12.03.25, 20:30, The Last Year of Darkness (2023)

The Last Year of Darkness revolves around a small Chinese club called Funky Town, the go-to party space for a group of twenty-something DJs, drag performers, queer lovers and ravers. In this unassuming corner bar, tucked among Chengdu's construction cranes, five locals escape their stressful existence, if only for a night. But when the sun rises and the cranes start moving again, our protagonists are forced to face what brought them to Funky Town in the first place.

This poetic yet piercing documentary offers a unique glimpse into one of China's most enigmatic sanctuaries for queer joy. While celebration and love find each other between the four walls of the club, the outside world is scarred by state violence and intolerance. The Last Year of Darkness perfectly captures the duality between fighting and loving, celebrating and mourning, with an ode to the transgressive power of the nightclub.

Before the screening, at 19:00, the cinema will host a panel discussion around queerness in the People's Republic of China.