The Last Year of Darkness review – a wild ride through Chengdu’s queer scene

It is obvious from the first frame of director Ben Mullinkosson’s documentary about the underground queer club Funky Town in Chengdu, China that the filmmaker has a deep affection for the punters who frequent this gloriously alive dive bar. They are indeed all friends with the US filmmaker who first visited China in 2011 and returned in 2017 to shoot this fascinating snapshot of 20-something self-discovery, boozing, tantrums, vomit (so much vomit!) and the rapidly changing face of the city over the course of five years. The club itself sits behind a construction site, hidden away and soon to be shut due to the development of a metro station.

Smoky, neon-lit interiors of heady nights out, destructive behaviour, romance and partying till the break of dawn are interlaced with the cold, harsh reality of daily life channelled via confronting interviews with the club kids. Mullinkosson employs a fly-on-the-wall approach while also using artistic licence with some semi-constructed scenes similar to the Ross brothers’s meta-doc, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets. Films about queer subcultures such as Paris is Burning and Pier Kids come to mind while watching, but the way in which the documentary is crafted has the same sensibility as a joyously evocative coming-of-age fictional hangout movie with added techno beats.

The film is dedicated to the people we meet in the club. We first become acquainted with a talented drag queen on the way to their first live performance. They are also battling some demons regarding their health and childhood as is another young woman we meet who is struggling with self-esteem and mental health issues. Her boyfriend bears the brunt of her drunken rage and insecurities. Joining them are a skater boy who is trying to make ends meet as a disastrously clumsy food delivery driver, a curious Russian DJ searching for connection and a proudly gay Chinese DJ who is just grateful to have, ​“sucked so many dicks!”

Pain, pleasure, the desperate urgency to express yourself and the sincerity of youth coalesce to electrifying ends. Mullinkosson celebrates the preciousness of this community gathering together and in turn the beauty of friendship by presenting it in all its messy glory. He also gives his subjects room to reflect on their actions in quieter moments. His outsider perspective on China is nicely balanced with his insider knowledge of the gay scene. Shots of the bigger picture outside of the club with dauntingly large cranes, buildings and boats encroaching on humanity and nature are imposingly filmed.

Whatever your age, if you’re in the thick of it right now or looking back in horror at the relatable bad behaviour that you’d like to forget, it’s difficult not to fall in love with the people at the beating heart of this captivating documentary. Mullinkosson’s warm and humorous approach to the exploration of being a young confused human while dealing with an oppressive society provides a comforting reminder of how special safe spaces such as Funky Town can be for a short while even if it doesn’t provide a panacea for all life’s problems.