Resistance is revenge – Shorts

A Body Like Mine
A poetic portrait of a young artistic and activist person who is not afraid to push boundaries. ‘A Body Like Mine’ is a story about how creativity and transformation into character help one to find oneself in an overwhelming world full of stereotypes and prejudices. Puck not only comes from a queer background where the boundaries between post-pornography, wrestling and activism are blurred, but also becomes the voice of those whose bodies, like their own, have been excluded from fantasy spaces for centuries. Full of controversy and challenge, Maja Classen’s film explores themes of race, gender and identity, offering a fresh perspective on contemporary discourse.  

directed: Maja Classen, written: Maja Classen, Puck, cast: Bishop Black, Torri Lisek, Manon Praliné, Puck, music: Vanessa Chartrand-Rodrigue, cinematography: Alina Albrecht, production: Germany 2023, running time: 34 minutes, category: documentary, English/Polish subtitles

Fuck You, Pay Me!
The city authorities want to close the windows in the Red Light District and erect an ‘Erotic Center’ in their place – a gentrified symbol of oppression. ‘Fuck You, Pay Me!‘ is an artistic response to the mass closure of sex workers’ workplaces, using a queer camp aesthetic to expose the mechanisms of power and to resist oppression. A manifesto that combines bravado, humour and political engagement, it portrays the bodies of sex workers as a powerful tool of struggle that says ‘no’ to normative morality.

directed & written: Mercy St. James, cast: Beau, GiA G, Charlie Darling, Vivi Stone, production: Netherlands 2024, running time: 8 minutes, category: feature film, English/Polish subtitles

Mut zur (un)behinderten Lust – Eine Reise zum Selbstwert durch Leidenschaft
‘The body that I had long considered unattractive suddenly discovers its sexuality,’ says Rike, the protagonist of the documentary, who lives with Möbius syndrome. In the film, we follow her journey to regain confidence and acceptance of her body, which begins with the experience of a paid sex service. Thanks to sexworker Ben Nordmann, Rike learns a new perspective on her body, pleasure and intimacy. The documentary sensitively addresses the sexuality of people with disabilities, showing how they are often denied the opportunity to explore and satisfy their own needs.

directed: Ben Nordmann, production: Germany 2024, running time: 22 minutes, category: documentary, English/Polish subtitles

Mythical Creatures
The pioneering direct action organised by the Palestinian-Israeli sex worker coalition Argaman Alliance in 2019 becomes the core of this courageous and uncompromising story. In response to the passage of a law criminalizing the purchase of sexual services, female members of the coalition take up the fight for their rights, raising questions about memory and how marginalized groups create and document their narratives. Using alternative means of expression, artist and activist Liad Hussein Kantorowicz sheds light on policies of exclusion and strategies of resistance, highlighting the difficulties of fighting for identity in a stifling reality. ‘Mythical Creatures’ forces us to reflect on how we make stories and what meaning they have in the context of the struggle for equality and justice.

directed & written: Liad Hussein Kantorowicz, music: Hanno Stecher aka ‘Kalpour’, cinematography: Aviv Victor, Carmel Alabassi, production: Germany 2023, running time: 18 minutes, category: feature film, English/Polish subtitles

🚫 18+