In preparation for its 9th edition in October 2022, Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival is exploring possible artistic reactions to its Pockets (beyond) theme, aiming to initiate a discussion on who is visible, invisible and why. As part of this discussion, Queer Wave, the Cyprus LGBTQIA+ film festival, responds to this year’s festival theme with a film suggestion: a 20th-anniversary screening of The Cockettes, the first screening of the film in Cyprus.

The Cockettes (2002) is an entertaining – and political – documentary named after the flamboyant, avant-garde, psychedelic, hippie theatre group decked out in gender-bending drag in 1970s San Francisco. As the psychedelic San Francisco of the 60s began evolving into the gay San Francisco of the 70s, The Cockettes, a flamboyant ensemble of hippies decked themselves out in gender-bending drag and tons of glitter for a series of legendary midnight musicals at the Palace Theatre. These all-singing, all-dancing extravaganzas featured elaborate costumes, rebellious sexuality and exuberant chaos. The Cockettes created a unique burst of cultural experimentation and artistic outrageousness, influencing the worlds of theatre, music, fashion, gay politics and spirituality, and urban club life. July 7 brings a free screening of the documentary at the Home for Cooperation in Nicosia at 8pm.

Buffer Fringe 2022 Organising/Creative Team member Ellada Evangelou notes: “Buffer Fringe welcomes experimental artists and their work, a process that we understand as an ongoing dialogue with other community stakeholders, from Cyprus and internationally. The performance-based experimentation and vivacity of 1970s group The Cockettes is important to see as part of that engagement.”

Queer Wave Artistic Director Diego Armando Aparicio adds: “It’s been 50 years since the formation of The Cockettes, and over 20 years since this documentary premiered at Sundance. Queering up spaces across the creative sector today remains as vital as ever. The presence of the invisible is always felt regardless: though we may not see it, the inside of a pocket can be the carrier of much needed change; all we have to do is turn things inside-out. This collaboration with Buffer Fringe is part of our efforts at Queer Wave to build a year-round presence beyond our main festival dates, and to embrace local audiences and creatives from different sectors. The aim is to strengthen our ties with and extend our support to all local queer artists.”

The evening will begin at 7pm with cocktails on the Home Café veranda. At 8pm the documentary screening will begin and at around 9.40pm the night will continue with music, food and drinks as the event invites the discussion around the theme of Pockets (beyond).

The Cockettes

Documentary screening organised by Buffer Fringe and Queer Wave. July 7. Home for Cooperation, Nicosia. 7pm. Free. In English