Lily Ho Li-li (left) and Betty Pei Ti in a still from Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan, a 1972 production that was the first Hong Kong film to feature LGBT characters. Directed by Chor Yuen, it resembles European “art-porn” films of the era by the likes of Roger Vadim.
First Hong Kong film with LGBT characters, kung fu drama Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan shocked viewers in 1972
- Set in a brothel some time in China’s past, Chor Yuen’s film featured established star Lily Ho and newcomer Betty Pei Ti as a sex worker and her madame
- Ho’s character Ainu is the ultimate embodiment of sex as a weapon. ‘Shocking and alluring at the same time,’ was actress Candace Yu’s description of the film
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LGBTQ in China
Lily Ho Li-li (left) and Betty Pei Ti in a still from Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan, a 1972 production that was the first Hong Kong film to feature LGBT characters. Directed by Chor Yuen, it resembles European “art-porn” films of the era by the likes of Roger Vadim.