The Invisibles

Society's "invisibles" are the homosexual men and women born during the Interbellum. The interviewees (we only learn their first names) form a random cross-section of that pioneering, fearless generation that fought for openness about sexual nature - both in cities and in rural areas. They started with their families and friends, and later, especially from 1968 onwards, they took to the streets as well. All of them had to struggle in their younger days against the shame, the confusion and the heartless rejection by a society holding on to the idea that homosexuality was a mental illness. Director Sébastien Lifshitz gives his protagonists the opportunity to tell their personal stories, and they ensure that is a colorful and intimate portrait. The older people talk emotionally about their childhood, their teen years, and ultimately their struggle for emancipation. The anecdotes are illustrated with nostalgic archive footage, as well as personal photos and videos. Strikingly enough, the subjects all talk about having had a pampered, happy youth. Only during their teenage years, when they were searching for their own identity and sexuality, were they confronted with bullying and intolerance. The stories crisscross one another, ultimately bringing to the fore the happiness they found, as we see in images from their lives today.