As part of Follow the tree flowers, only the tree flowers   

14 Years and A Day, Ayo Lawson and Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim, 2023, Nigeria, short film, 20' 49", English OV

In a riveting tale of love and self-discovery, a restless young woman finds herself embroiled in a passionate conflict with her partner of fourteen years. Fuelled by frustration, she seeks solace in a solitary dinner, unaware that fate has something extraordinary in store. As the stars align, she encounters a captivating stranger whose mere presence ignites a storm of doubt within her heart. In a single encounter, the foundations of her relationship tremble, compelling her to question the very path she once thought secure.

That Ugandan Flaming Homosexual, DeLovie Kwagala Aka Papa De, 2023, Uganda, documentary, 29' 13", Ugandan OV with English subtitles

The images are missing. Superimposed by the experiences of violence, the memory images are missing, warped visions of the past. And how is one supposed to know who they are when the images and emotional sketches of their growing up have been erased?

The short film That Ugandan Flaming Homosexual tells the story of growing up in Uganda from a personal perspective. Successive governments in Uganda have continued to persecute LGBTQI+ people, imposing draconian punishments for their ‘crimes’. In 2023, President Yoweri Museveni signed one such law that amounts to a death threat, fomenting an atmosphere of fear and repression. According to Delovie Kwagala aka Papa De, the film tells a story about their constant becoming, rooted in their traumatic experience of growing up ‘different’ but never knowing what different meant. They are documented navigating their sexuality and identity in a homophobic society, eventually becoming the first openly non-binary queer photographer in Uganda. The work shows how their anger and hunger to be heard and seen has transformed into activism and a commitment to a collective articulation of African queerness and resilience.

Thrall, Logan February, 2024, Germany, short film, 9' 15",  English OV

In search of psychic transformation through transgressive desire, Logan February’s poetry film Thrall probes the queer African body as a site of pleasure and power, violence and vulnerability, endurance and escape, as found in the psychology of BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, Sadism and Masochism).