Join Goethe-Institut Houston and our friends at Big Queer Picture Show for Retrospective Series of three of Rosa von Praunheim's most iconic films.

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His 1971 film It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, but the Society in Which He Lives caused a nationwide scandal, as it openly criticized both oppressive heterosexual norms and what Praunheim saw as the gay community’s internalized shame and political passivity, calling instead for visibility, solidarity, and collective action. The reactions were explosive: television debates, public outrage, and—most importantly—the formation of dozens of new gay activist groups across West Germany and beyond. The film is widely credited with triggering the modern gay liberation movement in Germany and Switzerland and remains a rare example of a film that directly produced lasting social and political change.

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Rosa von Praunheim (born Holger Mischwitzky, 1942–2025) was a German filmmaker, writer, and one of the most influential gay rights activists in German-speaking Europe. His artist name Rosa refers to the pink triangle (rosa Winkel) that homosexuals were forced to wear in the Nazi concentration camps. A central figure of New German Cinema and queer counterculture, he made more than 150 films over five decades, consistently combining art, provocation, and political activism.

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For more info, visit the Goethe Institut Houston's website.