A Shameful Waste of Madness (Belgium) by Lewis De Cooman
A Shameful Waste of Madness is a coming-of-age tale set in a black-and-white apocalyptic dreamscape. The story follows 24-year-old Omar as he embarks on a journey that forces him to face gender stereotypes and his emerging sexuality. Omar finds himself sprinting down a desolate road, pursued by an unknown threat. Gripped by fear, he suddenly awakens alone in a series of grim landscapes where he meets young children and an alter ego, each pushing him to perform various acts that society deems different. A scarecrow wearing a dress stirs within Omar a deep yearning to feel the fabric against his own skin. On a football field surrounded by men, he has the urge to support them as a cheerleader. His first sensual thoughts lead him to put on someone else's worn swimming trunks and eventually he searches for the ultimate endpoint of his experience: physical intimacy. However, Omar's explorations are tainted by shame rather than pride. He envies the young children who seem to embrace their feminine sides better. He wonders whether the apocalypse has shattered the world or merely damaged himself. Through a journey of depths and heights, Omar comes to realize that societal expectations have scarred him more deeply than he ever acknowledged. In this strange world, Omar is given a second chance to embrace his true self. But the choice remains: will he accept his otherness or will he dance it all away?
Running time: 00:15:51
Go On, Rituparna (United States) by Aashish Kumar
“Xun” to her loving Mother, and “Piku” or “Ritu” to friends, Rituparna Neog has blazed a trail for queer and trans rights, gender justice, and access to free libraries in her native Assam and other parts of India. This film is a tribute to the power of activism, familial love, and community-building.
Running time: 00:31:00
Shame (عيب) (Lebanon) by Hadi Moussally
In the 19th century, in the Levant region, Salma Zahore, along with her parents and neighbors, participated in a photoshoot using a long exposure technique. At the end of it, Salma decided to take off her coat, revealing her body. Unaware of the chaos this gesture could cause within her circle, she did not know it could lead to shame (عيب).
Running time: 00:04:27
Speaking of Pink (Netherlands) by Charlotte Maria
In Speaking of Pink, four elderly LGBTQ+ individuals come together in a bright pink space. In this space, which is as much a living room as it is an archive, they share their life stories with each other. The short film is a hopeful, imaginative documentary about reclaiming spaces where the identity of older LGBTQ+ individuals is not accepted. Speaking of Pink gives an insight into the LGBTQ+ history of Rotterdam through the stories of four elderly people: lesbian activist Nell Broekhuizen, transman Jos Niesing and married couple Tonny van Dijk, a heterosexual woman, and Arie van Dijk, a gay man. Although the stories of the four main characters seem very different at first glance, they clearly have one thing in common. Nell, Jos, Tonny and Arie have all had to search for a space in which they could be themselves. All four have had to transform traditional norms around family, faith and marriage to find space for their identity. Speaking of Pink serves as a reminder of the rich but sparsely documented queer history of Rotterdam, but above all as an inspiration for the current generation of queer people, who often still grow up without visible role models. The stories in this documentary demonstrate that the struggle for space to be yourself is not just something of the present.
Running time: 00:39:55