QUEENS OF THE QING DYNASTY Trailer Highlights an Unlikely yet Poetic Friendship

Canadian filmmaker Ashley Mackenzie keeps audiences on their toes as she takes a decidely different turn with her sophomore feature, Queens of the Qing Dynasty. Staying with the lives of those living somewhat on the margins, either culturally or socially, in towns far away from the centre of the action, she's carving a unique place with her style and subject matter. Her characters are perhaps somewhat lost, sometimes alone, yet able to find connections where ones do not seem obvious. Shooting in and around where she grew up in Cape Breton, Mackenzie's film evoke a naturalness, and a natural strangeness, that's present in places where it's often more trouble to hide who you really are. After a successful festival run including Berlinale and TIFF, the film will soon be released in the USA.

In a remote small town, a neurodivergent teen forms an unlikely rapport with an international student from Shanghai volunteering at the hospital where they are a patient. Between the two, a bond forms, cemented by their candid conversations, nightly text messages, and exchange of their deepest secrets. The boundaries of their friendship quickly expand into something special, altering their inner alchemy.

Queens of the Qing Dynasty opens at Metrograph New York next week, later expanding to more cities. Check out the poster and trailer below.