Expressions of Black queerness remain taboo within Black communities and sidelined in dominant LGBTIQA+ narratives. The following list of films amplifies the stories of Black queer life, dealing with hard truths that coincide with embracing this identity. Pride is not just one month, but every day of the year. These films are not just intended for now, but for always.
Rafiki (2018)
Presented through a neon acid lens, Kenyan director Wanuri Kahiu explores the complicated nature of women-loving-women relationships in her homeland. This storyline centres on a romance between the two main characters Kena and Ziki, both daughters of political candidates within Nairobi. The film is playful but violent, bright but dark, free but caged. The film's title, Rafiki (meaning friend in Swahili), expresses this tension - describing how members of the queer community must act as though their relationships are simply friendships. The defiant release of this film in a country where homosexuality is criminalised hit a wall, with Rafiki being banned by the Kenya Film Classification Board. Despite this, the film has won awards internationally, becoming the first Kenyan production to be screened at Cannes Film Festival.
Kelet (2020)
This documentary follows a Somali-Finnish trans woman named Kelet, who embarks on a journey to become a high-end fashion model in Finland and beyond. Directed by Susani Mahadura, the film shines a light on the little-known queer POC scene in Finland’s capital city Helsinki, with an extra focus on the city's ballroom culture. Ballroom (aka drag ball culture) originated in America via the Black and Latinx queer scenes, eventually gaining international popularity through films and series such as Paris Is Burning and Netflix’s POSE. Kelet and her friends discuss the struggle of maintaining uplifting Black experiences within predominantly white communities, which often performatively take and engage without understanding. This small Helsinki-based community makes for a must-see film.
Saturday Church (2017)
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Self-acceptance and freedom in one’s identity are the core themes channelled in Saturday Church. A musical packed with powerful performances, Saturday Church tells the story of Ulysses - a young Black queer person growing up in New York City - following his father’s bereavement. Ulysses, the Latin name for the Greek hero Odysseus, is a fitting name for the main character, who embarks on an epic voyage of self-discovery. His story focuses on intra-community conflicts with his family and schoolmates who do not accept his gender non-conformity; this is explored within the framework of a wider cis-heteronormative society. His odyssey takes him to the Piers, a famous site for queer hangouts and sex work in New York City, where he is introduced to the ballroom scene. It's an essential coming-of-age movie for the Black and Brown queer youth of today, amplified by the inclusion of POSE stars Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Indya Moore.
The Legend of the Underground (2021)
The Legend of the Underground is a documentary focusing on Nigeria’s criminalised young queer scene. Forced into the depths of clandestinity to escape legal prosecution, a group of young queer people fight against the chains of conformity by expressing and exploring their own gender and sexual identities. The documentary grapples with issues that disproportionately affect Nigeria’s LGBTQIA+ community, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, being legally and socially outcast, and the process for asylum for persecuted queer people. The beauty of this counter-culture is demonstrated through dance, performance and community bonds that are formed. The film was released under John Legend’s Get Lifted Film Company and was directed by Giselle Bailey and Nneka Onuorah.
Ìfé (2020)
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Touted as the first out and open lesbian film in Nollywood, Ìfé (meaning love in Yoruba) was directed and produced by LGBTQIA+ activists Pamela Adie and Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim. The short film depicts a romance between two young women, Ìfé and Adaora. The pair quickly fall in love over a date that lasts three days. Themes of lesbian eroticism underscore the film, explored through a dialogue-heavy narrative that interrogates the lesbian experience in Nigeria and the prevalence of gender-based violence. Due to threats of censorship over the film, Ìfé was only released online and not in theatres.
Tangerine (2015)
It’s Christmas Eve in Hollywood, California, as two trans femme sex workers (Sin-Dee Rella and Alexandra) embark on a journey to find Sin-Dee’s fiancé, Chester, who has been accused of cheating on her with a cis woman. Tangerine steps away from the typically heavy approach to most other LGBTQIA+ dramas. Instead, the film uses humour, bright colours and quirky cinematography shot entirely on three iPhones to tell their story. The comedy has won multiple awards and received special acclaim for its authentic portrayal of transgender people, due partly to its casting of trans actors to play trans characters. A raw and gritty yet hilarious and silly film, it lightheartedly depicts the often taboo idea of Black trans sex work.