Sapphic cinema feels more visible lately. Lesbian characters pop up more often and the industry keeps talking about inclusivity. But does that mean real visibility, or just an illusion of presence without any depth, complexity or diversity?

We’re going to unpack how sapphic characters are shaped: who tells their stories, who they’re for, and whether they actually resonate with the community’s lived experience. We also want to look at the bigger picture — why do lesbian stories stay on the fringes of the mainstream despite the clear interest in queer cinema? What exactly is holding them back from becoming a part of mass culture?

This talk is about the gap between representation and imitation. It’s about why visibility doesn’t always mean influence, and what needs to change for sapphic film to move beyond its niche and become a full part of the global movie scene.

Speakers: Anna Melikova — Screenwriter, author, Berlinale Panorama selection committee member, Zoia Laktionova — Director and visual artist, Tetiana Chervinska — gender specialist with PhD in Sociology, Bohdan Zhuk — Director of the «Sunny Bunny» film festival.

Moderator: Alona Shylova — Movie critic, Director, Co-creator of the «Femme Fatale’s Heels» YouTube channel.

Language: Ukrainian