Story:

Four film stills from the short film "The Drum Tower" featuring protagonist Chao Xiaomi. The images capture a moment of profound loss — when the protagonist recalls a moment of heartbreak, when she almost lost everything: her friend, her shop, her dignity. These stills are printed as a standalone visual series, offering viewers an intimate entry point into the film's emotional and conceptual landscape.

I first met Chao Xiaomi at a gathering. My initial impression was dismissive — she seemed loud and exaggerated, as if everything she did was calculated to attract attention. I couldn't understand her. One day, I coincidentally invited her to participate in a drama workshop during the shooting of "Papa Rainbow." There, she spoke openly to the other participants about her personality: "I have this shell around me, so I can screen out the people who don't fit me."

As a trans* person in China, Chao Xiaomi has experienced profound unfairness and discrimination. Hearing her speak, I understood her differently. I became inspired to write a story centered on her — and that's how "The Drum Tower" was born. It was a film tailored specifically for Chao Xiaomi.

The four stills here capture a particular moment: the protagonist in the midst of profound loss and recollection. But they also carry my own emotional memory — the mood of recent years in Beijing, when events were increasingly shut down, when we were losing space, losing our freedom of expression. The images hold both her story and mine.

When people ask me if I miss Beijing, I say no firmly. One of the reasons is because I made this film. It cured my "homesickness."