The Old Testament (2001)

A rare gem of Chinese queer cinema

The innovative Chinese filmmaker, film scholar, screenwriter, novelist, activist and gay academic Cui Zi En, known worldwide for his films 'Star Appeal' (Xingxing xiangxi xi', 2004), 'Zhi tongzhi' (2009), 'Feeding Boys' , Ayaya' (2003), 'Chou jue deng chang' ('Enter the Clowns'), 2001, 'Nannan nünü - Nan Nan Nü Nü' ('Men and Women'), from 1999, 'Queer China, Comrade China' (2008), among others, offers in 'Jiu yue' ('The Old Testament') a rare vision of the gay life in China.
Presented in the Official Selections of the renowned Berlin International Film Festival, the Outfest: Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and the Philadelphia Film Festival in 2003, two years after its filming and premiere in China, the episodic film, written by Cui Zi En and co-directed with Jiangang Wei, uses biblical references to weave three interesting vignettes on the themes of sexuality, homophobia and AIDS, while Greek-style choirs sing the moralistic conclusions of each of the trio of stories.
At the same time, it promises an ironic commentary on the tension historically between the Church and homosexuality, as the images show soapy shower scenes with naked men, underwear groping and bed scenes.
Produced by Cuizi Film Studio and Glory Film TV, and distributed by Water Bearer Films, the Chinese film has received praise from critics: "The film's roots are planted in the fertile soil of avant-garde filmmaking", he noted the film the Outfest jury.
In 'Song of Solomon', a couple of men receive an unexpected visit from the ex-boyfriend of one of them who is sick with AIDS. Faced with the commitment to provide palliative care to the former lover, the couple must face the breakup of their own relationship.
'Proverbs' follows the love triangle between a married man, his wife and his gay lover. As the bisexual husband tries to reconcile the two-way relationship, the conflicted wife and lover begin to wonder if he is worth the fight. 'Psalms' concludes the trilogy, with a denunciation of intolerance, through a story about a heterosexual couple openly hostile to the homosexuality of the husband's younger brother, who plans to have sex with his "special friend."
With a duration of 75 minutes and a cast made up mostly of non-professional actors, 'Jiu yue' explores homosexuality in China, and features the performances of the renowned Huanan Du, Luo Dong, Zhang Jian, Yang Qing, Yu Bo , Wei Jiangang, Yu Xiaoyu, among other Chinese actors and actresses.
As in other films by Cui Zi En, 'Jiu yue' is characterized by its low budget, an unconventional production method, few resources in production, a script without great needs and expenses, few locations, predominating real places to the detriment of the sets built for filming, and the use of reduced technical and artistic teams.

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