Miniskirts and enemies-to-lovers: screening this campy cult-classic lesbian spy-movie with a Q&A with media scholar Dr. Dan Hassler-Forest (UU).
How many lesbian films can we actually call fun ? Not many, but DEBS (2004) falls in that category for sure. Amy, Max, Dominique and Janet are members of an underground government agency, sent on a mission to track down and apprehend criminal mastermind Lucy Diamond. But when goody two-shoes Amy falls for Lucy, chaos ensues and the DEBS’ loyalty is put to the test. A campy comedic spoof on heteronormative spy movie tropes, complete with short skirts and a beloved enemies-to-lovers plot.
Written, directed, and edited by filmmaker Angela Robinson—who also directed some of the best L Word episodes—DEBS was made on a very small budget. Dismissed by critics upon release, the film became a cult classic in the twenty years that followed. Especially queer audiences fell in love with the goofy special effects, snappy dialogue and sizzling chemistry between the two leads. With media scholar Dr. Dan Hassler-Forest (UU), we discuss the importance of camp and the female gaze in this iconic classic. Does it stand the test of time? And why are fun queer films these days so scarce?
In collaboration with Utrecht University.
