PLAYLAND PRODUCTION
The closure of Playland Cafe, Boston’s iconic queer bar, marked the end of an era. New film Playland resurrects its memory, honouring its significance in the LGBTQ+ community W hen Boston’s oldest and most outrageous gay club closed its doors for the last
time in 1998, not only did it deprive a community of a crucial safe haven, but a 61-year history was locked away from the mainstream narrative. For that reason, writer and director Georden West was compelled to create Playland – a ‘transdisciplinary work of queer bricolage’ that ensures the once go-to Playland Cafe did not become a mere myth, but a vivid and significant part of an oppressed people’s history. The hybrid film centres around the raucous activity of ‘a time-bending night‘, sharing moments from 1943, 1965, 1977 and 1992 – all told via multimedia. It seamlessly weaves together archival audio, home video footage as well as artistically envisioned vignettes, as it pays homage to the trailblazing gay elders who made what is now a car
ARTISTIC FLAIR The film is a vibrant multimedia portrayal of the Playland Cafe interwoven throughout time, spanning five decades
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