Darkly seductive and claustrophobic, Great Freedom blurs the years of post-war Germany into a multifaceted character study of Hans Hoffman as he finds himself in and out of prison for “perverse” homosexual attraction. Dehumanized by police and alienated by prisoners, Hans forms a complicated bond with a convicted murderer as he resigns himself to an endless cycle of incarceration.
Pulling at forgotten threads of queer history, this surprise hit at Cannes stunned audiences as it slowly unraveled the “romantic drama” genre to expose complex relationships between desire, authority, and transgression. Meise’s subtle direction creates an intricate emotional puzzle intensifed by Franz Rogowski’s quietly anarchic performance which solidifies him as one of the few truly captivating actors of his generation.
A panel on the histories of cruising in Houston will follow Friday’s screening, featuring three Houston-based artists and organizers working in the queer scene. Stephanie Saint Sanchez is a by-any-means-necessary media artist, movie maker, and instigator. She is the founder of Señorita Cinema, an all Latina film festival, and worked with QFest, Houston’s long-running LGBTQ+ film festival. Byron Canady founded Colorbox Multimedia and currently runs Pride Houston’s Reel Pride branch, programming films in conjunction with the annual Pride celebration. Marcus Pontello is a visual storyteller and fashion designer who recently completed Friday I’m in Love, the Numbers Nightclub documentary.