AS WE LIKE IT

Official Selection, 2021 International Film Festival Rotterdam

Official Selection, 2021 Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Whatever expectations you have for a remix of Shakespeare’s classic—set in a near-future Taipei—prepare for this bubbly cinematic rainbow to implode them. From the get-go, we have an inkling that something is afoot: all of the men are played by women, a direct retort to the all-male cast of Shakespeare’s stage. But AS WE LIKE IT doesn’t submit to binaries; instead, it beckons us to revel in all the magic messiness of queer love. Orlando (Aggie Hsieh) falls in love with Rose (Puff Kuo) when he runs into her in the middle of a simulated boxing match. He vows then and there to unveil the identity of the stranger whose eyes electrified him. The next time he runs into his crush, however, she is in disguise as Roosevelt, a man on a mission to save his family’s business. When Roosevelt learns of Orlando’s devotion to Rose, he brings Orlando along on his quest, promising Orlando the key to the heart of his xian nu, his muse.

Chen Hung-i and Muni Wei’s AS WE LIKE IT conjures up the magic of the centuries-old fairy tale and flips it anew. The film doesn’t stop at Shakespeare though, mixing media and cultural influences, keeping us guessing from beginning to happily-ever-after.

—Emily Liu

Admission includes outdoor post-screening reception on the 3rd floor of the Hazard Center – catered by Zen Modern Asian.

Co-Presented by San Diego Queer APIMEDA.