Hollywood’s queer film history was chronicled in The Celluloid Closet (1995) and here’s the Swedish equivalent – a journey through a rich history of cinematic same-sex culture and attraction, evident already in the earliest silent pictures. Obviously, Ingmar Bergman plays an important part, not least because of director Eva Beling’s earlier documentaries on gender in his films, but many other eras and aspects are covered. Guided and informed by the presence of filmmakers, actors, writers, historians and academics, who don’t always agree with each other on the merits of some of the examples; at times, the difference between generations shows. Perceptive and interesting, a history lesson illustrated by a huge amount of movie clips, some of them quite rare.
2022-Sweden. 103 min. Color-B/W. Produced, written and directed by Eva Beling.
Trivia: Alternative title: Prejudice and Pride: Sweden’s Queer Film History. Original title: Fördom & stolthet – en queer filmhistoria.Â
