Hamburg International Queer Film Festival 2023
by Becky Tan

The 34th Hamburg International Queer Film Festival played October 17-22 in four Hamburg cinemas as well as in Kampnagel, showing 81 films including short films. It was so well organized, starting with the excellent festival magazine with instructions and descriptions, so that attendance was a pleasure. This is especially amazing considering that all work (except for one or two exceptions) was done on a volunteer basis. Their organization, the Push-Up Club, is made up of over 80 donors and new members are welcome. Seating was by choice and almost a third of the 49 film programs were sold out. Viewers rated films on a scale of one to four, with four being the best (See winners below).

Most amazing was the possibility to see all films online for a whole week post-festival, October 22-29, for six euros per film.

There were long feature films enjoying success around the world such as JOYLAND. Directed by Saim Sadiq, starring Ali Junejo as Haider, this Pakistani film shows us three generations of five adults and four children living together. There is Haider who helps Mumtaz bring a baby into the world. Long a “houseman” doing the cooking, he takes on a job, which he must keep secret from his uncle: background dancer in a group of six guys on stage, starring Biba, a transsexual singer-dancer, a man living the life of a female. Haider falls in love with “him.” JOYLAND won the Hamburg International Queer Film Festival award for best film, worth one thousand euros. It also has a history of other prizes such as the Queer Palm Award, as well as the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Altogether it has received 15 prizes worldwide and was nominated for 18 more. It was the first Pakistani film to be shown at Cannes and comes into Hamburg’s cinemas on November 9. See review by Marinell Haegelin in this issue.

Documentaries also have a place at the festival, for example LOTUS SPORTS CLUB. Here we have a female soccer team in Kampong Chhang, Cambodia. It was established by their coach, Pa Vann, in 2009 for players up to the age of 21. He and his wife support trans players, even supplying a residence for several who have no home. Two in his team are Leak and Amas, “girls” who have cut their hair and dress as boys. We follow their love of sports over five years including participation in the 2023 Hong Kong Games. After our film showing, members of a Hamburg trans sport group came on stage, representing Tyger Trimiar Gym e.V. which is “fighting for gender equality and diversity in sports.”

Hamburg is a popular site for filming. In the short film (IN)VISIBLE NIGHT which shows three people (of course: white, Black, Asian) “disappearing” behind bed sheets. “Only silence can protect you.” Rarely do we see the three actors during the 12 minutes—more often we see a ball rolling away. Two of the filmmakers Lea Wang and Jasmin Lau appeared on stage to discuss their work which they began during their studies. It was filmed in Hamburg’s Steilshoop, Sierichstrasse, Othmarschen, St. Georg, UCI cinema, along the Elbe River, and in a local store.

The festival trailer by Brazilian Gustavo Vinagre which preceded every film showed a naked man lying on his side, first wrapped in transparent paper and later dressed in sexy black clothes with lots of tattoos, saying in English and German “No sex allowed” “Kein Sex erlaubt.“ We see unidentified people rubbing noses, rubbing knees. This leads to word combinations such as “no sex,” “nose sex,” “knee sex,” “nie sex.”

Times have changed in the last years. In former times gay, trans, non-binary, queer, intersexuals, etc., were never openly discussed. My uncle was gay in the 1950s, but his partner was never mentioned, and he never visited the family. Now, transgender people are considered a regular part of the population. Recently, I went to the Hamburg ballet A Streetcar Named Desire (Endstation Sehnsucht) and as part of the choreography two men danced, hugged, and then kissed. This was the first time I’ve seen men kiss in ballet. The American choreographer, John Neumeier, is also openly gay, living with his husband.

The festival is such a gift to Hamburg. Interestingly it has been playing since 1989, three years longer than the regular Filmfest Hamburg. Watch for the 35th Hamburg International Queer Film Festival, October 15-20, 2024.

Hamburg International Queer Film Festival Awards 2023

URSULA (Best Short Film)

TROY

GLOBOLA (Best Feature Film)

JOYLAND

DOKULA (Best Documentary Film)

KOKOMO CITY

MADE IN GERMANY (Best German Short Film)

THE GREATEST SIN

QUEERSCOPE DEBUT FILM AWARD

WHO I AM NOT