Chinese lesbian drama 'Big Little Things' heads to Venice Horizons after festival shuffle
Directors Michelle Zhou and Chun Yu have turned their personal family conflict into the lesbian coming-out film “Big Little Things,” which was moved from Venice Days to the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival.
Michelle Zhou and Chun Yu transformed a personal New Year-time family rift in Harbin, sparked by Yu’s decision to come out to her parents, into the lesbian drama “Big Little Things.” The story reflects the stigma surrounding same-sex relationships in China, depicting a fabricated boyfriend used to placate a matchmaking-obsessed family, a practice common in the local LGBTQ+ community. After producing a short film with the same title, they developed a feature that also casts Yu’s real father, Hai, in the paternal role, adding authentic emotional weight to a key confession scene.
The project was first chosen for the Venice Days program but the creators opted to join the Horizons section, describing the choice as a “happy dilemma.” Zhou’s next work will be a family comedy-drama based on a pandemic-era experience in Thailand, while Yu is preparing her debut diaspora film set in Los Angeles and a European village.
Why it matters
The film highlights LGBTQ+ challenges in China and gains international exposure at a major festival.
In this story
