The Outsider Club

The Outsider Club is a story about the collision of ideals and reality, about the disillusionment that comes when the dream of intellectual purity collides with the harshness of the world as it is. It’s a narrative rooted in the search for authenticity in a society where truth is distorted by power, reputation, and the performance of knowledge. As a filmmaker, I wanted to explore the ways in which we create illusions—whether through institutions, people, or even our own minds—and how those illusions eventually unravel.

At the heart of this film is Wu Qi, a high school student with an idealistic vision of intellectualism. She enters The Outsider Club thinking it’s a space where genuine learning and social justice intersect. She believes she’s found a place where the pursuit of knowledge is sacred, where intellectuals engage in meaningful discourse. What she discovers, however, is a facade—a club that, far from being a sanctuary for thoughtful minds, is a closed circle of exclusion. It’s a club that preaches ideals but practices something very different.

Through Wu Qi’s journey, the film delves into the process of disillusionment. I want to capture the tension between idealism and the real world—the realization that the systems we inhabit are often more about maintaining power than about fostering genuine change. Wu Qi’s initial belief in the purity of intellectual thought crumbles as she witnesses the apathy of those around her. When a feminist writer is banned and no one speaks up, she is forced to confront the brutal truth: even within the walls of this so-called intellectual haven, there is no room for dissent, no space for diversity of thought, no commitment to justice.

The film also interrogates the idea of authority—both intellectual and societal. Xu Wei, the charismatic leader of the club, embodies the tension between the intellectual elite and the systems of power that uphold them. His call for the school to tear down its expensive but aesthetically hollow gates[doesn't unpack in the film] is an act of rebellion, but it also highlights a deeper hypocrisy within the club. The true power dynamics aren’t about knowledge—they’re about control, and who gets to define what qualifies as "intellectual."

In crafting this story, I was also drawn to the idea of an “intellectual trap.” The club serves as a microcosm of the broader social structure, where individuals compete for recognition, status, and influence under the guise of pursuing knowledge. It’s a commentary on how often intellectualism becomes a performance, a way to gain prestige rather than a genuine pursuit of truth. In the end, it’s not about learning or self-improvement—it’s about belonging to a select group.

Then there’s ZL, a student who initially appears to be a model of the humble intellectual, quietly supporting Xu Wei’s ideals. But when faced with the club’s cold response to the banning of the feminist writer, ZL takes a drastic step. He kills the person responsible for banning the female writer, believing that only through shock and violence can the apathy of the club be shattered. In ZL’s mind, a single act of violence becomes a way to disrupt the system, to break the cycle of complacency that pervades the club. It’s an unsettling moment—one that forces the audience to question whether real change can ever come without sacrifice or destruction.

The Outsider Club is a reflection on the limits of idealism, the complexity of intellectualism, and the cost of silence in the face of injustice. Ultimately, the film asks: What happens when the pursuit of knowledge becomes the pursuit of power, and where does that leave those who genuinely seek change?

Previously, I was Wu Qi from the start, dreaming of a utopia existing, where authenticity can only be found in our minds. Yet, I eventually have to admit, reality weighs more.