Taiwan Docs

In spite of its modern facade and gloss of Americanism, Taiwan is on of the most conservative societies in Asia. Taipei's gay community has long maintained a low profile, forced to conduct their private lives in corners. This film is a portrait of this community, largely marginalized, People who do not let social convention get in the way of their pursuit of love. The idea for the film was initiated when the two female filmmakers visited Corners, formerly one of Taipei's top gay night spots, and became familiar with the owner and the cliental-whom they describe as the most beautiful examples of masculinity they had ever seen, glowing in white t-shirts in the dark. At the suggestion of the bar's owner, they recorded the closing days of the bar-and the hopes, fears and dreams of those who frequented it. Corner's is no conventional documentary. The filmmakers set out to free themselves from the constraints of traditional documentary techniques and practices. Like poetry, it tries to capture the thrill and sometimes sadness of love and also to offer reflections on life. This is a revealing documentary that accurately captures the emotions and atmosphere people feel at gay/lesbian bars-the warmth and at the same time loneliness of being in a crowd, distant yet comforting, tinged with a strange and beguiling sense of happiness.

Source: Taiwan Int'l Documentary Festival
http://www.tidf.org.tw/tidfdb/EDefault.aspx