Film: Behind the Lens: Rosa von Praunheim

About Film: Behind the Lens: Rosa von Praunheim

The first of a series of four evenings of films directed by LGBTQ+ filmmakers. The series is curated by Prof Dr Rainer Schulze, Professor (em) Modern European History, University of Essex.

It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives/Nicht der Homosexuelle ist pervers, sondern die Situation, in der er lebt (1971), directed by Rosa von Praunheim.

This is the film that kickstarted the West German gay liberation movement, and turned Rosa von Praunheim into a household name. The film premiered at the 1971 Berlinale, Berlin’s international film festival, and caused controversy from the very start, and the controversy has continued until today. An avant-garde film with no diegetic sound or constant narration, it chronicles the experiences of Daniel, a young man from the provinces, in West Berlin’s gay subculture and ends with a call for gay men to organise and fight for their rights and freedoms.

What better film to start this film series in order to discuss the impact of LGBTQ+ filmmakers and their films on the LGBTQ+ community and society at large!

The evening will start at 19:00 with a short introduction, followed by the film plus Q&A and discussion with the filmmakers and time for networking, closing by around 22:00. Q&A panel to be confirmed.

Doors open at 18.00, for a 19.00 start.

Refreshments will be available in our licensed cafe/bar.