In a sleepy town in China, a middle-aged man is unwilling to endure a stagnant existence, and experiencing true love, decides to come out of the closet. Meanwhile, a lesbian couple go in search of a gay man, in order to get married and have a child. Behind these fiery love stories lies an absurd drama about identity politics, as these lonely souls struggle with the legacy of the communist past. Zhang Zhiyong gives a superb performance in the lead role and won Best Actor at the Golden Horse Awards, where the film was nominated in all the major categories; it also won best cinematography and editing. Stylising daily reality with a biting black humour, director Geng Jun subtly critiques popular assumptions about gender roles, social etiquette, and what is considered age-appropriate behaviour.
Festival 2025
Bel Ami (漂亮朋友)
France, 2024
FeatureUK Premiere
Directed by
Jun Geng
Jun Geng
Running time
116 mins
116 mins
Tickets
13 May 2025, 6:10 PM
ICA
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Director Bio
Geng Jun is a Chinese director. His film The Hammer and Sickle Are Sleeping won Best Short Film at the 2014 Golden Horse Awards, and Free and Easy won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Cinematic Vision at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.