New Beijing, New Marriage

Jun 25
1 min read

Updated: Jul 2

New Beijing, New Marriage (2009)

Director: Popo Fan

Duration: 18 min

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Subtitles: English

Country/Region: Mainland China

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/5c8458_d0548138abec43bb8f316abd53a402a9/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Filmed on Valentine’s Day in 2009, New Beijing, New Marriage follows two same-sex couples in Beijing as they prepare for their weddings and bring their celebrations into public space. Faced with curiosity, scrutiny, scepticism, and misunderstanding from passers-by, they present their love openly and unapologetically.

Today, the documentary functions both as a valuable historical record and as a celebration in its own right. It preserves a moment when the public expression of same-sex love was still regarded as an unusual spectacle, documenting an early chapter in the struggle for queer visibility and public presence in China.

What makes the film most moving, however, is not the discrimination it encounters but its commitment to joy. Rather than claiming visibility through anger or confrontation, the couples bring happiness itself into public space through the ritual of marriage. Their presence transforms marriage from a social institution into a gentle yet powerful declaration. Through laughter, embraces, and celebration, the film highlights an often-overlooked dimension of queer life: alongside resistance and suffering, love, joy, and celebration are equally important forms of public expression.