Antenne Books and MUBI Present: The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, Diego Céspedes

One of the strongest threads running through the discussion was the importance of community as both a lived experience and something worthy of preservation. Avill reflected on the origins of Our Scene, a publication born from the surge of queer organising that emerged in Bristol following COVID lockdowns. What had once been a city with relatively few queer events quickly became home to dozens of collectives and initiatives, driven by a renewed desire for connection and mutual support.

That emphasis on collective experience resonates strongly with The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo. Rather than centering individual identity alone, the film examines the networks, relationships and forms of care that sustain queer and trans lives. As such, community emerges not simply as a backdrop but as a means of survival.

The discussion also raised questions about the forms through which queer histories are preserved. Speaking about Dyke 4 Dyke, Pearn-Lewis and Woodmansey described the continued importance of physical publishing in an increasingly digital world. While social media provides unprecedented opportunities for connection, they argued that printed matter offers a different kind of permanence – one less vulnerable to changing algorithms, platform moderation and corporate control. In turn, it can be argued that the cemented nature of printed material further solidifies periods of community, allowing a traceable nature of its evolution compared to the ever-changing landscapes of the digital realms. 

This highlights a tension that feels central to contemporary queer culture. Visibility can create opportunities for recognition and solidarity, but it can also expose communities to scrutiny. As digital platforms become increasingly monitored, physical archives, books and zines continue to serve as vital repositories of queer memory.

This tension between visibility and vulnerability became one of the discussion's most urgent themes. Avill spoke about the complexities of documenting contemporary trans communities, particularly those built around mutual aid and the sharing of resources. Recording these realities can be essential for future generations, yet doing so requires careful consideration of the risks involved for those being documented.

"These records of how we have existed and how we continue to exist," he argued, become “so important and it’s worth the difficult conversations around it.” Particularly when marginalised communities face increasing political hostility.

Questions of representation surfaced again in Matthew Holroyd's contribution. Drawing on projects published through BARON and BARONESS Books, he reflected on the subjective nature of image-making and the power dynamics embedded within acts of looking. Archives and photographs are often understood as objective records, yet every image is shaped by decisions about framing, authorship and interpretation.

The observation feels particularly relevant to a film whose title foregrounds the act of “looking” itself. The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo is deeply concerned with perception: who is seen, who remains unseen and how narratives are constructed around marginalised lives.

As the conversation drew to a close, Pearn-Lewis offered the audience a reminder of what is ultimately at stake. The act of making, supporting and engaging with queer cultural work, she suggested, constitutes a form of resistance in itself. In a moment when queer and trans communities continue to face heightened scrutiny across the UK and beyond, documentation becomes more than preservation. It becomes an assertion of presence.

By the time the lights dimmed and the film began, the audience had already been invited to think critically about archives, visibility and memory. Rather than serving as a post-screening reflection, the panel functioned as a kind of prologue – one that illuminated the wider cultural questions at the heart of The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo and underscored the enduring importance of documenting queer life as it happens.

A 2025 Cannes Film Festival winner, THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO is a visually striking story of love, resilience and chosen family, blending lyrical storytelling, urgent contemporary resonance and cinematic flair.

Set in 1980s Chile, 11-year-old Lidia is being raised by a tight-knit queer family of performers in a remote mining town. Shaken by an illness rumoured to spread through a single gaze between men, fear turns her community into targets. Determined to confront the myth threatening to destroy them, Lidia leaves in search of the truth.

THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO is now available on MUBI. Stream with 30 days free at mubi.com/antennebooks