When we first went to The Pale Blue Door in London’s East End the Uber driver was actually scared for us when he dropped us off. The most unique and absolutely fabulous Dining Club is down the city’s scuzziest back alleys down a particularly uninviting Haggerston back street.
This was the actual home of its creator Tony Hornecker an internationally renowned artist and set designer. He made the Pale Blue Door a truly magical journey that thanks to his vivid imagination. transformed it into the queerest of fairytales.
His right hand ‘man’ and the Front of House was A Man To Pet aka Thanasis Petroyiannis a manic and totally lovable genius of a Drag Performance Artist who had no limits at all to how he ran the place.
Sadly unlike other Fairy Tales this one didn’t have a happy and ending and last year The Pale Blue Door had to close its doors.
“Que Sera Sera” is a comedic film by filmmaker Alexandros Pissourios inspired by his close friendship with A Man To Pet , It loosely belongs to a documentary tradition – planned on the spot and inspired by the subject and surroundings. It was shot on 16mm and composed of intercuts between the Pale Blue Door with A Man To Pet’s flat
Pissourios said ” Having worked as well as lived at the Pale Blue Door for a short amount of time in the past, but mainly having spent numerous nights at Pet’s kitchen, developing and recording material for performances, I was motivated to create a film that observed the people who brought life to the Pale Blue Door and Pet’s flat, tracking interactions across the private and public spaces of home and performance venue. The impromptu conversations that occur on and off stage score the film’s scenes, with occasional bursts of music.“
“Pet’s performances parody any desire for authenticity, and replace it with irreverent humour, optimism and a love of excess instead. Pet’s status as a foreigner (Greek) is given to explain her (at times) failing language, while allowing alternative meanings to be communicated, inferred or suspected.”
PS You may also like to check out the interview Queerguru had with A Man To Pet in 2018 https:// queerguru.com/a-man-to-pet-lures-us-into-the-pale-blue-door/
