Queer East: On the Road 2025: Where is My Love?

Where is My Love? is, curiously, described as a drama/documentary. Possibly to support this approach the actors An-Chen Chiu and Chih-xing Wen are, on some websites, described as playing themselves rather than named characters and the film is shot in the style of shaky camcorder footage to give the impression of authenticity.

Mo Ko, a writer, living in Taipei, Taiwan, in the 1990s, is in the closet about his sexuality.  When his editor suggests submitting one of his stories to a prestigious writing competition Ko is reluctant to comply as it might reveal his homosexuality. Ko continues to deny his sexuality even when interviewing an old school friend with whom he had a relationship.

Pierre, by comparison, is so comfortable in his sexuality he is willing to be confrontational even when his openness results in the loss of his job hosting a TV show.  A one-night stand between Ko and Pierre may, therefore, inspire Ko to leave the closet and encourage Pierre to move away from anonymous sexual encounters.

Writer and director Jo-Fei Chen makes his points in a blunt manner. Rather than trust the audience to interpret events their meaning is spelt out directly. An opening narration tells us not only that Ko is a writer but that he is unhappy. Just in case the point is missed Ko’s editor verbally interprets his reluctance to enter his story in a competition as being due to fear of revealing his sexuality.

There is an artificial atmosphere to the film. Pierre is introduced delivering a monologue on how, although gay people are exempt from Taiwanese military service, few take up the option as the interview process is so intimidating. It seems an abrupt way in which to suggest there is hostility towards homosexuality in Taiwanese culture.

It is possible Ko’s reluctance to reveal his sexuality is due to his extremely isolated and repressed personality rather than fear of consequences.  Ko must be aware it is possible to have an openly gay relationship as he encounters an old school friend now living with a boyfriend. Ko’s lifestyle seems self-punishingly austere avoiding simple pleasures such as a stereo or video recorder. Ko’s tightly repressed personality makes him incapable of public displays of affection – rejecting Pierre’s efforts to kiss in the street.

Pierre is a direct contrast to the solitary Ko with a bad boy leather jacket and cocky extravert personality. Involvement with Pierre not only provides an example of other approaches to a gay lifestyle but also demonstrates to Ko that not everyone is narrow-minded and judgemental.

Where is My Love? is a short film but very slow-moving.  It becomes increasingly hard to retain patience with Ko’s inability to take any action and his moping around the house becomes wearying.

Where is My Love? might be better taken as study of a flawed, insecure individual than a tale of dawning sexual awareness although the isolated central character makes it difficult to be wholly sympathetic.

Where is My Love? is screening at Queer East: On the Road 2025.