Bel Ami

Set in a cold and desolate town in northeast China, this wry omnibus of related stories follows an ensemble of mostly lonely souls in search of a connection. That they all identify as LGBTQ is a thinly veiled yet simple fact of their lives. Coded language, clandestine rendezvous, and secret clubs are quotidian realities for the men, as are desperation and heartbreak. The lesbian couple, on the other hand, are head over heels in love, have no qualms with public displays of affection, and are dead set on having a child with a surrogate father—if only he can meet their strict demands. Hilariously absurdist set pieces run the gamut of romance, from breakups to courtship as well as true love and the inevitable third wheel. Filmed in lyrical black and white that illuminates its colorful characters, writer-director Geng Jun (Sundance award winner Free and Easy) posits a wondrously irreverent and gloriously life-affirming treatise on what it means to live on the margins yet remain dignified in the search for happiness.