I Don’t Want To Be Just A Memory

This documentary is a story of loss, community and healing, in which Berlin queer community members mourn the substance abuse-related loss of their friends by sharing memories and rituals. This documentary is part of Felix Friday.

*English program

Be touched by the documentary I Don’t Want To Be Just A Memory (2024), selected by the International Queer & Migrant Film Festival (IQMF).

Members of the Berlin queer community mourn together the loss of their dead friends due to substance abuse and the mental health crisis as well as the loss of urban safe spaces in general. By sharing personal materials, stories, and honest criticism about the club scene, working on this film becomes a means of healing for this group of friends. Resembling glow-in-the-dark fungi, they radiate light together as a network of support and care.

Aftertalk

The documentary will be followed by an aftertalk with initiator and curator of Gender*Language, Jan Janssenswillen, “the godmother art director of the drag House of Hopelezz” Taka Taka and moderator Zoë Horsten.

Felix Friday

This program is part of Felix Friday. An inspiring evening where you decide your own route. The March 28 edition is all about collectivity, about lifting each other up and creating something bigger together. Alone you may go faster, but together you go further.

Each edition consists of two unique programs from which you choose and a joint conclusion in the Concertzaal. You can also opt for the Oplaadsessie in advance (limited capacity). More about Felix Friday

Speakers aftertalk

Jan Janssenswillen – designer

Jan Janssenswillen is a queer non-binary designer whose practice centres queer- and gender identity, community, club culture, and (visual) language. In both his commercial and artistic work, she aims to provide a critical queer perspective by going beyond aesthetics and reflecting the meaning into, within, and through the design. 

Taka Taka – dragtivist

Taka Taka, is the godmother art director of the drag House of Hopelezz, sister for others, mother of the drag king House of Løstbois, proud daughter of Jennifer Hopelezz and co-founder of the non-profit Drag King Academy Amsterdam.

Taka Taka identifies as a dragtivist, educator, queer theorist and independent curator who produces performances as creative for the Amsterdam‘s sex positive underground night club, Church since 2013. They were trained as a professional make-up artist, studied Fine Arts at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie followed by Master in Arts at the Dutch Art Institute.

Zoë Horsten – moderator

Zoë Horsten is a dynamic moderator, program maker, and event producer. They are involved in organizing festivals that dive into different landscapes of the arts, working with Amsterdam based organizations such as FIBER Festival, IDFA and Summer Dance Forever. Alongside their involvement in the cultural arts sector, Zoë is part of the Pan Asian Collective.