Synopsis
In 1971, the Front homosexuel d’action révolutionnaire (FHAR) participated in the May Day parade and denounced sexual discrimination. The images recorded during the demonstration punctuate excerpts from a public meeting where the issues raised by the movement are discussed. Normative heterosexuality being the reflection of bourgeois society, conscious homosexuality represents a revolutionary force. But, beyond the content of the speeches, the very fact of expressing oneself publicly is already an act of liberation. Each one here inscribes his history in collective stakes, the private is political. DEEPL
A word from Tënk
Filmed a few years prior to the decriminalization of homosexuality in France, this French documentary follows the demands of the Front homosexual d’action révolutionnaire (FHAR), recently founded by groups of feminist/lesbian and gay activists. We witness the beginnings of this thriving movement that would bring crucial visibility to radical homosexual struggles through footage of the first meetings of these multiple communities in May and June 1971. While the speeches tended to centre around the men present (which led to many women leaving the group), filmmaker Carole Roussopoulos captured, amidst the clamour, a lesbian activist’s monologue criticizing the oppression created by France’s heteronormative and bourgeois society. Camera in hand, Roussopoulos allows us to witness revolutionary and intersectional (in terms of class and sexual orientation) reflections, reminding us of the importance of this critical and precious era.
kimura byol-nathalie lemoine
Feminist conceptual artist in multimedia
