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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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Muxes: Authentic, Fearless Seekers of Danger (Mexico) (Documentary)

By Golu
This documentary shows the everyday experiences of the “muxes,” a group of homosexual, cross-dressing, and transsexual persons, who live their identities through a series of performative acts in the town of Juchitán. In doing so, they transgress the traditional roles and expectations that a patriarchal society has for both their men and women. Furthermore, their actions are presented in the film as everyday acts of defiance towards heteronormative patterns—that is, manners of interpreting the sexed body that have come to be considered acceptable by patriarchal societies.

On the sun-baked Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico lies the town of Juchitan, whose population of indigenous Zapotecs have for centuries warded off numerous invasions to preserve their identity. Today, Juchitan has an additional, more notorious, identity, as a "queer paradise" famous for its Muxes, effeminate homosexual men whose socially defined role within the Zapotec culture pre-dates the advent of gay liberation. In this society, Muxes have traditionally filled the roles of sewing, cooking, preparation of celebrations and providing lifetime care for their parents. Likewise, the men we meet here are chefs, salon-owners, housekeepers and teachers, in addition to being inveterate fun-lovers and an acknowledged "outlet" for straight men in a culture that still values virginity in brides. However, all is not perfect in paradise, as director Alejandra Islas occasionally suggests in a frequently amusing way just how low the glass ceiling of acceptance might be for those who push too hard. The Muxes of Juchitan are proud of their identity, enjoy their lives, laugh at themselves as well as at "straight" society, and admit their own foibles freely. They call themselves "Authentic, Intrepid Seekers of Danger", and have banded together to lead the fight against AIDS in Oaxaca. They talk frankly about their experiences of acceptance and rejection, and their successes in finding freedom, love and delight in their special identity.

Being muxe is often confused with being transgender, but it is an identity specific to the Oaxaca region and the indigenous Zapoteca culture. Having a muxe person in the family has come to be seen as good luck and even a blessing. But life outside Juchitán is not always easy. As the film progressed, they indicated that it was obvious to them that the level of tolerance and acceptance towards the muxe was neither evenly distributed in the whole community nor equally present in all historical periods. The documentary also emphasizes the relationship between the muxes and their mothers, their many contributions to the community, their indisputable leadership in issues such as AIDS and STDs prevention campaigns. An interesting insight into a community that I did not know anything about and I would guess not many folks would either. (5/10)
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