„Why don’t I give in? I’ve never thought about that. Because I’ve never done it before.“ Tobias Haimerl, aka drag queen Bella Who, gets to the heart of the matter. TOBI I BELLA celebrates drag as an act of resistance. Sometimes make-up is just make-up – sometimes it’s more: self-confident performance, a protective shield, a statement.

Shots are fired around Fenix. The world turns red, there is no direction. Fenix survives the attack on a queer bar. But how do you go on living (and surviving) in a city where some people wish Fenix dead? How do you confront a world that preaches progress but is inching backwards? Fenix opts for pride instead of fear, for visibility instead of retreat. The artfully applied eye make-up smudges and transforms into furious war paint (SPLINTER).
Matteo’s eye sparkles bright green and blue in the night – only the left one. His brother Hector’s blue eye is real. Caught between reality and dream, the two brothers search for a path to a self-determined, free life. (FEED YOUR HEAD)

The five films in the Queer programme tell the story of people who refuse to hide and who oppose regression. Make-up or war paint: visibility is non-negotiable. Every step forward must be defended, because going back is not an option.