De Roze Revolutie

Michiel van Erp talks to older and younger LGBTI people about the history of the LGBTI movement in the Netherlands and the situation today. Touching, delicate and brave conversations about searching, (self)acceptance and identity, and the intergenerational views within the LGBTI community. With beautiful and revealing archive footage.

‘When I was 14, I discovered I was gay’, documentary maker Michiel van Erp – know for, among other things, Pretpark Nederland, I Am a Woman Now and the beautiful documentaries about Erwin Olaf – says at the start of De Roze Revolutie (‘the pink revolution’). ‘That this made me part of a movement, proved to be one big celebration.’ Still, for him and other LGBTI people it was always clear they grew up in a society which didn’t accept them, and was even hostile to them.

Together with high-profile pioneers and others, Van Erp looks back at the gay protests of the 1970s and the destructive AIDS epidemic of the decades that followed. With the younger generation he discusses their experiences and visions. How do the generations relate to each other? And is today’s society more tolerant towards LGBTI people, or are we losing certain achievements again?

The first two episodes of the four part documentary series will be shown. The full series can be seen from 10 May at 20.35 at the VPRO on NPO 2.

Image: De roze revolutie VPRO 2021 © Henri Verhoef