Weaving together pieces of a childhood. Reviving memories. Archiving a self that had to transform and reshape many times. A grandmother’s dress becomes a symbol of transforming traditions to make room for future generations. What legacy would you leave behind if you no longer existed? How would you like to be remembered? DeLovie Kwagala aka Papa De is a filmmaker, activist and photographer. As such, they use the camera to create images necessary for their own becoming.
The short film That Ugandan Flaming Homosexual tells the story of growing up in Uganda from a personal perspective. Meanwhile, the country, its government, is notorious for persecuting homosexuals with draconian punishments – in 2023, President Yoweri Museveni signed an anti-homosexual law that amounts to a death threat. An atmosphere of fear and constant repression characterize everyday life.
According to DeLovie Kwagala aka Papa De, the film tells a story „about my constant becoming, rooted in my traumatic experience of growing up „different“ but never knowing what „different“ meant. The film tells the story of navigating my sexuality and identity through a homophobic society to eventually become Uganda’s first openly non-binary queer photographer*. It shows how my anger and hunger to be heard and seen transforms into my activism and commitment to a collective articulation of African queerness and resilience.“
The screening will be followed by an open discussion with the director, moderated by Mona Okulla Obua.