TUPILAK/ILGCN at
ROSLAGENS PRIDE 2023

Norrtälje -- Film screenings, discussions of LGBT history and culture and award presentations with Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers) and ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) in this Swedish town just north of Stockholm at their ABF (workers education) /RFSL (Swedish LGBT organization) supported Roslagens Pride, August, 2023.

At a lively discussion of the films by Polish/Swedish film maker, Malga Kubiak (a previous Tupilak/ILGCN film award winner for portraying the lives and deaths of a number of LGBT personalities) this year's film award were present to Poland's Viktor Mörka -- co-ordinator of the annual Polish LGBT Film Festival now reaching 9 cities in Poland.

"I am very proud of this award diploma, " Victor told the audience. The award is named after "Wings" -- the world's first ever gay film, made, in Sweden in 1916 -- surrounding the love affair of an elderly sculptor and his young model posing for a statue of Ganymedes -- the ancient Greek youth plucked up to heaven by Zeus as an eagle -- thus the "wings." and the "Polar Bear" --born at the Berline International Film Festival's Teddy Bear gay film awards -- but considered too "cuddly" for Nordic tastes and thus the "Polar Bear" companion to the "Wings."

The festval also included a session on the importance of LGBT history, including a film from the United Nations series of LGBT films "Free and Equal."

Future events: Cervantes, Institute, 8th Nordic Rainbow Month

"We hope that Norrtälje and Roslagen will join us in October as part of the 8th Nordic Rainbow History & Culture Month -- traditionally shared with colleagues in Estonia, Finland and Denmark," says Bill Schiller of Tupilak, ILGCN and the international committee of LGBT History Months. "We have more UN films and other short films to screen -- and can provide a lively discussion over the importance of rainbow culture and history!".

The next Stockholm event for Tupilak/ILGCN will be September 15 at the Cervantes Institute, with award ceremonies via Zoom for Spanish artists Javier Trelis Sempera and Manolo Yanes, the Swedish/Chilean photography Berto Lee. Music and songs from Argentinian Marysol de Pablo and Julietta Brizzi, and input from Cuban organizers of the Cuban LGBT History Month -- Juan Carlos Gutiérrez and Raúl Pérz Monzon -- also with their Spanish-language short film about the International Committee of LGBT History Months.

Poetry in Spanish is to be provided ty Tupilak's "house poet," Tomas Åberg of Sweden.

Malga Kubiak and Viktor Morka in Nortälje

TUPILAK/ILGCN at STOCKHOLM PRIDE HOUSE & CITY 2023

Stockholm -- Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers) and ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) had an usual five seminars this time at Stockholm Pride in the first week of August, 2023 -- 3 at Pride House at Clarion Hotel, 2 at Pride in the City including at a friendly Gamla Stan hotel after the rain washed out plans for a planned open-air café.

The Tupilak/ILGCN seminars covered LGBT history, the power of LGBT culture, the work of the International Commitee on LGBT History Months and the Nordic campaign to establish LGBT monuments in this region as well as the rest of the world -- with a congratulations to Gothenburg to unveal this November the first permant LGBT monument in the Nordic zone.

Other seminar discussions covered Nordic rainbow co-operation and solidarity over the years with colleagues in Eastern Europe and beyond. All 5 seminars included rainbow art and photography from the Tupilak/ILGCN collection from over 70 nations and film screenings from Sweden, the Nordic region, Canada, the U.S., the UK and from the UN short film series, "Free and Equal.".

Awards to UK/South Africa, to a Swedish Theater Company
Award diplomas handed out during the week at Pride in the City events went to South African/British movemaker, Melanie Chait (via Zoom), honored for her moving documentary of her partner's last years of life and struggle with breast cancer in "Dance Me to the End of Time."

 
And -- in person -- to the Swedish theater company, Katakombe, for their powerful music/song/drama, "Jag vill Ju Bara Leva (I Just Want to Live)" portraying the fate of three individuals destroyed by the Nazi regime -- a Jewish woman, a gay man, and a female dissident activist. The company is now planning performances in Malmö, Uppsala and returning to Stockholm.

 
The Stockholm Pride House this year had a large number of seminars with foreign invited guests dedicated to international solidarity -- focusing on Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Asian nations, Turkey and the Balkan nations of Albania, Serbia and Montenegro.

Future Tupilak/ILGCN events
The next planned events will be film screenings and discussion of LGBT history at the Roslagens Pride in Norrtälje on August 21/22 -- with the film award going to Viktor Mörk of the Warsaw LGBT Film Festival, a Spanish-language culture and history event on September 15 with award diplomas (via Zoom) to two gay Spanish artists and with a report on the Cuban LGBT History Month (via Zoom), in Stockholm at the Cervantes Institute.

 
Then the October Nordic Rainbow History and Culture Month (shared with Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark) -- with discussions, performances, art exhibits, film screenings and input from Romania, Canada, Hungary, Japan, U.S. and Cuba.

 

Melanie and Dance me to the End of Time

 Katakombe Poster

Katakombe award ceremony with actor
Stefan Clarin, text writer Emma Broström,
producer Martin Johansson, and friends
and supporters

Melanie Chait