5 films to catch at The Projector in the lead up to Pink Dot

The countdown to Pink Dot 11 begins, with an abundance of LGBTQ+ events lined-up for both activists and allies in celebration of the freedom to love. Parties are aplenty, but those not into raves will be pleased to find other ways to participate; like catching a flick or two at Pink Screen. From now till Jul 13, head to The Projector, where five movies that encapsulate the themes of fluidity and inclusivity await.
 

Close-Knit (Jun 21)
 

Both an Asian Cinema feature and a Pink Screen film at The Projector, Close-Knit is as remarkable as it is progressive. Transgender woman Rinko plays a maternal figure to her boyfriend’s 11 year-old niece Tomo, and educates the impressionable young girl through strength, confidence and some knitting.
 

Kanarie (Canary) (Jun 22, Jul 7)
 

Opening Pink Screen is Kanarie, a coming-of-age film about a young man named Johan Niemand, who joins South Africa’s military choir “Canaries” when he is called to serve his home country. While on tour, he finds himself questioning his religion, patriotism, sexuality and identity. With a plot revolving around a compulsory National Service policy, Kanarie is one that hits close to home.
 

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (Jun 23, Jul 6)
 

Maximo Oliveros is a gay, pre-teen who lives in the slums of Manila, with his family of petty thieves who love and embrace him. However, complications develop when he is forbidden to see an honest and handsome policeman that stirs his interest.
 

Orlando (Jun 28)
 

Loosely based on Virginia Woolf’s novel of the same name, Tilda Swinton is Orlando, who journeys through 400 years of British history. First a nobleman, Orlando awakes one day to find herself a female, desperately attempting to retain her property.
 

The Silk and the Flame (Jun 30, Jul 7 and 13)
 

Chinese documentary The Silk and the Flame explores some sensitive subjects, as Yao, an almost 40 year-old man returns from the Chinese capital to his provincial hometown during the Chinese New Year season. Shot in black-and-white, the film sees Yao under pressure from his family to marry a woman and start a family of his own, even though he is not interested in females.


Catch these films at Pink Screen, from now till Jul 13 at The Projector. More information here.