TT: So you aimed to do Ts justice in Drifting Flowers? [“T” is a term used in the Taiwanese gay community for a tomboy, or butch lesbian.]
ZC: Yes! I simply wanted to tell a good story about Ts. Half of all Ts in Taiwan bind their breasts. But no films talk about this.
TT: You once said your films are always inspired by your friends’ experiences. What parts of Drifting Flowers are based your life or your friends’ lives?
ZC: Well, my film crew said I am the old Lily [an Alzheimer’s sufferer] because I always forget things and can easily disconnect myself from the outside world to live in a world of fantasies.
I made the second segment about the AIDS patient hoping that it would comfort a friend of mine who has AIDS and has attempted suicide several times.
TT: Is it true that you will take a break from your Rainbow Project after Drifting Flowers?
ZC: There’s no rush to make all six films about homosexuality all at once. I’ll work with completely different material and find new nourishment and inspiration for my next Rainbow Project. My next feature film will be a film-noir epic about the Aboriginal tradition of headhunting. These were sacred killings through which the warriors communicated with god. It was through the sacrifice of human heads that Aborigines created some of the most sublime, amazing sounds we have the privilege of hearing today.
TT: What are your thoughts on the Taiwanese film industry?
ZC: We always say that whoever controls the venue controls the market. In the film business, the venue is the movie theater. In Taiwan, theaters only show Hollywood films. The local film business was among the first to be given away during Taiwan’s bid to enter the WTO. After that, there has been no stopping the Hollywood invasion.
When local films don’t sell, people say, “Oh, it’s because they’re not entertaining and commercial enough.” But in recent years we have seen some very entertaining films. It is just that they die prematurely before they can reach most audiences.
I think it’s rather impossible to see [Taiwan’s] film industry taking off again, as long as no changes are made to correct this structural problem.
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