Where: No. 70 Oxford Street

MMU are proud to host screenings of two new films that examine issues of LGBT human rights and activist struggles in diverse political contexts across the commonwealth. Both films are products of Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights - an international research and documentary film project led by Nancy Nicol – Professor of Visual Arts at York University in Toronto. The project brings together 31 partners in 12 countries to research and document LGBT rights struggles and social movement histories in a number of Commonwealth countries. Each film screening will be followed by a discussion with Nancy Nicol, which will be co-chaired by Jon Binnie and Christian Klesse of RCASS.

‘And Still We Rise’ (70 min. 2015) is concerned with resistance to, and impacts of the Anti-Homosexual Act (AHA) in Uganda. The documentary follows Richard Lusimbo as he documents the struggle against the AHA, the wide spread repression that resulted from it’s passage, and the constitutional challenge to the Act. Along the way, the story weaves together the history of the AHA and resistance to it, with personal stories of the impact of the widespread repression following passage of the AHA - including the impact on the filmakers/activists themselves who are telling the story. A story of resilience, the documentary is also an moving example of participatory documentary making. Envisioning provided video equipment and training, funding and resources to SMUG to create the film with mentorship from Nicol. Participants include Dr. Frank Mugisha (ED, Sexual Minorities Uganda); Nicholas Opiyo (Lead lawyer challenging the Anti Homosexuality Act), Dr. Sylvia Tamale, (Law, Makerere University, Kampala), Sam Ganafa (ED, Spectrum Uganda Initiatives), Chris Dolan (ED, Refugee Law Project. Created by Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights and Sexual Minorities Uganda and directed by Richard Lusimbo and Nancy Nicol, with original music by Nykooyo Brian and Talented Ugandan Kuchus.