The film, directed by Cheng Yu-chieh, tells the story of Lin Jian-yi (Mo Tzu-yi), a gay man who devotes his life to his dead partner’s ill mother, Zhou Xiu-yu (Yao Chun-yao), and his son nine-year-old son, Wang You-yu (Runyin Bai). But after the suspicious death of Mrs. Zhou, Lin is unjustly accused and becomes a victim of the judicial discrimination against sexual minorities.
Taiwan is often considered to be the pioneer of gay rights and recognition and a shining beacon for gay culture in all of Asia. With an estimated 130,000 people in attendance, Taiwan was the only country in the world to host an in-person gay parade in 2020 amid the global COVID outbreak, as well as the only country in Asia to have legalized same-sex marriage back in 2019. But despite such widespread advocacy, Cheng’s Dear Tenant sheds light on the grim reality of gays and other sexual minorities still facing hostility and discrimination in Taiwan with much of Taiwanese society still needing to go a long way when it comes to the full acceptance of queer people.
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