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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
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Kenedi Se Zeni (Romany/German/Serbian) [Kenedi Is Getting Married]

By Golu
The director of this film is known for his socially engaged films and documentaries in former Yugoslavia, which earned him critical accolades but also censorship in the 70s for his unflinching criticism of the government apparatus. Low budget filmmaking and challenging political themes mark Zilnik’s prolific career that includes over 50 feature and documentary films and shorts. This Serbian film has dialogues in a few languages trying to keep the spirit of the region in tact. Although I am not sure what the purpose of the film is, because it just feels slice of life and maybe its trying to make a point against poverty, immigration, gay rights but none of them actually ever gets the focus.

Kenedi is a 30 year old man, who is now in a huge dent after building house for his family and is now being hounded by loan sharks to collect the money back. He tried to do odd jobsharer and there but with the daily wages he earns, it will take him forever to make money. When one of the old ladies offer him money for se, he realizes he can make money faster and use that women. Soon, through his friend he also gets into having sex with men visiting his country and realizes that more money can be made. He realizes with liberal gay laws, he could possible get residency status in EU somewhere. He meets a guy named Max at a music festival and almost convinces him to take Kenedi with him to EU and prepare his papers. Max is hesitant because Kenedi makes his intentions very clear that he will have sex with him and keep him happy as long as he can provide for EU residency. But the night before, at his farewell reception, Kenedi can't keep his hands off form his older female patron and Max finally realizes that he is not going to change and leaves him. The film ends up with him going to Istanbul in search of making a better future for himself.

The film follows the path of the immigrant, Kenedi, in his daily struggles, revealing the life on the edge of modern society. I am not very sure but it felt like Kenedi's heritage was Romani Gypsy who is living in the Yogoslavia world trying to make something out for himself. But like most people he is also looking for a short cut. Kenedi is an uprooted Rom (he speaks Romany at home), a kind, witty, resourceful and almost pathologically optimistic street rat, a true cosmopolitan; who will do anything to get out of the rat hole. But things don't go as planned. He does construction, prostitution and everything in between, but doesn't work much for him. Eventually life will take its own course. The film is not queer per say, but it does show how Kenedi uses the whole openly gay men in EU to his advantage making false promises of love, and we know how white guys have a thing for dark skinned manly men, which is what havens in this case with Max, who despite having a boyfriend, can't help but fall for Kenedi's charm. The film has a very documentary style feel to it and it some paces feels rushed. I felt that having some contextual and regional understanding of the people in the area might have helped me appreciate the film better. As to after I was done watching the film, I wasn't sure who or whythde film was made. (4/10)
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