Zoe Ryde-Kruse – The Two Lives of Li Ermao

Posted byAlexandrine_BFPosted inUncategorized

Director: Jia Yuchuan (2019)

Length: 1:29:26 (90 minutes)

Awards: Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival (Audience Prize)

Link to trailer: https://vimeo.com/366759058/f34f40d86b

Link to film: https://vimeopro.com/ictvsolferino/china-screen-2020/video/444981880

Keywords: Transgender; China; identity; LGBTQ2+; acceptance; love; documentary; migrant

‘The Two Lives of Li Ermao’ chronicles 17 years of the life of a transgender person, as she searches frantically for love, identity, and acceptance in a culture that has largely invisibilized its LGBTQ population. This documentary, directed by Jia Yuchuan and shot in Southern China, is the story of Li Ermao as she lives as a “ladyboy” who yearns to fully transition. The film begins with Ermao at her most successful, earning money as a performer at a popular club in Shenzhen and enjoying a seemingly loving relationship. However, Ermao’s struggle with depression, alcoholism, and gambling causes her life to unravel, leaving her alone and more vulnerable than ever. Over time, Ermao and her new boyfriend decide to return to her hometown in the countryside; on arriving, they are faced with judgment and discover that much of her inherited property has been claimed by neighbours. Nonetheless, the couple attempts to set up a simple, yet meaningful life. Eventually, the discrimination and ridicule from the community become too much and the couple is forced to leave. The couple returns to Shenzhen with hope, but Ermao continues to face social inequality and she spirals once again. The film ends with a final tragedy that leaves its audience devastated.

The film is difficult to watch, and I found myself needing a few days to process all that I was presented with. Ermao is recorded in her darkest moments, while she experiences depressive episodes and suicidal tendencies. The audience watches as she repeats an unhealthy cycle of self-destruction which inevitably causes her life to blow up again and again. Witnessing these cycles becomes even more painful when the audience realizes that many of Ermao’s problems are rooted in her experiences with social stigma, discrimination, and the ignorance of others. To put it simply, Li Ermao wants her body to match how she identifies, and she loses a part of her identity every moment that she spends pretending to be a man to be socially accepted and safe.

Jia Yuchuan is a journalist and photographer that has worked with the LGBTQ community in China since 2002. His career in photography and journalism influenced the aesthetics of this film in various ways, as evidenced by his use of continuous shots. For example, Yuchuan allows the camera to continue rolling in situations where other filmmakers may have cut – resulting in long segments of uncomfortable conversations, raging arguments, and mental breakdowns. Additionally, there is not a consistent soundtrack – instead, Yuchuan uses a combination of music and a warm filter to accentuate two moments of hope in the film. By strategically incorporating music in these shots, Yuchuan draws in the audience further by giving them visceral feelings of optimism in a documentary that is starved of happiness.

This documentary employs a combination of research techniques including investigative, observational, and reflexive. By blending these techniques, Yuchuan can interact with Ermao directly while remaining aware of his positionality throughout the film. Yuchuan and Ermao become close friends over the span of 17 years, and this is exemplified through their conversations which, at times, are in disagreement. The film’s narrations, done by Yuchuan, allow for him to remain aware of how his role as a friend and director affects his interactions with Ermao. Voice-overs provide the audience with a better understanding of Yuchuan’s level of engagement with Ermao in various situations. While remaining objective is a popular tactic for many documentarians, Yuchuan embraces his subjective role in his film; allowing the audience to connect deeply with Ermao as a human. Yuchuan does not utilize formal interviews, instead, he draws on conversations and interactions that are already in play which creates a feeling of genuineness in what is being viewed. Yuchuan bluntly captures glimmers of promise, pits of despair, and moments of complexity as they are being experienced by Ermao. The rawness of the film sweeps the audience along waves of emotion, strengthening feelings of empathy towards the protagonist.

‘The Two Lives of Li Ermao’ highlights the importance of transgender rights in China. Despite having the largest LGBTQ population in the world, China offers very little support or protection to its transgender community (Wang et al. 2020). Until 2001, transgenderism and homosexuality were classified as psychological disorders, and the associated stigma is still prevalent in China today. Moreover, transgender people are faced with massive restrictions and social barriers that prevent them from receiving gender-affirming surgeries. Although this documentary does not include statistics, it does present its audience with the devastating reality of being transgender in China. The story of Li Ermao is just one of many, but it is crucial to the larger picture of LGBTQ rights.

Links to learn more about transgender rights in China: 


For more information about the process of filming and editing ‘The Two Lives of Li Ermao,’ check out (WARNING – SPOILERS): https://raifilm.org.uk/the-two-lives-of-li-ermao-2019-lucy-james/

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