The Performance

Virtual Only

Streaming period: 9/8 (Mon) 12:00 AM ET - 9/14 (Sun) 11:59 PM ET.

Streaming is only available in the U.S. Get your free ticket to receive the link for streaming and a pre-recorded filmmaker Q&A.

New York Premiere

Director   Claire Zhou
Country   The Netherlands
Year   2023
Language   Dutch, Mandarin
Genre   Drama
Running Time   20 min

Lin (41) is preparing her solo song performance for the Chinese New Year celebration at her church. She hopes to impress her community, but according to her mentor her performance isn’t connecting yet as she seems to be hiding herself. However when rumors start circulating about her son, who has not been to church for some time now, Lin is faced with a difficult choice; will she continue to hide her true self or choose to be open?

This film is part of the Shorts: Radical Acceptance program.

Director’s Statement

With The Performance, I wanted to show the story of the struggle of coming out as a parent of a LGBTQ+ person. A struggle that is often overlooked, but parallels in the journey to LGBTQ+ acceptance, as only when the parent has learned the true meaning of unconditional love, can they pave the road forward towards their children and their community. With The Performance, I wanted to show the story of the struggle of coming out as a parent of a LGBTQ+ person. A struggle that is often overlooked, but parallels in the journey to LGBTQ+ acceptance, as only when the parent has learned the true meaning of unconditional love, can they pave the road forward towards their children and their community.

Director’s Bio

Claire Zhou (she/her)

Claire Zhou (born in 1996) is an emerging Chinese-Dutch writer and director hailing from the Netherlands. Her storytelling is characterized by a strong emphasis on LGBT themes and the bicultural experience. Through her latest work, 'The Performance', an autobiographical work, she provides a platform for Dutch-Chinese talent, a marginalized community that has often been overlooked by the Dutch media. Claire is dedicated to amplifying their voices and stories. With the film she got nominated for the Golden Calf (Dutch Oscars) for best short film. 

Her cinematic style is characterized by its artistry while remaining accessible to a broad audience that may not be familiar with the often stigmatized subjects she addresses in her work. Her previous short film, 'Stille Dorst', explores the journey of a gay Moroccan man as he seeks love and self-acceptance after a long, closeted marriage. This film was screened at the 16th Palace Film Festival and BFI Flare, and it has since been distributed by Pecadillo Pictures, reaching over a million viewers. In addition to her creative pursuits, Claire also serves as a Creative Producer at NL Film.