: The 40th Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival

Bikers, Bears & Better Days

Expired October 7, 2022 4:59 AM
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SHORTS PROGRAM | 85 MINS

Lesbian bikers, refugees, Asian bears, and an unstoppable trans activist chart different paths to finding a welcoming and empowering place for themselves in these four riveting documentaries from the U.S., Taiwan, and Spain. In BETTER DAYS, LGBTIQ+ refugees seeking asylum in Spain share their stories of persecution and violence in their home countries and their hopes for a better life in a more tolerant nation. The bear subculture in Asia is explored in BIGGER IS BETTER, an insightful documentary that visits Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. BLIND ANGELS: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA is a portrait of trans activist Zakia McKensey, who takes her message of self-love and support to power-holders in city hall, to vulnerable communities where she does HIV outreach, and to the stage as host for a pageant for trans women. NO SIREN LEFT BEHIND is the fascinating and affecting chronicle of the pioneering Sirens motorcycle club, the oldest and largest women-run motorcycle club in New York City, from its humble beginnings in 1986 to the present.

The bear subculture in Asia is explored in this insightful documentary that visits Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. The identity and body politics of bears are viewed through the unique lens of the larger gay male comminities in Asia.

  • Year
    2021
  • Runtime
    25 minutes
  • Language
    English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese
  • Country
    Taiwan
  • Note
    Subtitled
  • Director
    Larry Tung