Join Goethe-Institut Houston and BQPS for a Retrospective Series of three of Rosa von Praunheim's most iconic films.
It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives is a harsh but deeply sympathetic sociological essay film about gay life in West Berlin in a time of secrecy and oppression, with narration voiceover instead of original sound. Daniel, a young man from the provinces moves to Berlin and navigates gay relationships, subcultures, and everyday survival in a hostile social environment. Blending staged scenes with an assertive voice-over, the film examines how social repression, conformity, and internalized shame shape gay life. It offers a sharp, confrontational portrait of queer existence in early 1970s West Germany.
The film caused a nationwide scandal as it openly criticized both oppressive heterosexual norms and what Praunheim saw as the gay community’s internalized shame and political passivity, calling instead for visibility, solidarity, and collective action. The reactions were explosive: television debates, public outrage, and—most importantly—the formation of dozens of new gay activist groups across West Germany and beyond. The film is widely credited with triggering the modern gay liberation movement in Germany and Switzerland and remains a rare example of a film that directly produced lasting social and political change.
This screening is free and hosted on the Skylawn Room on the roof of POST.