The Gay Games was founded as The Gay Olympics in San Francisco in 1982 and was designed to inspire and empower sexual diversity. This year has seen the Women’s World Cup provide inspiration to young females who want to be able to express themselves through the context of sport.
An inspiring new film that celebrates the lives and tribulations of a real-life gay water polo team is certainly an opportunity for anyone interested in developing their own awareness and acceptance.
Cedric Le Gallo and Maxime Govare’s THE SHINY SHRIMPS is the tale of a twilight-year swimming champion Matthias Le Goff (Nicolas Gou), whose misjudged and vocal homophobic remark on live television during a post-race interview doesn’t endear him to the Swimming Federation who are looking to make a statement on such matters by effectively kicking him out.
His home life is not so good, estranged from his wife, but with some reluctant support from his energetic daughter Victoire (Maïa Quesemand), he begins his fight back.
Despairing, but determined to make the cut in the next big event, he reluctantly agrees to a period of rehabilitation which becomes even more uncomfortable when he has to train the worst water polo team, the ‘Shiny Shrimps’ of the title, in preparation for the Gay Games.
However, their qualifying game is against a team of lesbians who are as ruthless and brutal in their competitiveness, but after overcoming this team, Le Goff begins to appreciate and acknowledge that everybody has a desire to compete and uses his own past success and mentality to inspire the team to bigger things.
This is a contrasting and conflicting group of ‘Shrimps’, but which use their sexuality in a confident and honest way, even if they are a little afraid of what their world can bring in the future….
With elements of COOL RUNNINGS and THE FULL MONTY, coupled with the very best road movies in history, THE SHINY SHRIMPS is not just a celebration of sexuality, but a celebration of individuality, with the potential to become one of the cross-over hits of 2019.
It’s a laugh-out-loud odyssey and with Bonnie Tyler’s HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO and BOYS (SUMMERTIME LOVE) filling our ears through the soundtrack, it has as much to say about all kinds of people as well as give inspiration to those who are struggling to come to terms with their well-being and personality, regardless of sexual orientation.
One hopes that the message will go beyond the initial target demographic, but movies are designed to be for all sensibilities. THE SHINY SHRIMPS can help communicate a better message – and therefore a better future relativity between gender.
For more information on THE SHINY SHRIMPS and other titles by the distributor Peccadillo Pictures, please click on this link: https://www.peccapics.com/
