Fridae

Cut Sleeves Boys, a British production about two British Chinese gay men embarking on a sometimes painful journey of self-discovery, will premiere in Los Angeles on Aug 10 followed by Minneapolis, Chicago, San Diego, Berkeley and San Francisco later this month.

Written and directed by Ray Yeung, the film - which is billed as the first Chinese British gay production - hopes to confront the stereotypical portrayal of Asian men on TV or in films through his debut feature length film and address the "media-driven obsession with youth and beauty which is magnified within the gay community."

The film's follows its two aging protagonists Ash (UK-based Malaysian actor Chowee Leow) and Mel (UK-based Singaporean actor Steven Lim) as they re-evaluate their lifestyles after reuniting at the wake of a fellow university mate who died from a heart attack whilst engaging in a sex act in a public toilet.

Yeung who has been the Festival director of the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Society since 2000 recounted his team's struggle to find queer films made by Asians that did not just deal with "'coming-out' problems and the frustrations of being gay."

"Tones were usually sad. I wanted to watch a film about modern gay Asian lives. A film which asks 'What happens to gay men once when they have accepted their queerness? Do they live gaily ever after?' So I set out to write a romantic comedy which dealt with these questions in a humorous way." Said the filmmaker who made Yellow Fever in 1998, a short film which deals with inverse racism where its central character, a gay Chinese man who would not date Asians.

While the film sets out to mash gay Asian stereotypes in film among others, it will not be a suffocatingly politically correct affair.

Yeung told Fridae: "We wanted to debunk some of these stereotypes and remain true to ourselves and our experiences. We did not set out to make a perfect image of gay Asians, we set out to make a real image of gay Asians - the positive and the negative!"

Did you know
The film's title references a well-known Chinese poetic expression "Tuan Hsiu" (translated as 'The Passion of the Cut Sleeve') where Emperor Ai of the Han dynasty (220-260 BC) cut off the sleeve of his robe to avoid waking his male concubine who was asleep on his sleeve.

Singaporean fans of actor Steven Lim, who starred in a well-received local TV soap for several years in the 1990s before he relocated to attend The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), will not catch him on the silver screen locally as Cut Sleeves Boys has been banned. Festive Films, a Singaporean film distribution company, was told that the film has been "disallowed for any form of exhibition due to the promotion of the alternative lifestyle".

Cut Sleeves Boys will premiere in Los Angeles at the Regent Showcase 614 North La Brea on Aug 10 followed by:

- Aug 17 Minneapolis, MN
Landmark Lagoon Cinema 1320 Lagoon Avenue
- Aug 17 Chicago, IL
Landmark Century Centre 2828 North Clark Street
- Aug 17 San Diego, CA
Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas 3965 5th Avenue
- Aug 30 CA Berkeley,
Landmark Shattuck Cinemas 2230 Shattuck Avenue
- Aug 31 San Francisco, CA
Lumiere Theatre 1572 California Street at Polk

New York and further screenings to be confirmed. For updates, visit www.cutsleeveboys-themovie.com.

Next page: Ray Yeung on Cut Sleeves Boys vs his short film Yellow Fever (1998), the dating scene in London and Hong Kong, Botox parties and upcoming projects.

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Fridae speaks to the UK-based filmmaker and qualified lawyer who now works as a director and art director for television commercials.

æ: How was Cut Sleeves Boys conceptualised?

Ray: Chowee Leow, my producer and one of the lead actors in Cut Sleeves Boys, and I conceptualised the film in 2002. We wanted to make a gay Asian movie which didn't feature poor, sad victimised gay Chinese men who have problems dealing with their homosexuality, family issues, poverty or with immigration. We wanted to make a romantic comedy which asks "What happens to sophisticated gay men once they have accepted their queerness? Do they live gaily ever after?"

æ: The film deals with numerous heavyweight issues such as interracial relationships, marginalisation of Asian men both in western society and film, aging and the emphasis of beauty and youth among gay men. What prompted you to address all of these issues in one film?

Ray: Because these are issues both Chowee and I have to face everyday both as gay men and as Asian men in western society. Even in this day and age, we are still being marginalised and under-represented, especially so in Britain. We wanted to debunk some of these stereotypes and remain true to ourselves and our experiences. We did not set out to make a perfect image of gay Asians, we set out to make a real image of gay Asians - the positive and the negative!

In contemporary society, we are frequently bombarded by images of youth, beauty and perfection. This causes a lot of pressure for gay men of a certain type to try and attain something which is virtually impossible and unrealistic. No matter how beautiful you are or think you are, we all have to grow old sometime. Clich�d as it sounds, better to do it with grace than be a desperate mutton trying to be a spring chicken.

Self-acceptance is the underlying theme for Cut Sleeves Boys and it's what I've tried to show with all the characters.

æ: What were the challenges casting? Any particularly amusing anecdotes?

Ray: Casting for a low budget film depends very much on luck. The actor who was originally cast to play Todd pulled out in last minute because his agent didn't want him to play a gay part. So we had to do an emergency re-cast the weekend before rehearsals started.

Having seen 10 more actors, none of whom were really right, we were resigned to the fact that we were going to have to go with our second choice until Gareth Rhys Davies walked in. He was the very last person we saw that day and we were astounded at how perfect he was for the role. So grateful we were that we called the agent of the original actor to thank her for pulling her client out of our production!

æ: Cut Sleeves Boys like your 1998 short film Yellow Fever (which is also set in London) both centre around gay Asian, specifically Chinese, men in London and the experiences they face. Cut Sleeves Boys has been billed as a "journey of self discovery and ultimately, a makeover of the British Chinese gay experience." How have the issues you attempted to address through the two films evolved over the decade?

Ray: Yellow Fever deals with inverse racism. The story is about a gay Chinese man (played by Adrian Pang) who would not date Asians. However he falls in love with a Taiwanese guy (played by Gerald Chew). He eventually accepts his Chinese identity and becomes sticky rice. The film was made in 1998 and since then - thanks partly to fridae.com! - being sticky rice is not only totally acceptable, it is celebrated!

Cut Sleeves Boys deals with inverse homophobia - gay men who would not date anyone camp. I hope one day there will be a doublehappiness.com, intended to celebrate double-camp relationships!

The other main issue Cut Sleeves Boys attempt to address is the lack of sexy Asian images in gay society. We felt it was important for Mel (played by Steve Lim) to be a total Asian stud, flawed though he might be. One of the best things about attending the screenings at festivals around the world is having gay Asian men coming up to us and saying how fantastic it was to finally see themselves and their lives represented on screen.

Things are slowly changing but let's hope there will be more movies, magazines and clubs using sophisticated and sexy images of gay Asians in the very near future.

At the end of the day visibility is important. The more people see sticky rice, double-camp couples and sexy Asian images the more they will accept them as the norm.

æ: What do you think are the stereotypes on yesteryears that we have managed to leave behind and which are still festering?

Ray: If you are talking about gay Asian stereotypes I am afraid they are all still alive and kicking. What has changed is that these stereotypes are not as blatant as they used to be, so on the surface it looks like the situation has improved.

However, what we have now are the so-called expose documentaries which love to focus on topics like 'Ladyboys', 'Child prostitution in Asia', 'Lack of human (gay) rights in Asia', 'Asians selling their kidneys or being smuggled illegally into western countries'. Its not to say these programs are not valid or indeed true, they do reinforce white supremacy, making some westerners think - 'Look how sad these Asians are! Look how culturally and politically advance we are compared to them!" So what we need to counteract those kinds of images are positive representation- successful, educated, solvent Asian. The two main Asian characters in Cut Sleeves Boys are precisely that and I felt it was unnecessary to explain or dwell on it.

æ: You wrote the character Ash who is outwardly more femme but turns out to be stronger than any of the masculine characters. Is this something you have observed in real life?

Ray: Show me a drag queen and I'll show you a warrior with scars inside and out! Human beings are social animal often with pack mentality. You have to conform, keep your silence and follow the leader! But it takes more than guts to be different! Apart from Ash (played by Chowee Leow), this is also shown in the journey of the character Ross (played by Neil Collie) who is Ash's love interest in the film.

A trannie friend once said to me - 'If you think being gay is hard, try being me for a day!"

æ: In your press notes, you wrote that feminine gay men are typically at the bottom of the hierarchy. Is this inverse homophobia? Why do you think that is and what do you hope for your film to change?

Ray: Yes I think it is inverse homophobia and it comes from our desire not to associate with someone who shares the traits which we detest in ourselves. It is very complicated, but human being are complex creatures. I hope this film will make people aware of this. Like with all issues, the first step to recovery is by acknowledging the problem exists.

æ: There's a theory, which was discussed in a recent Singapore play, that muscle marys are overcompensating as a result of not being accepted and/or being told that they are weak or aren't masculine enough because they are gay. What are your thoughts on that?

Ray: I think that theory is homophobic in itself. By saying that one is agreeing that gay men are less masculine and weak! I think most gay men become muscle boys because they simply want to be desired. Lets face it, many gay men's self image depend on how many men flirt with them that night. And in our youth and body beautiful obsessed society, having a muscle bound body does get you a lot more immediate attention. Who wants to hear you recite Shakespeare at the Nation Party?

æ: Having lived in London for 15 years, how much of the films are autobiographical?

Ray: I went to a boarding school there (felt I need to put this in to show I am not that old!) See how vain I am? So it is totally autobiographical! Haha!! Well, not exactly but let's just say the inspiration for a lot of those scenes I experienced first hand. Just don't ask me to list them!

æ: Having lived in London and in Hong Kong, what differences have you observed about the dating scene and between Asian (Chinese) men in the two places?

Sticky in Hong Kong is now the norm where say 15 years ago it would have been quite rare for a gay Asian to date someone of his own race. However, in Asia there are still some Asians who think they are better off simply because they are dating white guys. The situation is not quite the same in London. Most Asians there are in interracial relationships. But I guess that's because there are more white guys around so it is easier to find Caucasian partners than Asian ones. But I checked my Fridae profile recently and I did get quite a few hearts from Asian boys in London. So it is changing. The point is, being sticky is no longer an issue!

In London there seems to be more Caucasian guys who are into Asians these days. Globalisation and international travel means people are more exposed to other cultures. Asians there also seem to be more assimilated than ten years ago.

However, on some gay dating websites it is not uncommon to see profiles that say, "Blacks & Asians need not write in, I am not racist, I am simply not into you guys". Hello! I am sorry but that IS racist! One could simply state: "I prefer White guys." That's clear and polite. I've also seen some profiles that say: "No femme, no fat, no Asians and no one over 30." Sometimes you just want to hold up a mirror and let these people see what they are really saying. As a gay man who would have suffered discrimination at some point in their lives, how can they still be so ignorant?! It is seeing things like this which makes me want to make films and open their eyes.

æ: What did you learn about yourself during the making of Cut Sleeves Boys?

Ray: The elasticity of my skin can endure stress much better than I thought! It has been so damn hard making this happen and I thought I would look like a dried raisin after this film but I am gladly to say that I don't look like a raisin at all, I just look like an old prune!

æ: Cut Sleeves Boys was released in the UK in 2006 and was shown at numerous film festivals since then, what responses have you had? (Can you also list a few festivals it was shown at?)

Ray: The film was released on DVD in the UK in 2007. It started the festival circuit in 2006 with a premiere at the Rotterdam Film festival, then Berlin, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Madrid (where Chowee won Best Actor - should have been Best Actress of course!) and LA Outfest Fusion where we won Best Feature. It also had cinematic releases in Thailand and Taiwan. Fridae readers can check out the international site (www.cutsleeveboys.com) for latest news and the US site (www.cutsleeveboys-the movie.com) for release date and the cities the film will be playing.

Most of the audiences find the film insightful yet hilarious; we were voted Audience's Choice in many festivals the movie was screened. But I've also had some Caucasian people come up to me and say the film is not Chinese enough. They were expecting a movie that dealt with the typical problems of being gay and Chinese - coming out and rejected by their family, being discriminated in society, trying to get a Western passport, working in Chinatown with cruel restaurant owners, etc. Those are topics which were really not on the agenda for Cut Sleeves Boys.

Some Caucasian audiences have a set of preconceived expectations when they go to see a foreign movie and if the film does not fall into the exotica box they expect, they find it difficult to digest.

æ: What are your thoughts on "lifestyle" surgeries and Botox procedures - given that Botox parties are fast becoming as common as brunch?

Ray: I don't know what friends you have but mine simply find Botox parties so pass�! *grins* What do I think of plastic surgery? As long as they can pay their own bills, I don't give a damn. It is a free society and the less judgment the better it is. If someone wants their lips to look like a rubber boat, who am I to judge??

æ: I hear that you are working on a new production set in New York City. Any updates for Fridae readers?

Ray: I am making my second feature which is a story about three Asians living in New York city. The three stories are linked by their dogs. The theme is about alienation, loneliness and the lack of communication in our society. I have shot the first story so there are two more to go. I am also developing two other feature projects at the moment, one is a fantastical tale about a gay superhero fighting homophobes and the other is - dare I say it- about heterosexuals!