Barcelona-based director Leo Adef shared a clip from SAFE, his new documentary about ball culture in Germany’s capital.

Via Show Studio:

What first drew you to the ballroom scene in Berlin?

Leo Adef: I went to Berlin to collaborate on a campaign with a brand and in that project, I met these performers. They opened up to me rather quickly and shared their stories and experiences, which moved me. Since I started creating films, I always choose to portray stories that are not represented much in mainstream culture. As a queer person I learned a lot from my own community in Barcelona and when I met this community in Berlin, I knew that I wanted to create something like this with them.

Could you explain the title of the film, SAFE?

LA: ‘Safe’ refers to a safe place. That is a very important concept for marginalised communities. The system in which we are submerged rejects everything that is outside the norm, so we need those spaces to be ourselves, to find more people like us, to share experiences, to organise against oppression to not be afraid of being judged by the heteronormative world. During the shooting of the documentary, the concept of ‘safe spaces’ was one of the most mentioned ideas. That’s why I chose that title, because this community is creating a space where they could feel safe in a way that they cannot feel outside of it.

Learn more at the director’s website.

Image: Vimeo / Leo Adef