You might think that westerns are an outdated genre. One which harks back to the likes of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart. A world of taciturn, broody and angry men. Of hard drinking heroes and women in need of rescue. The good guys and the bad guys. The cowboys and Indians. The modern western is a very different beast. Filmmakers have taken outdated tropes and concepts and turned them on their heads. You’ll have never seen anything quite like After Blue though.
In a distant future, humans have abandoned Earth and built a new life on After Blue. However, the atmosphere means that only women can survive. Roxana (Paula Luna) is the daughter of Zora (Elina Löwensohn), the colony’s hairdresser. When she unthinkingly unearths a notorious criminal, the gun-toting Kate Bush (Agata Buzek), the pair are ostracised. Their only hope is to bring the killer to justice.
It’s not an enviable job to try and describe After Blue, but it’s certainly a fascinating and singular viewing experience. It’s visually impressive. The world created by director Bertrand Mandico is beautifully crafted and gloriously realised. The story itself is hard to describe. Think Alejandro Jodorowsky remaking Barbarella, and you’re in the right ballpark. After Blue is the kind of camp sci-fi lesbian western you never knew you needed in your life.
After Blue screens at Toronto International Film Festival.
