Visually, Powdered and Dancing will flip the perspective through which we have historically understood the queer scene of that time. We will present the  outside world / dark-room as a sterile and cold environment. While the queer space will be vibrant, warm and inviting. Throughout the film, the black-and-white photographs will show a stark lifeless world very different to that which Ronnie is actually experiencing.

We aim to shoot on 16mm film as an ode to the Kodak film roll which inspired this story. This format will create a poetic escapist feel that serves the 1930s bohemian queer space. When Ronnie is first at the door of the club, we will use handheld camera and tight close-up framing to emphasize his discomfort. Once in the broom closet, Ronnie becomes a voyeur, his camera’s point-of-view drifting across details of the partygoers’ outfits. Crucially, we never see inside the club itself. Ronnie is confined to the broom closet, echoing the ways in which the queer community themselves were confined. We want to convey a sense of claustrophobia and blockage from “what lies on the other side.” By not inviting the viewer into the club itself, we also aim to create a sense of intrigue and curiosity. However, we increasingly see hints of the queer space spilling into the broom closet. The cinematography flows from character to character, allowing for a free-spirited authentic style, which plays in contrast to the constricted space.

During the police raid, sound design will play a particularly crucial role in demonstrating Ronnie’s inner turmoil. Though he is physically separated from the brutality in this moment by a door, his pain is intensified by hearing the violence rather than seeing it. Leaning on Alex Lawther’s (Black Mirror, Alien:Earth) subtle performance style, we will close in on Ronnie and watch as guilt slides across his face. Drawing from Bertolucci’s The Conformist, contrasting shadow and light will reflect layers of secrecy and surveillance bearing down on this community; an aesthetic nod to Noir. Ultimately, Powdered and Dancing will deliver a grainy, realistic and gritty tone unusual for period dramas.