Dear Shaded Viewers,
Les Funerailles des Roses aka Funeral Parade of Roses directed by Toshio Matsumoto was made in 1969 and considered as part of the Nouvelle Vague in Japan. How do you describe it…avant garde queer/punk/horror film made in 1969. Matsumoto was influenced by the French New Wave especially Jean-Luc Godard.
Les Funerailles des Roses is about a transvestite Eddie who has as a lover Gonda who is the owner of a gay bar and is a drug dealer. Leda is his lover and also a transvestite, however older than Eddie, who also works in the bar. Both Eddie and Leda have sexual designs on their boss. Gonda drops Leda for the younger Eddie and Leda commits a dramatic suicide. A bed of roses…I heard, not sure if this is true, that ‘roses’ in Japanese means the same as ‘pansies’ in english. I assume that is part of the meaning of Funeral Parade of Roses.
Cut throughout the film are flashbacks of Eddie’s childhood which consisted of childhood molestation and murder. It all comes together by the violent and bloody end. I don’t want to spoil it for you, go see it in the cinema opening February 20th. Also check out Carlotta Films and also their fundraising campaign.
LES FUNÉRAILLES DES ROSES © 1969 POSTWAR JAPAN MOVING IMAGE ARCHIVE. © 2017 ARBELOS. Tous droits réservés.
https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/tout-carlotta-6-mois
Later,
Diane
