Gay Men Are Caught Between Happiness And Social Norms In This Short Film

As 2016 nears to a close, Taiwan is looking increasingly likely to become the first Asian country to embrace marriage equality in the new year.

Hence, there could be no better time to check out “Life of Silence,” a harrowing Taiwanese short film that examines what happens when those with same-sex attraction choose to oppress themselves in hopes of fulfilling societal expectations. The movie, which made the festival rounds in 2014 and 2015, tells the story of three gay men who are entangled in doomed romances in a non-linear format.

Director Cheng-Ru Ying told The Huffington Post in a statement that he hopes viewers come away from the film with the understanding that intimate relationships should be based on happiness, rather than social and gender stereotypes.

“I hope that, through the artwork, the society could inspect and think about many existed injustices, discriminations, oppressions and sufferings of gender and body that one day could be understood,” Ying said.

Get a sneak peek at “Life of Silence” above, then head to Viddsee, an Asian company that curates and shares powerful short films, to view more.