Rainbow Retro: A Celebration of Queer Cinema

Rewind over the retro rainbow of queer cinema.

Join us at Dendy Newtown as we celebrate Sydney WorldPride with four terrific queer films of the past this February. From Udo Kier’s acclaimed performance in the comically bittersweet SWAN SONG and the iconic seminal documentary PARIS IS BURNING to Robin Williams’ legendary turn in the hilarious THE BIRDCAGE and the tender, heartbreaking story of searching for one's sense of self MOONLIGHT concluding with the powerful award-winning drama PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE, there’s something for everybody in this queer retrospective.

SWAN SONG

Legendary actor Udo Kier stars as retired hairdresser Pat Pitsenbarger, who escapes the confines of his small-town Sandusky, Ohio nursing home after learning of his former client's dying wish for him to style her final hairdo. Pat embarks on an odyssey to confront the ghosts of his past - and collect the beauty supplies necessary for the job. Swan Song is a comical and bittersweet journey about rediscovering one's sparkle, and looking gorgeous while doing so.

PARIS IS BURNING

This documentary focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their "house" culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. Groups from each house compete in elaborate balls that take cues from the world of fashion. Also touching on issues of racism and poverty, the film features interviews with a number of renowned drag queens, including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija and Dorian Corey.

THE BIRDCAGE

Armand Goldman owns a popular drag nightclub in South Miami Beach. His long-time lover, Albert, stars there as Starina. "Their" son Val comes home to announce his engagement to Barbara Keeley, daughter of Kevin Keeley, US Senator, and co-founder of the Committee for Moral Order. The Senator and family descend upon South Beach to meet Val, his father and "mother." What ensues is comic chaos.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

France, 1760. Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent. Because she is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne arrives under the guise of companionship, observing Héloïse by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. As the two women orbit one another, intimacy and attraction grow as they share Héloïse’s first moments of freedom. Héloïse's portrait soon becomes a collaborative act of and testament to their love

AND MANY MORE!