Taiwanese novelist who killed herself in Paris at 26, Qiu Miaojin, remembered and reassessed in RTHK film
Lesbian writer whose death is credited with seeding LGBT movement in Taiwan is the subject of Hong Kong filmmaker Evans Chan’s documentary, which comes amid renewed interest in her books
Think of Qiu Miaojin, and the first thing that comes to mind is the Taiwanese writer’s melodramatic death; the second, perhaps, is her sexuality. In June 1995, the lesbian novelist killed herself in Paris shortly after completing Last Words from Montmartre, a semi-autobiographical novel in which the protagonist decides to commit suicide. She was 26.
A Chinese-language RTHK television documentary about her was broadcast this month as a precursor to a longer version in English that will be released later in the year by director Evans Chan Yiu-shing. It should encourage viewers to look past the tabloid sensationalism and to focus on her literary talent, Chan says.
“I am not interested in ... personalities,” the director says. “ I became convinced by her books as soon as I read them. She had a forceful personality that shines through her powerful writing. There is also a strong intuitiveness in her writing,” he adds.
The documentary doesn’t quite accomplish what it set out to do, with the director deciding to inject a heavy dose of histrionics. There were scenes of interviewees crying, revelations about her love life and her history of self-harm, as well as some rather superfluous dramatisation of her books. In one bizarre scene, Qiu’s alter ego – a crocodile – is seen stroking Anthony Gormley’s nude male sculpture that stood in Queen’s Road Central last year while declaring her inability to desire a man.
It would have made Qiu wince, since she was particularly piqued by local media’s obsession with Taipei’s then largely underground lesbian community. But to be fair, it would not be possible to discuss Qiu’s books without some acknowledgment of her personal struggles since they are largely autobiographical.
The decision to include Qiu in the series was based on the impact of her work rather than her biography, says producer Lo Chi-wa. “Our series has always taken a very open approach. We cast the net wide and end up finding some really interesting writers,” he says.