Dj set by Stella K + Vaux Hall Movie – Gay Chorus Deep South

Film on 25 June: Gay Chorus Deep South by David Charles Rodrigues – 95 mins – Original English version, French subtitles

In response to a wave of discriminatory anti-LGBTQ laws in the Southern states and the divisive 2016 election, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus embarks on a tour of the Deep South of the United States. Led by choir director Dr Tim Seelig and accompanied by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, the tour brings a message of music, love and acceptance to communities and individuals facing intolerance. More than 300 singers travelled from Mississippi to Tennessee, through the Carolinas and across the Selma Bridge. They performed in churches, community centres and concert halls in the hope of bringing people together at a time of division. This journey also sees Tim and other choir members who fled the South confronting their own fears, pain and prejudices in a quest for reconciliation. The exchanges and connections that emerge offer a glimpse of how what divides us — faith, politics, sexual identity — fades in the face of the power of music, humanity… and a touch of drag.

As part of the Various Voices festival, which heralds the arrival in Brussels of joyful queer choirs from across Europe, the Cinéma Galeries is delighted to present this wonderful documentary.