Funeral Parade of Roses
Japanese director Toshio Matsumoto was inspired by the French nouvelle vague, particularly the films by Jean-Luc Godard. In his debut film, loosely based on Oedipus Rex and widely considered subversive, he paints a portrait of the gay counterculture of 1960s Tokyo, combining elements of documentary, art house and experimental cinema. It is thought to have strongly influenced Stanley Kubrick during the filming of A Clockwork Orange from 1971. Matsumoto's ground-breaking film was fully digitally restored in 2017.
In a gay bar in Tokyo, the owner Gondo has hired drag queens to service his customers. Gondo is drawn to his newest star: the young and modern drag queen Eddie. Eddie is however already involved with Leda, the madame of the club who is in charge of the staff. A complex love triangle ensues, riddled with jealousy, insecurity and unresolved past events.
