Giving queer life a public screen
On the occasion of the International Day against Homo-, Bi-, Inter- and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), the Braunschweig International Film Festival in cooperation with the Verein für sexuelle Emanzipation e.V. and Queer Cinema is organising a special screening of the Belgian-French film LOLA AND THE SEA on Wednesday, 17 May 2023 at the Universum Filmtheater.
LGBTIQ* visibility is a major concern of the BIFF. "It is important to us to represent all realities of life on the screen," says festival director and organiser Anke Hagenbüchner-Sobiech. "In recent years, some progress has been made regarding the rights of queer people, but in many countries around the world, people who define themselves as LGBTIQ* are still persecuted, discriminated against and even executed. IDAHOBT draws attention to exactly this and advocates for more acceptance of queer people in our society."
"We as a community need to be united, loud and visible."
IDAHOBIT dates back to 17 May 1990. On that day, the WHO decided to remove homosexuality from its diagnostic key for diseases. Since then, it is no longer officially considered a disease. On this day, actions take place all over the world to draw attention to the fact that people are discriminated against and excluded because of their sexual or gender identity. After all, in 67 countries worldwide, people who identify as LGBTIQ* are still being prosecuted.
Even in Germany, the rights and freedoms of queer people are still threatened and restricted on a daily basis, says Queer Cinema. "We are still far away from respecting equal and human rights in our society. Queer hostility has many faces: violent attacks in public, hate speech at rallies and in the parliament, death threats and cyberbullying are just a few examples. For most people, these are clearly seen as offences/crimes, and some of them also appear in the media. But not only those who strike are perpetrators! Those who look away, do not intervene, do not speak out against hate and incitement are just as guilty. We as a community need to be united, loud and visible. We are not a threat to society, but a real, living part of it," says the Queer Cinema Team.
LOLA AND THE SEA: A modern family drama about gender, identity and acceptance.
Belgian director and screenwriter Laurent Micheli's feature film is about the fractured relationship between Lola and her father Philippe. Lola is 18 years old, has pink hair and is currently completing her diploma as a veterinary assistant. She has had no contact with her father Philippe for two years because he could not accept the trans outing of "his son". After Lola's mother Catherine dies, her father makes sure she misses the funeral service. But Lola is determined to fulfil her mother's last wish: Catherine desperately wanted to be buried on the Belgian coast - by Philippe and Lola together. Reluctantly, father and daughter set off on the journey together.
Mya Bollaers was the first openly trans person to be awarded the Belgian film prize Magritte for her debut role as Lola. She is accompanied by French cinema star Benoît Magimel ("The Piano Player"), who plays her father Philippe.
The film screening will be followed by a discussion with Mareike Walther from the LGBTI* coordination office of the city of Braunschweig, among others.
Tickets can be purchased in advance online via the website or at the Universum Filmtheater box office.