For this year’s Queer & Pride Ambassadors worked with director Max Grapperhaus and Trip to the Moon Films on a special project for the City of Amsterdam, dedicated to shining a light on the rich history of the Pride movement in Amsterdam as both a form of celebration and protest. 

Amsterdam's story is intrinsically tied to the journey of the LGBTQ+ community, where celebrations and protests have played a crucial role in shaping the city's identity. We were granted access to the archives of the Stadsarchief, immersing ourselves in a world of captivating images that hold the key to understanding the past. 

To bring this tale to life, we embraced a tactile collage approach, using paper textures, rips, folds, cut-outs, tape, and pencil markings. Each element represents a fragment of the Pride movement’s journey in Amsterdam, celebrating the landmarks and incredible individuals who have paved the way to what it has become today. The background vocals that accompany our visuals are sung by the talented Kyara Harley. 

Director Max adds to this: “For a queer filmmaker that grew up in Amsterdam (add my cute degree in History with that) this project was a slay to work on. Next to that: with Ambassadors by your side you know you’ll get next-level results. Let us be inspired by Amsterdam’s special queer history and be motivated to act today and in the future.”

Creative Director of Ambassadors, Justin Blyth, shares: “We were happy to bring this film to life for two reasons: First, we love this design-driven, tactile, collage approach. And secondly is because we love to work on films that educate and shine light on important but lesser-known movements like the history of Queer Pride in Amsterdam. This project became a meaningful way for us to give back to our beloved city and community.”