After a long period away, T struggles to maintain their strained friendship with Gwin, as they find themselves monitored by a persistent disembodied voice demanding an answer.
Director’s Vision for ‘Still Queer’
“Still Queer” was born out of hunger. As a film helmed by writers and a director who are all non-binary creatives of color, we were hungry to see representation by and for us; and beyond that, we wanted to create nuanced, complicated characters who defy gender boundaries and expectations, yet still hold vulnerability, pain, and uncertainty within themselves and their relationships.
Our film explores the presence of queer spaces, empty spaces, and safe spaces – examining all the ways those spaces can coincide and hold contradictory feelings of both intimacy and isolation. Queerness is usually described in relation to community, but queerness can also be a very lonely experience – especially in an age of quarantine, isolation, and restrictive labels shouted at you from all angles on social media. For many folks, you could be the only asexual or trans person you know.
We wanted to explore that feeling of isolation and uncertainty around one’s identity through a sci-fi lens. What would a world look like if your self-doubt could be made manifest through an implant policing your very self? We wanted to showcase that internal and external turmoil by juxtaposing saturated pinks, blues, and purples, mirrored in our fearless characters with their vibrant wardrobe and make-up in the real world, with surrealist nightmare-like shots. The interplay of these two worlds represents the cacophony of uncertainty and control, as our main character comes to terms with their loved ones trying to define their identity for them, oblivious to the lasting mental consequences.
Above all, the writers – both on the asexual spectrum – wanted the film’s bittersweet tone to capture the emotional, platonic intimacy present in queer relationships. We wanted to position our characters’ relationship, built on a deep sense of trust and safety, as just as important and powerful as sexual and romantic relationships are often depicted in media. Queer relationships encompass the entire spectrum of human experience and connection, and this film represents one look into that.
