REFLECT, RESONATE, REJOICE

In the 1950s Singapore’s transgender community began to settle in the Bugis street area. Attracted by the street reputation as ‘the Montmartre of Singapore’ tourists and sailors from all over the world came to enjoy themselves until dawn, sometimes being seduced by trans women dressed like divas. In the early 1980s, an urban renovation project planned to demolish the area.

The documentary takes an in depth, searing dive into the colorful community of queer senior citizens who congregate at the Tool Shed, a long-standing gay bar and sanctuary for queer people in Palm Springs, CA. Many of its denizens are the oldest survivors of the AIDS epidemic. This film talks about the warrior mentality and spirit, the fortitude and the humor, and the queer community’s emphasis on chosen family that has seen them through centuries of hate, discrimination, and persecution. The Tool Shed provides an oasis in the dessert for leather loving, sex-positive seniors and their admirers.

In the bustling lanes of Kolkata, Porshi (meaning ‘neighbour’ in Bengali), stands as a queer, trans-led community space that opens its doors to everyone, offering food, warmth and the comfort of a place free of judgement. Inside its vibrant ‘Qanteen’ and ‘Qitchen’, voices, stories and laughter intertwine and strangers become friends.