Celebrating Mickey Chen

Google Dooles 01.03.2023 08:16  Date: March 1, 2023 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Taiwan-based guest artist celebrates Taiwanese filmmaker and activist Mickey Chen, who focused on telling stories from people that belonged to disenfranchised communities. On this day in 1999, her film Boys for Beauty became the first LGBTQ-themed documentary to be screened at a movie theater in Taiwan. Chen, fascinated by cameras from a young age, started creating movies in college. At 30, she made her directorial debut with Not Simply a Wedding Banquet , a documentary about the first gay couple to have a public wedding in Taipei. It explored the struggles that members of the LGBTQ+ community faced in Taiwan. In 1999, Chen released Boys for Beauty, an eye-opening exposé that followed the lives of three gay teenagers from Taipei. The film took a bold stance against gender norms and showcased the societal pressures each subjects’ relatives endured. It was a box office success and a pivotal achievement for Taiwanese cinema. Boys for Beauty won countless awards and film festival placements, most notably the Audience Award at the 2000 Taiwan International Documentary Festival. Chen gave an inspiring acceptance speech that praised the LGBTQ+ movement and invited several directors to join her on stage in an act of solidarity. Chen wrote and directed many more documentaries such as Memorandum on Happiness , Scars on Memory , and Fragile in Love . She also published Taipei Father, New York Mother in 2011, a book about family tragedies that occurred during her youth. Throughout her career, Chen documented significant moments of LGBTQ+ history in Taiwan and opened the eyes of the public to them and Taiwan’s progressive LGBTQ+ societal views are a result of trailblazers like her. Guest Artist Q&A with Dyin Li Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Taiwan-based guest artist . Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle? A: I couldn't believe it! I had always dreamt of drawing a Doodle. Additionally, when I learnt that the Doodle was celebrating director Mickey Chen, I was thrilled. As a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, I was really glad to have the opportunity to work on this project. Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A: I knew that I had to get to know Mickey better to depict who she was and what she did in a small image. To do so, I watched her films, interview videos, and read her book about her family history. I took note of scenes in the films and quoted some of her words about the connection between a director's identity and being gay as inspiration. It's worth mentioning that I also read the recommendations in her book, most of which were written by Mickey's friends. These words helped me understand her personality more deeply. As a documentary film director, it might not have been easy for her to present herself in her films, but these recommendations offered a unique perspective on who she was. Q. Did you learn anything surprising or noteworthy while researching for this Doodle? A: I was deeply touched while watching the films Mickey directed. They initially focused on some LGBTQ+ individuals, their partners, families and friends, eventually capturing precious memories and pieces of the entire society. The first film she directed was in 1997. I was impressed by how the LGBTQ+ community has experienced significant changes while also continuing to share similar experiences and struggles over the decades. Q. Can you tell us about your process? A: After researching and brainstorming, my aim was to capture both the LGBTQ+ theme and the essence of Mickey Chen's work—'crossing the line.' In the process of recording people's life stories, Mickey longed for light in the darkness and captured the glimmering light in people's hearts—that was the atmosphere I wanted to present in this Doodle. To achieve this, I decided to use a dark background with light rainbow colours passing through the frames. original sketch Q. Any other thoughts you'd like to share? A: I am glad to have learnt more about Mickey through creating this Doodle. I hope that someone who sees it will be inspired to watch Mickey's films and read Mickey's book. After Mickey's passing, Taiwan has legalised same-sex marriage. But we still have a long journey ahead towards love-wins. Mickey's films show us what the world was like years ago, but what lies ahead for us? Location: Tags: