A Personal Story About My Favorite Lesbian Film

Lesbian sex in media through Park Chan-Wook's The Handmaiden (film) & Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet (book)

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🎞 The Handmaiden (2016) 🎬 Dir: Chan-wook Park 🎥 DP: Chung-hoon Chung

Berlin, 2017

I watched The Handmaiden when I was at a crossroads in my life. I had just arrived in Berlin, where I was to stay for the next three month. I knew nearly nothing about the city, except the obvious history around Hitler and WWII. I chose it because a lot of folks from my home city, San Francisco, loved the city. When I arrived, it was early February. The chestnut branches were still stark against pale buildings. It felt comforting, and safe.

When I arrived at the art residency/hostel, I dropped my bags and slept for hours. It was the first time in months I’d s…