Love Bound

80 minutes | 2024 | Documentary | Mandarin, Cantonese, English | English Subtitles
Canadian Premiere

LGBTQ+ activist CHEN Qiuyan (Qiubai) became an unexpected celebrity due to her courageous legal battle against homophobic university textbooks in the 2010s. However, this newfound fame came at a price: she was outed by her tutor, subjected to conversion therapy by her parents, and monitored by the Chinese government. To escape these pressures, Qiuyan left for the UK, where she met her partner Bling––but her struggles were far from over. Interweaving reflections on Qiuyan’s sexuality and relationships, CHEN Shanshan’s documentary examines this inspiring activist’s commitment to building a close-knit community designed to support queer East Asian people in the UK––a solo endeavour that evolves into a movement with a growing support base.

CHEN Shanshan is a London-based documentary filmmaker originally from China. With over a decade of experience covering under-reported global stories, she explores diverse narratives with a keen focus on social issues, dedicating herself to in-depth and boundary-pushing storytelling that sparks conversations and drives change.