queer red presents!sex worker film and arts festival amsterdam netherlands
queer red presents!
Opening Remarks + Short Film + Shibari Performance
Location: Zaal | Times: 18:00-19:30 | Tickets €11,25 @ Cinetol
Join us for this celebration of our second festival! Quirine Lengkeek will share some remarks about the status of sex workers, some of the artist that are a part of the sex worker art exhibition will talk about their work, we’ll screen a short film, and there will be a shibari performance.
Learn more about the sex worker art exhibition
Quirine Lengkeek is a queer feminist activist and chairwoman of SekswerkExpertise, a Dutch knowledge platform aiming to advance the position of sex workers, and active member of SWAD.
She’s fond of glitter, policy documents and advocating for the labour rights of sex workers, be it at the municipality, parliament, or the UN!
Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie
Nicole Bazuin | Canada | 2023 | 10 min | English
A surrealist exploration of dissociative identity disorder (DID) based on the lived experience of a Black, nonbinary, disabled artist and former sex worker.
Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie is a surrealist exploration of dissociative identity disorder (DID) based on the lived experience of Black, non-binary, disabled emerging multidisciplinary performance artist and former sex worker Kitoko Mai. Grappling with their DID diagnosis while attempting to survive capitalism, we meet a range of “alters” (alternate personalities) representing the various emotional states of Mai, the “system host.” Featuring a tour-de-force performance by Mai, Thriving is directed by Nicole Bazuin (Modern Whore, SXSW 2020), and co-written/co-produced by Mai and Bazuin, alongside sex worker advocate and author Andrea Werhun. This visually striking film lensed by Ashley Iris Gill is complete with lush animations by Society of Illustrators triple-gold-medallist Dylan Glynn. Thriving was created with the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council.
Nicole Bazuin (director) is a Toronto film director and interdisciplinary artist. In collaboration with writer and former escort Andrea Werhun, Nicole co-created and photographed the acclaimed book Modern Whore: A Memoir (Strange Light, Penguin Random House Canada). Nicole directed an award-winning short film adaptation of the book, titled Modern Whore (Official Selection, SXSW 2020). She created and directed the comedy art show This Art Works! (CBC), and the climate change documentary series Climate Talks With Kids (Bell TV). Nicole’s media artworks have been exhibited by the Art Gallery of Ontario, and commissioned by festivals such as Nuit Blanche and Luminato.
A new R’hope (shibari/kinbaku performance)
by Cyanhur and Messy Anni (France | 2024 | 30-35 min)
When everything has turned to chaos, resistance is whispering in the night, a rope lies on the ground, silent witness of a fractured world. In the middle of the rubble, two beings find each other and unite again. Together, they choose to share a moment of affection, to suspend time and defy the surrounding chaos. Let yourself be carried away by this suspended moment, where hope seems possible again.
This show contains bondage and BDSM scenes, as well as siren audios.
Cyanhur @cyanhur (they/them) is an artist and SW passionate about shibari. For them ropes go far beyond a simple practice: they weave physical and emotional connections, nourishing a unique artistic universe. By merging their love of ropes with creativity, they explore and share this art through photos and videos.
Messy Anni @messy_anni (she/her) is a shibari switch and occasional SW. She started shibari in Greece and has practiced this art with different partners in various countries since then. She enjoys how ropes can facilitate communication and trust building between people, as well as the power exchange it creates. She sees ropes as a tool that can be used for different purposes and intentions.