Amidst It All, We Still Rally:
Ata Pūao + The Crowd

In the face of mounting fears and institutional control, fleeting moments of human connection and queer solidarity offer comfort and refuge — and what better way to honour these ties than by coming together to party?

Ata Pūao delves into feelings of distance and discomfort as Hiwa, a Maori trans woman, stands on the precipice of adulthood. While she celebrates her birthday with friends she seems to have outgrown, she is pushed to embrace her evolving identity and discover a new sense of self.

In The Crowd, a group of friends plan a celebratory farewell for Raman, while grappling with the tragic loss of one of their own. We are given an honest and vulnerable peek into queer life and subtle resistance in Tehran, as they attempt to pull off this covert gathering.