The Silk and the Flame chronicles Yao’s journey home from Beijing to his familial home in the provinces for the Chinese New Year.

Nearing forty and still single, he returns to visit his deaf-mute mother and invalid father, whose dying wish is to see his son wedded to the right woman and starting a family of his own. Yao, a closeted homosexual, would prefer to find the right man. He has done well in the capital and supports his parents, his elder brother and his brother's children. His professional achievements have earned the family's respect further fueling their dismay that he is still a bachelor. Ever the dutiful son, he finds himself sacrificing his own needs in order to fulfill their expectations. 

The film is an intimate look into everyday life in China, where the economic boom of the cities stands in stark contrast to the poverty experienced by those living in the countryside. Schiele uses stark black-and-white photography to provide a fascinating and subtle narrative that reveals how deeply entrenched the Confucian values that shape Chinese society are, the legacy of the social tumult of the twentieth century, and the family’s own battle with the simple means of communication that most of us take for granted.

The film offers an intimate portrait of familial bonds, of traditional values and the pressure to conform. 

AWARDS 

2018 | Best Documentary, Seattle International Film Festival 

2018 | Nominee Outstanding Documentary, Frameline LGBTQ Film Festival

2018 | Nominee Best Documentary, Teddy Award, Berlinale  

Q & A with Jordan Schiele  

Jordan Schiele was born in Brooklyn, NY and began working on film sets in Shanghai. After receiving an MFA from NYU-Tisch Asia, his work as a cinematographer premiered at Cannes, Tribeca and Locarno. His directorial work received a jury award for the Louis Vuitton Journeys competitions and his short, 5CM premiered at Locarno Film Festival. DOG DAYS is his first feature and was a finalist in the Oscars' screenwriting competition and selected for the Residence of the Cannes Film Festival. It was also screened at the Berlinale Panorama in 2016.