Queer as Punk Review – a hilarious portrait of Malaysian LGBTQ+ gangs making noise | Video

For Malaysian punk band Shh … Diam!, every live performance is a small miracle. Their name translates to “Shut up!”, a loud and defiant cry in a world filled with homophobia. Favoring twisted music, heavy drums and strong vocals, the group’s powerful sound aims to break the noise of racism and discrimination. Their courage, as well as their simple joie de vivre, permeates Yihwen Chen’s paintings. The film, which was shot over the course of six years, shows the dramatic changes that the members of their group and their country have undergone.

Always ready with a sense of humor, lead singer and guitarist Faris is a proud trans person. After being rejected by her family, the charming actress finds a safe haven with her bandmates Yon and Yoyo, and their audience. Their music adds strength to the challenges faced by the community, and they enjoy a sense of satire. One tongue-in-cheek song is called Lonely Lesbian; a title taken from an anti-gay essay that refers to ways of looking at same-sex couples, its playful and sarcastic lyrics also turn homophobia into sarcasm.

The group’s activism extends from the square to the streets, where members participate in pro-democracy demonstrations and freedom demonstrations. Faris is hopeful that, for the first time in 60 years, the conservative Barisan Nasional. was defeated in 2018but happiness will later turn to anger when the party returned to power as part of the coalition in 2022. Despite the lack of hope that was triggered by the electoral political movement, Chen’s film puts forward hope, showing moments of personal success, such as Faris’s high-profile surgery and Yoyo’s beautiful wedding to her boyfriend. Political parties may come and go, but the power of the people seems to go on.