The Stage is a Body
What happens when the body becomes the stage and performance becomes a form of survival, protest, or transformation?
The Stage is a Body is a programme of short films by and about queer performance artists exploring the body as site, subject, and storyteller. Through movement, gesture, ritual, and persona these works blur the lines between performance and life, between what is shown and what is felt.
From meditations on gender and identity to acts of resistance and self-reclamation, these films reflect the unique ways queer artists use performance to navigate visibility, memory, and desire on stage, on screen, and in the world.
Following the screening join us for a panel talk with House Ball Scotland who will reflect on the intersections of performance, queer identity, and community building within and beyond the ballroom scene.
Curated by Huss.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £4, £8, £12, £16, or £20, in order to make SQIFF more accessible to those on a low income. You can choose what you pay based on your circumstances – you won’t be asked for any proof/ID. We just ask that you are honest! Please find the ‘What Should I Pay?’ guidance here. To book your ticket for this event, click here.
Accessibility
This programme has:
- Arabic, Burmese, English, Georgian, Portuguese audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
- English-BSL interpretation for introduction and panel discussion
- Live Captioning for introduction and panel discussion
This screening is 78 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 18+.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2025 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2025, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or by phone on 07873 331 036.
Films in this programme include:
ANDRO, Dir. Dominik Gasser, 2025, Germany, 27 min
ANDRO DADIANI’s political performances dissect the oppression by state and church in Georgia and conquer Tbilisi’s urban spaces. As a queer, non-binary protest and performance art figure, their identity remains a secret. The danger of open resistance is too great.
Content notes: Depiction of blood and violence. Discussion of forced displacement, queerphobia, violence.
Thunder Bird, Dir. Yadanar Oo, 2025, Myanmar, 16 min
65-year-old Mommy Soe leads Myanmar’s pioneering Thunder Bird drag troupe, established 50 years ago. After surviving decades of social rejection, political upheaval, and recent civil war, she faces her greatest challenge: keeping the troupe alive after losing her life partner Abai, while navigating dangerous military checkpoints to perform.
Content notes: Discussion of death, military action, queerphobia.
Anziety, Dir. David O Carrol, 2024, Ireland, 10 min
Anziety is Ian’s journey to becoming a drag artist.
Weaving through death, loss, and foster care, he brings us to his darkest moments, yet we end up in a room full of love.
Both a celebration of unwavering loyalty and creative self-expression, Anziety moves between an intimate reflection on Ian’s past and a contemporary portrait of his present.
Content notes: Discussion of death, foster care system, loss.
Access notes: Flashing lights.
Shame (عيب), Dir. Hadi Moussally, 2024, Lebanon, 5 min
In the 19th century, in the Levant region, Salma Zahore, along with her parents and neighbors, participated in a photoshoot using a long exposure technique. At the end of it, Salma decided to take off her coat, revealing her body. Unaware of the chaos this gesture could cause within her circle, she did not know it could lead to shame (عيب).
Content notes: Discussion of patriarchy, social norms.
The Insect Graveyard, Dir. Alex Simões, 2023, Portugal, 20 min
Where were you when you realized the irreversibility of death? From mourning, Alex retrieves the environment of his childhood and transforms memory into a space of performance for overcoming.
Content notes: Discussion of death, loss.
Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨
Supported by Screen Scotland, the BFI Audience Projects Fund and Film Hub Scotland (part of the BFI Film Audience Network), all awarding National Lottery funding.
Image Credit: Thunder Bird, Dir. Yadanar Oo, 2025