THE BATTLE OF TUNTENHAUS
Juliet Bashore THE BATTLE OF TUNTENHAUS, PART 1 1991, 24 min, DCP. In German with English subtitles. THE BATTLE OF TUNTENHAUS, PART 2 1992, 19 min, DCP. In German with English subtitles. "The Wall has fallen. Berlin has reunified. But there are new zones of transgression to be carved out and explored. Mainzer Straße is a hot spot of squatters and anti-fascist fights. One of the squats on this notorious street, the Tuntenhaus ('House of Queers'), becomes a specific target of both their neo-Nazi neighbors and the iron fist of the capitalist state. Juliet Bashore's legendary documentary follows the daily struggle of the queens and queers to create and defend a place for themselves in the chaos and unrest after the fall of communism. The extraordinary union of the anarchist/autonomous and gay scenes meets the onlooking yet involved sympathizers, who also end up in conflict with the squatters as a result of their filming. The film is a unique testimony to the violent and momentous eviction of the people from the streets." –THE BEACON