Being Transgender in China: The Two Lives of Li Ermao (Human Interest Documentary) | Real Stories
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 дек 2023
- Li Ermao was born a boy, but has lived for many years now as a “ladyboy.” She performs in clubs, but yearns for true love and acceptance. The film follows her life for 17 years, in which she displays resilience and vulnerability in equal measure, and repeatedly encounters prejudice and even aggression.
She and her boyfriend move to the countryside. There, they try to build a new life in harsh conditions on a plot of land inherited from her family, but she is once again met with rejection. She returns to the city, where it looks like she might very well collapse under the pressure of life as a transgender person in China.
As the years progress, filmmaker Jia Yuchuan increasingly drifts from his position as neutral observer. He gradually becomes part of the story, like an older brother to his protagonist. In voice-over he shares his concerns, and when Ermao hits troubled waters, he’s there to help. This subjective style only adds to the story’s impact.
Twitter: / realstoriesdocs
Facebook - / realstorieschannel
Instagram - @realstoriesdocs
Content licensed from [Blue Ant International]. Any queries, please contact us at: owned-enquiries@littledotstudios.com 
Кино
With the multiple times that Ermao self-sabotaged her life with her gambling, alcohol, and drug additions, in my opinion, this documentary was about undiagnosed and untreated mental illness in China rather than about being transgender in China. Given the back story about Ermao's father, I have no doubt that she was traumatized as a child (hence she ran away from home at 12 years-old) which may be why she using several addictions to self-medicate. My heart breaks for the fact that Ermao was not guided to seek mental health treatment.
You can't fix how society treats trans people without fixing how society treats transpeople.
Not a lot of people care.
Therapy isn't effective against minority stress.
True.
Wow, how empathic.
totally, and I have went to shrink several times in China, and all I can say is so unprofessional...... Also if u go to hospital their just gonna ask u to take a questionnaire test and then give you pills and u can go home....
and I feel like the main reason is China is still a developing country with huge population base. That's saying they are not put money in curing or taking care of ppl's mental health. Plus the working time and working environment is also bad, so more and more ppl are getting sick mentally
This was so so sad. 😞 what a tortured soul ☹️
One off the best and moving documentary’s I’ve seen in a long long time.
RIP 🪦 beautiful soul 🫶🏼🫶🏼
I agree
@@C4RYB34R it is so sad eh 🥺
😢 rip .🫶🏼x
Watching this my heart broke for Ermao. I can't imagine how hard life was. You never know what is going on in peoples' lives. Be kind to every stranger and try to be the bright spot in their day. We don't know the struggles everyone deals with daily.
Regardless of your personal beliefs, Ermao was still a human being who desperately wanted to be loved and accepted by society. My heart hurts for her, and I do hope she was able to find peace before she passed.
Me too. My heart aches for him and others who have to defend themselves again ignorant miserable people. If they paid attention to the train wreak they call life they wouldn’t have no time to police others. RIP beautiful lady.
*he/him.
*her
She was literally coerced to become a man so that she could survive. @@johnnunn8688
@@johnnunn8688 Do you really think that's appropriate to write under this person's comment?
Him
There I fixed it
All of them are so messed up. His relative was smiling when they talked about how his father sold his younger brother off to make money and how the dad ate his older brother. 😔
☹️
This part really got me..😢
well that’s not so rare for poor families in china, i think people are used to it.
Damn . . . That's the best documentary I've watched in quite a long time . . . Heartbreaking.
It's definitely a first for me!😮
At least this story can be seen by people and hopefully it touches them in some way so his life wasn't in vain
@@abcxyz2927What about all the people who treated them badly?
@@abcxyz2927 you said that isn't heartbreaking but it surely is
Very
Crazy how the relatives laughs when they talk about his dad’s human trafficking practices
I found that creepy and scary too.
It's so scary, that laugh.
yeah vile
but the asians tend to laugh when they are upset or nervous etc so...
@nickdawson9236 Are you generalising that all asians does that? Dude, that's racist.
Perhaps in their culture it's ok to laugh at tragedies and things
I just found this article about how Li Ermao died.
It's even more heartbreaking!
The documentary maker wanted to let her know that this documentary was up for an award, but she didn't pick up her phone.
Eventually the documentary maker called the police.
'A few days later, the police found Li Ermao, who had been dead for many days, in a dilapidated rental house in Qu County, Sichuan.
If it hadn't been for Jia Yuchuan to call the police, no one would have remembered this little person, and no one would have discovered that the 41-year-old had already died in the rental house for many days.'
😭
Yes it is! Honestly how i really really WISH that EVERYONE can accept people like Ermao! I mean accept Ermao like a normal person and treat Ermao like a normal person. Yes Ermao is a transgender but still a human being! If he feels like he wants to change to be a woman let him be as long as he is harmless! But UNFORTUNATELY not everyone in the world think like us towards people like Ermao! But nevermind KARMA is great! I really hope that those people who had MISTREATED Ermao will get the same treatment someday. What goes around comes around! Treat people the same way u EXPECT and LIKE to be treated.
@@noorimeldaelle3403 You said all that, but still misgendering her.
@@KimBlaQueHe is a beautiful feminine man. Nothing wrong with that.
@@littlecatfeet9064 exactly! that's what i am talking about. thank u so much for your kind understanding.
@@noorimeldaelle3403 no problem ☺️
She was forced to de-transition because of society. I hope she has found peace wherever she is now.
He/him its all in the brain
@@blahoo79it's all in your own brain.
Don't know what a Eunuch is do ya? Or a two-spirited person?
You sure don't. You just stick with that closed mind of yours. Don't like someone being comfortable in their own skin? Mind your own business.
It's ppl like you who kill ppl like her inside.
Yes, she was female in the brain.
Ermao didn’t elaborate but when he got older he realised even if he took the surgery he still couldn’t be a real woman. It’s not practical. He couldn’t be a real woman anyway. Idk how much he was struggling mentally though as he longed to be a woman. Or if he has finally given up the idea of being transgender. Maybe it’s not purely social pressure.
I think this might be the most emotional and best documentaries i've ever seen in my life. My heart breaks for Ermao and i truly cried when the last message on screen appeared. She wanted so bad to feel free and accepted in society, but had so many problems and never any real professional help. Thank you so much for sharing her story and i hope things get better for trans-people in china with time.
Did u cry every time
This is so heartbreaking. Now I am thinking why I watch this.
Wow I didn't mean to watch it all but couldn't turn away....
It's a life we aren't really exposed to in general
Kudos to the film makers perseverance 👏
The amount of pain Ermao went through is over human possibilities. What a beautiful but restricted soul. I would have loved to be her friend.
Me too. I felt her pain and I wish she would have been comforted more.🥺
Me too 😢🙏🏻❤️
He
Yea? She had had two handsome and nice boyfriends who really cared about her and wanted to be with her, but she chased them both away in the most insulting manner. WTF. She has mental illness and drinking problems. You can't save her.
What a beautiful, powerful, yet fragile & tortured soul Li Ermao was! It saddens me that Ermao wasn't able to find acceptance in this life, from family, society or from self. Ermao only wanted what we all want...to be able to fully express our true selves, to be loved, to make a decent living & to live in peace. It was deeply upsetting & maddening to see her/him try so hard & get so close only to have it ripped away or thrown away time & time again. May you find the peace in death that eluded you in life, Li Ermao. Excellent documentary...perhaps the best I've ever seen. Thank you, Jia Yuchuan!
Rest in peace Li Ermao. You deserved better in life and from your village.
Thank you for sharing Ermao's story. Absolutely heartbreaking to watch her in so much pain, desperately wanting love and acceptance, yet be treated with prejudice by family and society, and self-sabotage with her untreated mental health issues. It was heartening to see Jia care deeply for her and getting more involved as her life developed, and finding her after she passed to give closure, that she didn't pass alone and nameless with no one looking for her.
I sincerely wish that wherever she is now, Ermao is free and in peace 🙏
Watching a person in a death spiral is painful. 💔 This is an example of how trauma can lead to more trauma if not treated. What a tortured soul 🌹Absolutely heartbreaking. 💔
Her aunt literally gave her the jacket that was on her back so she wouldn't be cold. That was sweet❤
Everything Ermao went through. The highest highs, and the lowest lows, never being accepted as her true self. I bawled at the way her " relatives," and the town laughed at her.......none of them wanted to help, none of them tried, just criticized and expected her help. I'm so glad she had Jia as her older brother, and he was always honest and loved her as she was, who she was! What a pure soul Ermao was, gone too soon from this world. I hope she found peace.
Li was so animated.Its a shame how she was basically forced to 'adjust' to society in order to live a relatively normal life.I am not trans but I too have been ostracized for being different.May Li rest in peace.
She was caught in the grip of three addictions: gambling, drinking, and drugs. Like many others, these vices shattered her dreams and ruined her life.
She became Sober and worked hard after returning “home”. The Villagers Stole her land and forced her out! They laughed over the horrible actions of her Father and excused him. They mocked and abused her simply because of who she was. May she Rest in Peace! Had those Horrible Villagers Not driven her and Long out, the two of them would’ve built a good life together despite being treated so unfairly and horribly! She lost her hope and then her sobriety and as a result, her life. 😢
Why was the aunt laughing about human trafficking? Disgusting.
And the sick relatives laughing about eating the oldest son😬
The relatives think it is funny. Karma will be coming for them
most empathetic chinese citizen:
.. very, very compelling..the yearning for acceptance ..for love ..grateful Ermao had Jia, as an older brother - "May his vibrant soul rest peacefully".. indeed a vibrant soul. Thank you to all involved ..❤🙏🏽🕊
She was her own worst enemy. With her identity, relationships, alcohol and especially gambling. Believing surgery would solve all her problems. If only she accepted herself for the wonderful, beautiful trans women she was
I really hope the ex boyfriends were contacted about the diagnosis. Thats really important they know.
After watching this blunt yet sensitive look at a transgendered person in China, I have to say that I was not only moved emotionally but also felt a certain amount of discomfort. Ermao needed mental health care but I did not see any evidence that she was seeking help. What is the stance of the Chinese government on mental health and even cultural beliefs?
Ermao appeared to have had a gambling issue along with a very vocal, desperate want for absolute love that led to her partners leaving after a barrage of drunken rants of affairs and unemployment. There were so many red flags, so to speak, while continuing on her path of self-destruction. The point, I feel, where Ermao 'gave up' was when she was told she tested positive for HIV. It was like what feeling she had to become a woman, to live her life as a woman, was gone; as if she had been betrayed (more likely, self-betrayal). Sadly, I was not surprised to learn she passed away.
I'm hoping this documentary has opened up a dialogue among persons living in China about being transgendered as well as mental health issues, and addictions. Thanks Jia Yuchuan for creating, filming, and showcasing this all-too-important topic that warrants further discussion, globally.
Damn 😢. I wasn’t expecting this. This documentary was so raw and real!
the storyline is to deep, i cant help it but cry..i have never watched a human interest so real in a long time
One of the best documentaries I've seen recently. My heart aches for Ermao. I see a little bit of myself in her and I know I will most likely die alone forgotten in my apartment.
Not going to happen... 👍🏿
I said the same thing too....hopefully that doesn't happen
I see a person that can make the changes needed to become happier, and I see a person that’s letting fear of the unknown hold them back. Every sunrise is a new day, instead of taking the same route take a different route home, go to a new store, go for a walk in nature etc. the same ole will drive one mad. Live in the present.
😢 why would you think that, please surround yourself with good people. We all need good people
i also fear this will be my fate. I consistently fail to fit in and form lasting connections. people call themselves my friends but would not be there if I called upon them. i had gender affirming surgery last month and not one of them even called me let alone visited me while recovering. i fear the reason it is discovered ive passed will be that the rent was due and the landlord will find me after a month..This film moved me in ways i cant describe... so many parallels to the lives i know...
The dude giggling weil confirming human trafficking and describing how they mushed 'IT' like ginseng is the creepiest part of it all.
Very difficult to watch but one of the best documentaries ive seen in a long time
So many times while watching this I wished I could hug her to comfort her.🥺😭
Extraordinary documentary, words cannot describe what I felt while watching this. It is so heartbreaking. I hope Li Ermao is resting in peace
Wooh! its a roller coaster of emotions that I felt watching this documentary. Ermao was carrying a lot of trauma from the family that he was born from and that carried over to his adult life. Its so sad, she worked so hard to escape that reality. In the end, all he wants is to be loved but these mental problems got in the way that she sabotaged herself.
PS, I was so stunned of how they just casually talked about her father who sold babies and ate his own son. I cannot fathom how a person would do that let alone get a laughing reaction from that old man like it was a normal thing to do. Geez.
What a story!Thank you for putting this together with empathy and love for Ermao. Kudos to Jia Yuchuan - this was really well done.
Incredibly sad and a brilliant documentary!
Oh my gosh! This broke my heart about how people can suffering on this life !!!! Thanks for share this story that touched me and many here .
One of the best documentaries, I feel like she wasn’t thinking clearly the whole time.
Die Dokumentation hat mich sehre berührt. Li du warst eine wundervolle Seele auf der Suche nach der unerreichbaren Liebe. mögest du Frieden finden, dort wo du jetzt bist.
My eyes are open to this beautiful soul,who knew how to survive but wasn't given a chance to deside for himself
what an amazing work!!! Thank you for sharing and all the time an effort that you put in this documentary !!!
If only Ermao did not have the gambling problem, Ermao could've lived quite contently.
Do not place the blame on her, this is a problem with China. If she had actual support, this would've never happened.
Apparently addiction isn't a cause but a result of mental trauma. Like any "addict", she was simply hanging onto whatever gave her hope in an insufferable life.
@@KrissKrossSauce do you not see how she often blamed her partners when things go wrong, when questioned about her gambling, it's always all about her?
That was the trauma part. If a person is confident enough to take his own blame . He felt too broken inside
Actually the first partner in the film was not as toxic. The second partner with Ermao have toxic codependency issue. Both blames the other and not take responsibility of their own deeds.
The first partner doesn’t seem to have a job too. It’s sad that with Ermao’s identity it’s hard to find a normal person as a partner cuz people in Chinese society tend to not accept people like him.
The two boys actually loved her, I can tell from their eyes and interactions, it's a pity that they didn't keep the good life till the end.
My heart aches for this human who has been through so much. Every phase was very tough and lack of guidance, companionship and advise. I hope his soul is in peace having tried his very best. RIP.
The ending was so so sad. I cried. How can sb born in a country get kicked out by everyone. Maybe she at peace now. The father is the one that brought curses to his family 😢
Reading all of these comments gives me a shred of hope for humanity. I wish everyone was as open-minded and kind as this audience. Thank you!
So the villagers were okay with a human trafficker and cannibal living there but wanted them to leave that were just trying to live a basic decent life. This was just so sad 😢
It gives me pause whether her life would have been any better or worse in America or Europe than in China, where she felt such pressure to be a “real” woman. I wonder if all ladyboys feel they have to completely transition, or was it just her and some others. It was shocking to hear about her father, wow, that was insane. She struggled with a very difficult childhood, and was surrounded by drug addiction, prejudice, alcoholism, and gambling addictions, and possibly mental illness, but so many people of the LGBTQIA immunity do struggle with many of these issues too, all over the world. Very thought provoking video although I didn’t really see this as a “transgender” documentary but a documentary about one woman’s struggles in life. May you rest in peace lovely lady, Li Ermao.
Beautiful documentary ❤
Ohhh my gosh I totally enjoyed this documentary, thank you so much for sharing, thankyou for opening up your life and sharing I hope you are okay now blessings to you, such honesty hard rawness , peace and happiness and love ❤️
Heartbreaking & interesting. What a true friend the filmmaker ended up being to Ermao.
❤感谢那么多人喜欢ermao 虽然晚了。希望大家记住他 他来过世间 爱过 痛苦过 挣扎过。很遗憾他没能够活到现在更加包容的社会。❤ 感谢导演 。
exellent❤❤❤I really congratulate you for making such a good movie
I appreciate of the Director who filming the story till the end of er Mao life
She lived with people that did not know she was transgender, and she had gotten into a violent fight with them. I honestly think that when her boyfriend left her it brought up the pain of abandonment and she gave up home, coupled with the fact that she was insecure of the fact that Jiang also liked being with biological women
This is so sad, may she rest in peace. I was crying the whole time watching her story 😢. My heart is so heavy watching the full docu, poor soul 😞
This was a reallyyy good doc, wow.
I wasn’t expecting such a deep documentary. Absolutely moving - i feel so sad for Ermao. I sat here watching the behavior of the village people and relatives of her -couldn't believe it. Humans should deal with each other with dignity. Thank you for your great work!
So heartbreaking 💔 and angers me she couldn’t be herself and was treated so poorly by society. Thank you Jia for being there as a big brother to Ermao.
*he.
@@johnnunn8688Whatever Troll - Grow up and grow some Compassion in your cold heart!
@@christinebuckingham8369 , did you not watch it. HE decided to go back to being male. (Not that HE was ever anything else.)
@@johnnunn8688Stop being negative on this heartbreaking story. I'm sick and tired of people on this comment section being transphobic when this is so much more than that + it's disrespectful too.
@@wolfzmusic9706 , guess what, you cannot tell me what to do. 👍 He’s a male, he admitted it himself.
it is really sad, that he did not have anyone to guide him to the right path and ended up spending his twenties like that.
I wish I was there to try to help this young man. I see so much hurt, pain, lioness and confusion. He is in my prayers🙏🏼
This the best documentary Ive ever seen... should be awarded!
She really needed some therapy. I feel so bad for her. She needed help. She had so many issues. I could recognize the patterns of self sabotage. Maybe with some love, validation, and therapy in a better world, she would turn out alright. May she rest truly in peace❤❤
What the village did was that they seized on the opportunity to take your land, chicken and goods for themselves and gave you nothing for money. I think they made up that rule that your friend would not be happy there so you can leave them with all the hard work you've done, but I would have taken my chickens with me.
54:50 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳 HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! That whole conversation had my jaw on the floor! WTF!!! And the old man just laughs!
Across history, continents, and cultures, transgender people have existed. It is a reality of being HUMAN. And being human, we ALL deserve KINDNESS.
Narcissists twist the minds of people, convincing them that some humans with certain characteristic (skin colour, sexuality, religion, left-handedness, post code, wealth, gender, etc) is sub-human and must be punished. But narcissists are INSANE -- they appeal to the abandonment of reason.
It's the age old story of narcissist "othering" individuals to gain adoration, and in the process instigate UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS. Their followers abandon their humanity under the deranged spell of the narcissist, and perpetrate great evil.
Instead, be kind.
Yes to this!
Just rewatched this, its at 20:30 that the trajectory of this beautiful soul changed forever, her first boyfriend did not understand how she truly loved him, she was dealing with a lot but his constant cheating invalidated her now this does not excuse her gambling but when he left there was such a dark and immediate shift, she literally tried to pretend to be a biological female to internet strangers that she just met, she was self harming, her drinking was out of control and you could see that she had become a shell of herself. I think the last relationship was the final straw in the coffin but truly her life changed for the worst after her first relationship ended. Never take for granted what you mean to someone and how you could be their entire reason for living. Rest in peace sweet soul
my heart breaks while watching this. may he rest in peace. a lot of lesson can be leaned while watching this documentary, we must love ourself first before others...
I agree, and you have to learn to accept yourself before you need acceptance from others.
The boyfriend wants a real woman not a fake one
For one moment I really thought she could live peacefully in the village with her boyfriend, chickens and dogs. Even with all the struggle she was doing great, she was fighting for her happiness. I don't really know if she had a religion but I hope some God can bless her sad soul :(
This is the first time i am seeing any real life documentary... And i loved it❤ Ermao
This documentary need more views so that more and more stories like this can get attention.
I haven’t cried so hard in a long time. This is a really touching and beautiful story
this was a heavy watch... rest in peace
It is heartbreaking yet an amazing documentary to watch! From a Hong Kong person myself, I can totally feel her hardship and her life endured growing up in a peasant family in rural china in the 90s. she had absolutely no choice to live her life as tran in a closed minded community. She is repeating her life circle with frustrations, depression and sadness. She is a broken person and her life is utterly miserable and messy. I hope she is in a better place, may her soul in peace finally. Thank you for the great documentary!
10 years jia following ermao for this documentary, hats off for his dedication and perserverance. To ermao, i know you want to be saved too. Watching your life makes my heartbreaking for you. It's hard for you. Rest well ermao. I want you to know, you're pretty ❤
What a difficult life :(
That's the best documentary I've ever seen
I hope Ermao found peace
Sadly peace in death ,some people just can't find their way in this crazy thing called life
God Damn this was hard to watch. It broke my heart to watch as Ermao's life was built up and then torn apart time after time. I almost cried when i learned she had died without any one even knowing until the film maker cared enough to seek her out. Such an incredibly sad life story. She didnt deserve such a hard life. Rest in peace Ermao, I hope the next life brings the joy and love this one should have.
This breaks my heart. Such a beautiful soul. I cant imagine the struggle, and I will be more appreciative of what I have in my life, and the people. Wonderfull documentary. Im so sorry, that it ended like this Ermao.
That is the scariest village I ever saw... I can't believe human trafficking is normalized there. It's disgusting!!!
A very moving and powerful documentary. I am just glad Ermao isn't suffering any more. May she find the love she always wanted and deserved to have in her short life.
She was besieged by circumstances beyond her control... and as a doctor I am sure she has complex PTSD (otherwise known as Borderline Personality disorder) which makes everything even harder for her and challenging for those around her. People like her don't get a voice in China so this kind of story being widely accessible for all to see is very important. Thank you for sharing your life Ermao. May you rest in peace beautiful lady
Thankyou Emao for sharing your life with us all you are so strong and beautiful
Great doc , Life is hard and some people never get a break . Maybe the next life will be better .
If this documentary doesn’t exemplify the ‘trans’ madness, I don’t know what does.
Wow.....just wow..... 😢 amazingly emotional and heartbreaking
I love to watch documentaries..but this one i love the most but hurt me the most too😢😢😢 i feel sorry for ermao...
He struggled a lot while living in this cruel world..he may rest in peace...
Empezando por ti, que ni siquiera puedes llamarla con respeto.
This documentary reminded me so much of the movie "Farewell, my concubne".
Such a sad story but so real! Thanks for sharing your life with us ❤🙏and hopefully Ermao ‘s soul will be rest in peace ❤🙏 李二毛！天堂安息！
May his soul rest in peace. 但願二毛離開時有些好的回憶，而不全都是悲傷的。😢
Why doesn't anyone talking about the man who ate his son like wtf 😱
I thought I was the only one who heard this. That was horrible.
Oh my god! I have no words😮
This was a ride that I wasn't ready for but I'm glad I watched it.
Amazing person and story just to be loved ❤😢🙏 this should be a movie
best documentary i have ever seen
Heartbreaking 😢,my heart goes out to him.Sad that he's no one to really be there for him
So heartbreaking 😣 I hope she’s living her best life free of pain and heartache ❤
Unfortunately, Ermao passed away😥
amazing documentary
What a beautiful soul ERMAO WAS TO FACE SO MANY CHALLENGES IN LIFE I THINK WE ALL TAKE OUR LIVES FOR GRANTED AT TIMES
I WISH THERE COULD OF BEEN HELP FOR HER AND MANY OTHERS IN THIS SITUATION
This was a very good documentary and she should be proud that the world saw her for the beautiful person she was 😢❤
Thank you for a very insightful documentary and a transferer, May Ermao RIP 😢
That breaks my heart.