Yao Shuo, a closeted gay man who financially supports his entire family, struggles to fulfill his father's dying wish to marry and continue the family's bloodline. Yao travels from Beijing to his tiny rural hometown for Chinese New Year, where he's reunited with his mother, who became deaf after a medical accident, and his father, who requires a wheelchair and no longer speaks. Shot in stark black and white, Yao eloquently compares his situation to that of a moth—drawn to the flame that will both harm him and make him happy. He longs to communicate his true wishes but can't if he wants his parents' love and approval. A confessional portrait that clearly displays the strained family dynamic, The Silk and the Flame captures the impossible conflict and pain that come from trying to please a family and culture that don't accept you as you are. Angie Driscoll