In Fruitcakes – The Dawn of Drag, director Vesa Kuosmanen follows retired archivist Jolanda as he invites a new generation of drag artists to recreate his friendship with performer Mummo with whom he worked in Finland’s first drag show (Happy Gays) in the late 1970s.
As the young, contemporary performers delve deeper into the triumphs and struggles of Jolanda and Mummo’s friendship, they come to understand that their own freedom and pride are built upon the work of the past generation, reads the film synopsis.
Back in 70s, Mummo embraced his newfound fame and became the biggest star of the tour. The show was very popular and even broadcast on TV, making Mummo one of the first publicly gay people in Finland. But then the AIDS epidemic hit, ushering in a period of fear and violence against the LGBTQ+ community. Mummo was murdered in his own home in April 1988. The police didn’t properly investigate the case and, as Jolanda believes, didn’t even want to solve it. Within the same year three more gay men were killed violently.
The surviving members of the drag group feared for their lives and the performances came to an end. “Now more than thirty years after the murder and a life lived in the closet, Jolanda ponders many unanswered questions. Sharing his personal archives with the director, he feels that it’s finally safe to talk about the past,” the synopsis reads.
Producer Sandra Enkvist (Polygraf) explains the urgency of the project. “In the 80s, the fear of AIDS was universal, and its legacy still echoes in the lives of the survivors among us. We want to make a film which breaks free from the fear that has shaped so much of queer history,” she says.
The film will portray two very different time periods. “We follow the events of the 1980s through the eyes of the drag group members, especially Jolanda and Mummo, using archival footage and re-enactments,” says Enkvist. “In the present day we film interviews and observational footage of the re-enactment process. The film weaves together touching observational footage and cinematic reconstructions, along with funny and evocative 1980s archive clips. It’s a captivating journey that invites viewers to reflect on the past while celebrating renewal.”
“Having known Vesa [Kuosmanen] for over ten years and collaborated on his previous film Just Animals, I can say he has always a very deep knowledge and passion for the subject,” Enkvist stresses of her director. “He is ready to play with the material and build that into cinema with a strong message. He is not only a talented filmmaker but also a compassionate and caring person.”
Fruitcakes – The Dawn of Drag is in late development and Enkvist aims to be in production by the end of 2024, with a final delivery date in early 2026. In Helsinki, Enkvist is looking for co-production partners and sales representation.
“For the young performers, drag is a political act and they conflict with old fashioned values and manners of the older gay men, who seemed to do drag only to have fun and get laid,” Enkvist underlines. “Through the re-enactments and intimate conversations with Jolanda, the young performers gain a deeper appreciation for the pioneers who paved the way for their own freedom and expression. In this process Jolanda embraces his identity and finally recognizes the legacy of their drag show.”
“The contrast between the older generation and the fresh perspectives of younger artists create humour and a rich narrative that resonates with global audiences, especially in today’s discussions around diversity, acceptance, and the importance of preserving LGBTQ+ history,” the producer signs off.
