On closing night of our Problematic Faves season we're bringing you a film that encapsulates everything the month of programming was about. A film as beloved by some as it is maligned by others, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of queer and trans people despite it starring a cis man as a trans woman and sporting some of the common pitfalls of media about transsexuality. John Cameron Mitchell's riotous, soulful punk rock musical about an international songstress hailing from Berlin who makes her living singing songs of rebellion to audiences both receptive and resentful is a must-see for those interested in depictions of transness where we're allowed to be complex, rather than palatable. If you've seen it before then you know what we mean, and if you haven't, we invite you to come and sit with a film that is hilarious, heart-breaking, decidedly imperfect but undeniably powerful.
And as it's the season finale, you know we couldn't stop there.
Joining us in our basement home at Dalston Superstore will be drag superstar
Wanda Whatever, performing songs from the film right as they happen
on-screen, creating panic, confusion, and delight in the aisles.
You're welcome.
How did some slip of a girly boy from communist East Berlin become the internationally ignored song stylist barely standing before you?
Be advised this films features graphic and irreverent references to gender
affirming surgeries and trans bodies that some may find distasteful.
Subtitles will be displayed throughout.
Seating is a mixture of backed chairs, benches, bar stools, and floor space,
and is first come first served.
