The contradictions of home and belonging underlie this autobiographical and documentary-style exploration of the queer Chinese diaspora. For filmmaker Samuel Zhang, Shanghai represents one end of a long term relationship and a past home, but only in the sense of fading memories. In the place where we left and arrived (2022) shows a personal journey, presented through words and the use of digital mappings, as Zhang attempts to understand the possible definitions of home, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Chinese lives, and the reality of being queer in and away from China. Offering a look at the wider context of these important issues, the film gathers shared experiences of other queer Chinese people living in the UK. We see how queer identities intertwined with diaspora are bound up by rejection from the home country and the struggle of ethnocultural transformation. In this way, the reality for people who are marginalised, either culturally, geographically, or socially, is always a state of exile.

In this episode, Samuel discusses the inspirations and influences behind the film and more.

Fringe of Colour Films is a hybrid arts festival for Black people and People of Colour. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠fringeofcolour.co.uk⁠⁠⁠