Lan Yu is one of the most famous LGBTQ+ films in Asia, a tragic romance based on a novel anonymously published on the internet, that won numerous awards and nominations across Asia upon its release in 2001. Director Stanley Kwan’s adaptation is a passionate yet poignant portrait of a gay relationship. The film tells the story of Han-Dong, a successful businessman, and Lan Yu, a sensitive college boy, who first meet during a one-night stand. Undeterred by Han-Dong’s compulsive promiscuity and impulsive marriage, Lan Yu demonstrates unwavering devotion to his lover – but can this save them from an unforgiving fate? To mark the twentieth anniversary of the film’s release, Lan Yu has been newly restored, offering audiences the chance to rediscover this landmark in queer cinema.

This screening is followed by a Q&A with the film’s producer Yongning Zhang, moderated by Victor Fan, King’s College London.