Thus They Spoke

In June 2023, seven young, queer Chinese signed up for a performance art project in East London. In this month-long community art project, they would learn about what is drag and how to perform it, discover their queer Chinese heritage, and explore ways to de-westernise and decolonise drag. The training was hard but also fun. Most nerve-wracking of all, they would put on a live show in front of an audience. On a roller-coaster journey of self-discovery, they would find out about what their identity, community and politics means to drag.

A queer filmmaker meets an underground bookstore owner, a dead poet statue, a boy he crushed, and a Chinese friend who also drifting away from home. Through these fleeting encounters, he gradually remembers why he is on this journey.