Rosa von Praunheim: Army of Lovers or Revolt of the Perverts

Part political chronicle, part provocation, Rosa von Praunheim’s landmark documentary, filmed over much of the 1970s, captures the American gay liberation movement at a decisive moment of activism, internal conflict, and transformation.

Please note that this film will be shown at the Rio Cinema as part of the regular Pink Palace series.

Shot over the course of seven years (1972-79), Rosa von Praunheim’s then-provocative documentary traces the rise, achievements, and internal tensions of the American gay liberation movement in the decade following the Stonewall riots of 1969. Through interviews with figures including gay rights pioneer Harry Hay, Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) co-founders Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, artist and gay porn director Fred Halsted, and numerous activists, theatre performers, and community organisers, the film captures a movement grappling with questions of identity, visibility, and political strategy.

Combining interviews with archival footage, photographs, and scenes of political theatre, von Praunheim creates a challenging and personal portrait of queer life and activism in the United States. As he himself acknowledged, he initially knew little about the American gay liberation movement, a distance that allowed him to approach it from a critical outsider’s perspective. Alongside a wide range of activists, artists, and community figures, the film also addresses the movement’s antagonists, most notably Anita Bryant and her anti-gay campaign in Florida, whom von Praunheim views as an inadvertent catalyst for political mobilisation: “I think Anita Bryant was one of the best things that has happened for the cause of gay liberation. She forced even conservative gays to come out of their closets.”

His critique of what he saw as complacency and conservatism within the American gay community echoes the critical stance he had taken towards gay people in Germany in It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives (1971). Yet while that earlier film ends with a direct call to action, Army of Lovers shows what action can look like. For all its critique and questioning, it ultimately pays tribute to the diversity, vitality, and contradictions of the American gay liberation movement, of which it remains an invaluable record.

West Germany/USA 1979, colour, digital (original format: 16mm), 107 min., with English subtitles. Written, directed and edited by: Rosa von Praunheim. Cinematography: Rosa von Praunheim, Ben van Meter, Michael Oblowitz, John Rome, Werner Schröter, Bob Schub, Nicolai Ursinn, Juliana Wang, Lloyd Williams. Music: Tom Robinson. Produced by: Rosa von Praunheim / WDR. With Harry Hay, Anita Bryant, Sarah Montgomery, Michael Fisher, Rainbow Silberfire, Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, Grace Jones, Fred Halsted, Russell Veigh, Troy Perry, Nancy Rough, Tom Reeves, John Rechy, John Briggs, Michael Kearns, Morris Night, Rosa von Praunheim.

Pink Palace is a lo-fi safe space to engage with queer film history! Each week we introduce the film or have a speaker to talk about the context of the film and the message we should take from it. It's an informal pop up set up with a mix of chairs and stools in the basement bar. Please feel welcome to stay and chat afterwards. Film suggestions and film introductions are welcome.
Please note: there are no ads or trailers, and films begin at the advertised start time!