When I think about church, I think about movie theatres and queer clubs. Cinema is holy for my mind, dancing is holy for my body. When films have scenes in queer clubs, it’s a meeting of these two special places. It’s an opportunity to see my one favorite place expressed by the other. From early Almodóvar films to But I’m a Cheerleader to BPM, the gay bar has been a location for some of queer cinema’s most memorable moments. It’s a place for connection and adventure, escape and discovery. Today, a new film joins this canon with multiple queer club scenes unlike any we’ve seen before.
Ann Oren’s completely original debut feature Piaffe is a unique take on gender and queer siblinghood. This kinky movie about a woman named Eva (Simone Bucio) who sort of starts to turn into a horse is essential viewing for anyone who loves trans storytelling, experimental cinema, and, well, horses. Its queer club scenes mark the pivotal moments in Eva’s development. And since they were filmed at Berlin’s famous KitKatClub, a super queer and sex-positive kink space, they shimmer with authenticity.
One of these scenes drifts into a dream space where Eva and her trans sibling, Zara (Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau), engage in a dance — literal and emotional. Zara is inviting Eva into their queer space, inviting her to embrace an expansion of body, sexuality, and self. The film is unique in form and unique in the relationship it centers. We’re used to seeing siblings in conflict over queerness but here they’re in conversation — over their shared identities and their developing personhoods. This clip is just a taste of the strange, wondrous, and moving world of Piaffe.
Piaffe is now playing in New York before expanding to more cities in the coming weeks.
Thank you!!!