Berlin has been a haven and mecca for queers from all over the world for over 100 years now. By 1925 there were already over 80 LGBTQ+ venues in the city although many closed during the years of Nazi rule. Post 1945 however Berlin regained its queer crown. Samuel Kay Forrest’s coming-of-age drama Hipbeat follows a guy from the latest generation of our community to discover Berlin and its delights. Written, directed by, and starring Forrest, we go on a semi-autobiographical journey with him through Berlin’s legendary nightlife as he explores an emerging sexually fluid, non-binary identity.
Forrest plays Angy, an Irish political activist living in Berlin, fighting against fascist systems during the day whilst looking for love and sexual adventure at night. He has a regular girlfriend, Angie, (Marie Celine Yildrim) who is more conservative, and initially seems a slightly odd match for outcast Angy, who is far more out there. Angy is young, strong, and good-looking and spends most of his energies at night hanging out in Berlin’s fabulous underground party/club scene. One night he meets a drag queen, Judy (Alary Anatashia), who encourages him to live his truest life which would be easier than hiding his reality. This leads to him experimenting with wearing make-up and dresses, as well as having sex with other people, both men and women. He also meets up with a gay friend/lover from his past who mentions that most of his friends are in open relationships and is sure that his girlfriend Angie will accept his new sexually fluid, non-binary energy. Things don’t quite go to plan though when he opens up to Angie…
The film combines Joshua Monroe’s beautiful, very colourful, cinematography with an excellent soundtrack and strong casting to really give an accurate reflection of life in Berlin. It shows both the city and its underground nightlife in Kreuzberg, Neukoln and Friedrichshain in the right light. It’s rare for nightclub and party scenes in films to look convincing but Forrest and his team have accomplished this, helped by casting many of Berlin’s scene makers in the film, and shooting in actual clubs and disused warehouse spaces. The film is however slightly let down by the minimal plot – one man’s journey of sexual and gender discovery is not really enough to fill a 90-minute film – and would be better suited to a short film. The sub plot of Angy’s political activism could also have been better developed, especially as Forrest was driven to make this film now to counter the global rise of far-right populism and police brutality. Having said that, there are many good things about this film. Berlin’s fantastic, unrestricted queer nightlife has not been an option for many of us over the past two years of pandemic restrictions so this film is one of the few ways to experience it at the moment.
Hipbeat is now streaming on most major platforms such as Google Play, Amazon Prime and YouTUbeReview: Ris Fatah Queerguru Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah
