In what began as an attempt to reconcile with her mother with the help of her daughter,
HE Xiaopei's debut feature-length film takes us from the 1920s to the 2020s, following
the lives, desires, and determination of three generations of women – her mother,
herself, and her daughter – as they navigate political and social revolutions across
different times and continents. Defying conventions and yearning for personal
fulfilment, each woman inherits both love and unintended trauma.

Bad Women of China weaves an oral tapestry of women's sexuality and desires
across a century, all beneath the subtle veneer of humour and wit. Politics, society,
family, love, journeys, and intimate encounters seamlessly intermingle among the three
generations of women in this family saga. The seemingly haphazard, collage-like
imagery exudes a profound historical richness. What captivates us even further is the
director's brave act of breaking the years-long silence with her mother through this
transformative cinematic endeavour.

About the Director
Dr. He Xiaopei, indie film director, executive director of Pink Space, a
Non-Governmental Organisation. When Xiaopei was a teenager, she was
a shepherd in the hills. After graduating from university, she joined the Chinese
Mountaineering Team and hit the Himalayas, Namcha Barwa summit. After leaving the
mountaineering team, she entered the State Council as an economist, and conducted
economic reforms research for 14 years. From the 1990s, she devoted herself to the
feminist and lesbian movement in China, and took part in the 1995 United Nations
Fourth World Conference on Women. Later she went to the UK to study sexuality and
cultural studies. After graduating with a Ph.D. she returned to China to set up Pink
Space using films to represent invisibilized desires and lives.

Festivals / Awards
2023, UK Queer East Festival
2023, Mulan International Film Festival