Flashback

Funny, bold, irreverent, nostalgic, sad, inventive, political, the feature-length documentary Flashback manages to pack a lot into its 90-minute running time. The bar, which began in the late 70s as a queer haven in dangerously homophobic Edmonton, Alberta, soon developed into a thriving and gloriously salacious mecca for queers from all over the continent. For me the true joy of the film was seeing and hearing witnesses who were there during the 10-odd years that marked the club's apogee: the owner, staff, customers, costumers, hairdressers and make-up artists for the legendary drag shows, all of whom are articulate, brazen and defiant in the face of community hostility, oppressive police and, eventually, devastating AIDS. As LGBTQ bars now are disappearing all over North America, Flashback shows how essential and supportive they could be in a time of grave crisis. Since we seem to be entering into another one of those, Flashback point up the need for a safe locus for expressions of resistance and solidarity at a time when many people's sense of a queer community begins and ends in their phones.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this documentary but I fell completely in love with it. It's a true story about how a gay owned and gay run dance and drag club opened in the late 70s in cold and conservative Edmonton and how it provided a warm and safe space for queer folks and their friends. The archival footage they uncovered shows all the action and I loved how they interspersed that with scenes they recreated dressing actors up as if they were in the 80s.

And with the wonderful disco music of that era.

I think everyone in the room, like me, was reminded of the queer space where they first made friends and had fun and where we began to feel the shame lifting. Go see it if you can.

I am one of the thousands of people who were lucky enough to spend time at Flashback in the 80s. This wonderful film perfectly captures that glittering era.

It's been said that the 80s was the best of times and the worst of times for the emerging queer community. This film shows us both sides of the coin.

On the one hand we get to relive the experience of being in that magical space, which was indeed a refuge for those who felt they didn't belong in a small conservative city in northern Alberta. For us it was a joyful place where we were celebrated, and celebrated each other, for being different.

On the other hand the film shows us the pain of the bathhouse raids and the devastation of AIDS, which led to an uptick in 'fag bashing' and actually made it dangerous to go to and from the club.

I hope everyone get a chance to see this important and exciting film.

This is an amazing film about a defiant dance club surrounded by a hostile conservative culture, a real must-see for anyone who loves an uplifting story about community and fun.

The story takes place in northern Canada but it could have happened anywhere, and even though it is set in the 80s it feels very current. It's also very cool that the original neon sign was found restored and raised on a wall near the club location! Plus the music, re enactments, 3 D renders and archival footage all work together to take people back into a place that sadly is now just a ghost. You will laugh you will cry and you will want to go dancing!

This was an absolutely wonderful production. On the surface it is about an 80s gay nightclub in Edmonton but it is so much more than that. The featured people in this documentary tell a great story of the times. It is full of emotion. It's often funny, sometimes sad and equally maddening at times. It is interesting that we seem to have made so much headway in terms of equal rights but lately we seem to be regressing with regards to this. This is a great story and I am so glad it has been told and told so well. I think that this is a very timely production and should spur some good discussion. Highly Recommend.