Funeral Parade of Roses

Monday, August 23, 2010

Introduced by Zihan Loo!

Made in 1969 when homosexuality was still very much taboo in Japan, Toshio Mastumoto’s extraordinary FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES must have been a shock to the senses of even the most open-minded avant-garde filmgoer. The film begins as the tale of two rival drag queens at a hip drag club but eventually becomes a transgressive Warhol-meets-grindhouse twist on the Oedipus story, intercut with Bergman-esque interviews with the actors in the film answering questions about homosexuality and drag. It was reportedly one of Stanley Kubrick’s favorite films and a noticeable influence on A Clockwork Orange. It was also a big influence on our guest presenter, Singaporean filmmaker Loo Zihan, whose wonderful debut film Solos, featured a frank portrayal of a student’s illicit affair with his much older male teacher, and shocked his conservative, homophobic country, who immediately banned the film. This is a must-see. Digital projection.

• Rating NR
• Year 1970
• Director Toshio Matsumoto

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.