Out in the Streets

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OUT IN THE STREETS is a film by Daniel Albanese that explores the untold history of graffiti and street art as a tool for queer activism through the personal stories of a global artist community. Through intimate interviews, contemporary street artists from around the world share personal stories of survival, coming out, gender expression, and using creativity to fight back against the increased threat of violence and backlash against LGBTQ+ rights. Woven throughout, pioneering activists of the last half-century explain the untold history of street art in the Queer Liberation movement. In 2019 Paul Harfleet contributed to the film whilst planting pansies in New York, above planting outside Stonewall Inn (picture Daniel Albanese). This film is currently seeking funding for distribution, explore more here.

If Homophobia Ended Tomorrow

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MZM Projects, Director Statement: “One way or another, even the documentary nature of this project didn’t stop us from paying sentimental tribute to our favourite gay artists: Derek Jarman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Luca Guadagnino and surely Paul Harfleet. With this piece, we want to believe that the day “when homophobia ended” becomes one step closer.” – Kristina Borhes – Further context here.
 
Beyond Muralism: Foreword from Nuart Director, Martyn Reed. Nuart’s “vision” – to make art, like music, part of people’s everyday lives – is embodied in Paul’s work. This work also quietly extols the values we set out to use our platforms to promote: fairness, equality, and honesty, while being playful, principled, passionate, authentic, and connecting communities. They’re easy to forget for the viewer in a culture that has quickly grown to accommodate other more neo-liberal aspects of the art establishment. Paul’s work is a valuable reminder that the most powerful work, the best “street art”, has always offered the viewer “agency” – the opportunity to go home and have a go yourself – giving us all the opportunity to become artists and activists.

Les Pensées de Paul

In 2015 Paul Harfleet was the subject of a feature length documentary called ‘Les Pensées de Paul‘ directed by Jean Baptiste-Erreca and commissioned by Canal + the film was shown in October 2015 and went on to win multiple awards in film festivals across the world.

“Artist Paul Harfleet’s family had always accepted his sexuality, but it was a different story outside the home. Like many young gay people, he regularly faced abuse. So he developed an artistic work, the Pansy Project, to challenge homophobia and promote respect and tolerance. For 10 years, Harfleet has been travelling the world, meeting people and planting pansies at the site of homophobia. A single pansy to provoke consciousness, to encourage reflection, to prompt discussion in the public place. A poetic plant for a symbolic commemorative gesture. We follow Harfleet as he brings his Pansy Project to France for the first time. From Paris to Marseille, via Lille, Strasbourg and Avignon, Harfleet finds his own way with his flowers, goes searching for testimonies and exposes the prejudices and discrimination gay people in Europe still face.”

“Nothing tearful in this language of flowers. Just the need to turn the page with a peaceful act, the pursuit of tolerance through the thoughts scattered like seeds.” Elle Magazine.
 

Awards Best International ​Documentary Feature Award (KASHISH Mumbai Queer International Film Festival, India 2016); Best Documentary Award (Kranjska Gora International Film Festival, Slovenia 2016). Festivals Chéries-Chéris 2015 LGBTQ Festival (Paris, France); Festival Au Coeur des Droits Humains in association with Amnesty Intl (France); Stockholm International Film Festival Junior (Sweden); Rencontres In & Out, Nice & Cannes LGBT Film Festival (France); KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (India); Kranjska Gora International Film Festival (Slovenia); Everybody’s Perfect – Geneva International Queer Film Festival (Switzerland); LGBTQ Cinema Day for The International Coming Out Day (Switzerland)

Available to watch on Amazon.

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Films by Paul Harfleet

Increasingly Paul Harfleet makes their own short films capturing the plantings at sites of homophobia and transphobia. These films have been shown in a variety of contexts including at Spencer Museum of Art in Kansas, Everybody’s Perfect Film Festival in Geneva in FACT Liverpool. Other films are available on Harfleet’s Youtube Channel and on Vimeo.