Recap | Remember the LGBTQ history of the 1950s.
The screening of the ShPFF came to the British Centre on June 12. The audience enjoyed a three-hour feast of LGBTQ films, including five short films and one feature documentary.
Mr. Marc Connolly, the Consul of Political Section of the British Consulate-General Shanghai, gave a short speech before the screening. He congratulated ShanghaiPRIDE on another successful year and also introduced the four short films presented by UK.
A set of short films from #FiveFilms4Freedom, a collaboration of the British Council and British Film Institute (BFI), was screened, including Crashing Waves, I, Carlito Leaves Forever, and A Normal Girl. The audience also enjoyed another short film, Four Quartets, the Crystal Bear Award winner at the Berlin International Film Festival and Teddy Award Best Film nominee.
Later, Mr. Jose Sia, the Political, Economic, and Cultural Consul of the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai, introduced the documentary, The Fruit Machine which was the winner of the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival Audience Award, to the audience.
The Fruit Machine focused on the true history of Canada from 1950s to 1980s. Thousands of sexual minorities were purged by the Canadian public service and armed forces which caused their careers and lives to be destroyed. The team visited a number of witnesses and tried to restore their history for the audience.
After the screening, we made a live video call with the Co-Producer, Han Nguyen. Han said that she was shocked when she heard about the history for the first time. But, at the same time, she decided with her team that they must re-introduce this dark period of the Canadian LGBTQ history for the younger generation. Even today, many victims and enforcers of the policy avoid this topic, allowing it to fall to ashes and silence. She also introduced plans to create a TV series based on this topic.
We want to thank the British Centre for their venue; the British Consulate-General Shanghai and Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai for event support. Thanks to Diesel, Tenga, Rio Hilo, KABB, Great Leap Brewing, and Xuhui CDC for their generous support and gifts.
