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farewell my concubine (1993)

installment one of a mini review series about china's collective trauma throughout the 20th century:

a gorgeous, sweeping epic about artistic and queer identity set against forty years of inconceivable change, featuring one of the most harrowing scenes I've ever seen in any film -- but it really did be like that for a billion people, and understanding this shared history is integral to understanding chinese culture and politics today

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