Boys for Beauty / 美麗少年 (1999) dir. Mickey Shen

A frank and entertaining portrait of the lives and family relations of three gay teenagers in Taipei. This documentary candidly captures the day-to-day realities of its protagonists, and makes a brave statement against gender norms in a Confucian society. One boy decides to break up with his boyfriend before studying abroad, another is an elite high school student seen as an outcast by his peers, and still another is a beautiful, androgynous cross-dressing performer. Besides its subjects, the film also recognizes their supportive family members who must necessarily bear much of the pressure when their son or brother comes out of the closet. Marking an exceptional achievement for documentaries in Taiwan, the film was a box-office success as well as a brilliant expose of the lifestyles of people on the fringes of society.