Event Description

Dir. Benjamin Mullinkosson

2023 | 95 mins | China

Mandarin with English Subtitles

Chicargo based film-maker and skateboarder, Ben Mullinkosson brings an effortless, freewheeling intimacy to this immersive and sensual study of the underground club scene in Chengdu in central China.

As the city of Chengdu changes, the future of Funky Town, a beloved queer-friendly techno club, is unclear. For a vibrant group of DJs, drag performers, artists, lovers, ravers, and skaters, the club is a sanctuary for underground partying and allows them to thrive after the sun sets. It's the one place that accepts them for who they are, while during the day they battle depression, question their sexuality, and struggle to make a living. But with construction cranes looming as a metro station encroaches, the partygoers are forced to face what brought them to the club in the first place - and make the most of their remaining time there. A love letter to the Chengdu underground scene, The Last Year of Darkness is a coming-of-age documentary that celebrates the ephemerality of youth.

ABOUT QUEER EAST ON TOUR

A cross-disciplinary festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities.

This collection of films has been curated by Exeter based illustrator Scotty Gillespie. Scotty's work consists of bright and optimistic imagery that celebrates inclusivity, playfulness, and tenderness. Their practice spans into digital illustration, ceramics, animation, Tattoo and design.