1940: Based on a True Story

1940-Based on a True Story is a speculative history piece focusing on two men who may have been same-sex lovers during World War II.

While the evidence around this pair is inconclusive, diary entries and other primary materials suggest a special relationship between a young Australian pilot who died in the Battle of Britain and his older male guardian, who sponsored his aeronautical training after bringing him to England.

This piece also highlights the obscured nature of queer history – a consequence of homosexuality historically being illegal, often leading to the erasure of evidence. The elevation of queer history has been an important objective in my practice, aiming to challenge dominant narratives and honouring the lives and relationships of LGBTIQ Australians who were forced into the shadows.

Artist Todd Fuller explains: "In my hand-drawn animation practice, I embrace the imperfections and traces left by the animation process, allowing the medium’s remnants to echo uncertainty and suggest gaps in historical narratives. Through this work, I aim to mobilise whispers of a past, inviting viewers to engage with the spaces between known facts and imagined realities."