Queer as Punk

Punk from Malaysia, where being queer is still illegal

In Malaysia, being queer is illegal. For the punk band “Shh…Diam!”, that means they are the only openly queer band in the entire country – or “75% queer”, as they call themselves. The band name means “shut up”, but Shh…Diam! chooses to do the opposite.

They face the oppression with biting humor, activism and an enormous amount of charm, and the audience is taken on a band tour at home and abroad, into the studio and through the band members’ personal ups and downs.

Queer as Punk provides a rare insight into the life of the LGBT+ community in a country where their rights are non-existent, and two lesbian women in 2018 were sentenced to caning for their relationship. The political landscape is unpredictable, and the personal risk is great for the band members who choose to raise their voices.

However, the warmth of the community the band creates is infectious, and the film is infectiously charming with a good dose of unpolished punk.