Odyssey 2026: The Last Year of Darkness (2023)

The Last Year of Darkness (2023)

Dir. Benjamin Mullinkosson | 95' | Documentary | China

Professor Chris Berry in conversation + Online Interview with director "Ben Ben". Hosted by Amanda Curdt-Christiansen. 

Mon 5 Oct 13:00
Mills Fabrica, King's Cross London

The film had its World Premiere at the 2023 Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival.

An American filmmaker now living in Chengdu, the affectionately nicknamed 笨笨 (Benjamin Mullinkosson), introduces us to the city's queer nightlife. His friends are an eclectic group of DJs, drag performers, and skaters, navigating their identities and traditional backgrounds in a rapidly changing landscape. Crucially, their safe haven - Funky Town nightclub - will soon be demolished as a result of city construction planning.

This is a documentary that engulfs its viewer. It makes you nostalgic for experiences you had long ago, or had last night, or may never have had. The raw seductiveness and vulnerability of the film's subjects makes those coming-of-age moments seem all the more fleeting.

Even more than that, the film offers a necessary glimpse into what youth culture looks like in China, a country so often demonised in Western media. (by Amanda)

Courtesy: UK distributor @mubiuk

-

🎬 Odyssey 2026 | #Fashion: Cinema as Fashion
📅 28 September - 10 October 2026
🇬🇧 Online & in cinemas across the UK