Fire!! working for a more diverse world

The subject of diversity is a major presence this year,” says Joako Ezpeleta, co-director of Fire!!, the international gay and lesbian film festival, which runs until July 10, with the Institut Francès in Barcelona as its main venue. Some 56 films will be screened at the festival, most for the first time and half of which are made up of feature length film or documentaries. The remainder are short films, mostly on the key issue of this 21st edition of the festival, which is women as protagonists.

“Now that women have their place in the world,” says Ezpeleta, “with Hillary Clinton possibly winning the elections in the United States and other women, such as Merkel, Colau and Carmena, in positions of power, we hope to help them achieve freedom, equality and diversity, which is the slogan of this edition.”

Organised by Casal Lambda, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, Fire!! Began on June 30 with a screening of the French film, La belle saison. Antoine Leonetti, the festival's other director, says that there are films from the five continents and he highlights from among them the Israeli production, Flores de mazapán (from director Adam Kalderon), the Swedish Girls Lost, as well as films presented at the Berlinale festival, such as Nunca vas a estar solo from Chile, the Argentine Mariposa, the Kenyan Stories of Our Lives, and the French film, Théo et Hugo dans la même bateau.

“The rights of the LGTB community are not fully-established in Europe, never mind in places like Africa,” says Leonetti, who defines Fire!! as a festival “with a positive attitude, that fights for a freer, more equal and more diverse world.”

Among the novelties this year, is the return of the Asian section, A l'est de l'Edèn, which includes three films to be screened in cinemas in Girona. The Zumzeig Cinema, the Casa del Cine school and the towns of Olot, Terrassa, la Garriga and Sabadell will also screen films on the festival programme, which includes two parties, a cabaret show and exhibitions.