I Follow Rivers

Have you seen Blue is the Warmest Colour? That lesbian movie that came out last year with a bit of controversy regarding its lengthy and graphic sex scenes? If you haven’t, you should. (Obviously NOT for the graphic sex scenes… though that’s always a bonus!)

What struck me most from the movie is when Adele dances to Lykke Li’s I Follow Rivers (probably the Magician remix version though). I never thought a simple dance scene could convey so much! It was probably the most brilliant use of a scene I have ever realized/ come across so far, mostly because I didn’t realize before how freeing an experience dance is until I’ve starting going out to dance.

See, I love dancing. I’d like to think I’m pretty good at it. I’m not sure why I love it so much… it’s just another way I could express myself, I suppose. So when that scene came up in the movie, I couldn’t help but be bewildered by her freedom of expression and how, through dance, we can see Adele gain a sense of “self”. In that moment she “comes to” and embraces who she is. She finally lets go of everything and accepts the reality she’s in – kind of like the first time I went to pride by myself.

It was the summer of 2010, and I had just started to take my interest in girls seriously. For the first time in my life I started to consider the possibility that I would like to have relationships with women instead of men. I was extremely conflicted, having come from a religious background. I questioned my faith, I questioned my self; and I questioned my belief in my faith. Who I wanted to be and who I should be according to the words of Jesus Christ was doing a number on my brain. I didn’t know how to live both lives because they didn’t fit together.

That August came and I was determined to go to pride. I made up an excuse so I could stay at a friend’s during the whole festivity. It was the single most exhilarating and freeing experience I have ever had in the 26 years I’ve lived. I didn’t want to go home at the end of the day, and I certainly didn’t want the high to end. That was the day I vowed to be free: I wished I could live my life the way I wanted to, without having to hide my desires for women and who I am.

So I did. I, of course, not unlike some closet-dwellers, had to come to terms with certain things (mostly religious and family-related) before I could accept myself, but I’ve never felt better or more confident in myself because of who I am and who I’ve become since Vancouver Pride 2010.

Embrace your freedom, people!

Saving Face

In our paper topic roundtable, a classmate mentioned the movie Saving Face, directed by Alice Wu, an Asian-American filmmaker. The title stood out because it’s quite a literal translation from a notion that I’m sure anyone who’s had any run-in with Asian culture is aware of. I immediately became interested in seeing the film and hoped that I could catch it somewhere online.

Saving Face promo shot

So I did. And it was very enjoyable. Hilarious, witty, and checks off all the right boxes for qualifying it as a Hollywood film. I didn’t expect to literally laugh-out-loud when I was watching the film. The music was light-hearted and well placed, which complemented the film’s overall mood. The actresses were delightful. Love story may be typical (with its fairy-tale ending), but it is made unique due to its cultural context. But the film only touches on issues on the surface level. It does not delve into any deep discussion of one particular problem. So this is great if you just want to pop in a movie that doesn’t require brainwork.

I would definitely see this film again – for guilty pleasure, of course!