#158 IFI Special | Susan Thompson | Director/Producer/Visual Artist

In this second of a series of collaborative Podcasts with the Ifi @irishfilminstitute @paulbutlerlennox speaks with Viusl Artist and Filmmaker Susan Thompson. This Episode is Produced and mixed by Larry McGowen. As always we're grateful to Wildcard Distribution, Film Equiptment Store and Octovid.com for their wonderful support of our show. Susan Thomson is a writer and filmmaker based in Dublin and Brighton. She holds a Masters in European Literature and Film from Magdalen College, Oxford University, an MA in Modern Languages from Trinity Hall, Cambridge and a Masters in Fine Art from IADT, Dublin. She has received numerous bursaries and project awards from the Arts Council. Her artist’s book The Swimming Diaries is available from Artbook @ MoMA PS1, New York, the ibookstore and is held in the collection of the Live Art Development Agency, and she has written for many publications including Circa, IMMA magazine, the Times, Women’s News, GCN and JSTOR. We discuss her Film Ghost Empire Belize. Part of a trilogy of films exploring the legacy of British colonial rule and the criminalisation of LGBTQ+ people in 34 countries around the world, Irish-based artist-filmmaker Susan Thomson examines the constitutional challenge taken by Belizean activist Caleb Orozco against Section 53, a 19th century British colonial law criminalising acts ‘against the order of nature’. Opposition to the case by evangelical Christian groups has included symbolic hangings of an effigy of LGBTQ+ group UNIBAM. The film is a psychological portrait of Orozco’s resistance and sacrifice and the validation of his efforts at the UK Parliament, and at the UN where he is congratulated by then vice president Joe Biden. Susan's important work to highlight injustices against LGBTQ+ communities can be viewed on her website.  https://www.susanthomson.co.uk/ If you'd like to support the show you can subscribe on Headstuff+ or visit BuyMeACoffee.com/fni and Purchase us a coffee or become a member. #WeAreEncouraging #wearecreating #wearesupporting #WeAreFni.