Many works with lesbian and queer themes are grounded in tragedy and stories of broken individuals, but the animated film Lesbian Space Princess is all about the joy that comes from celebrating queerness. At the Helsinki International Film Festival, I spoke with first-time directors Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs about the film’s background, the power of laughter and the importance of representation for sexual minorities.
Everything started when Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs met through mutual friends and the film community. They developed a friendship that, over time, grew into a romantic partnership. Their partnership evolved when they realised that their artistic visions aligned in the creative process, and that they seamlessly complemented each other. The idea of a joint film was born. The film’s title, Lesbian Space Princess, served as the foundation on which the story was built.
The pair had a burning desire to fill a void in the field: a full-length queer animation. “We wanted to make space for queer people as well as people of color and non-male nerds,” says Hough Hobbs. The couple started working on the script in early 2022, after being together for just one year. Varghese is a musical comic and, according to Hough Hobbs, an incredible live action filmmaker. Hough Hobbs herself is a self-taught animator. The division of labour was clear. The film itself was made in 2023 and it was completed the following year.
Varghese and Hough Hobbs wanted to tell a story where comic elements meet heartfelt warmth. The film’s themes mirror the filmmakers themselves, or more precisely a combination of their features – for example anxiety and the difficulties of dating. Varghese is the more social of the two, while Hough Hobbs is the organiser – an extrovert and an introvert who can learn from each other’s strengths in work and beyond. When I ask Hough Hobbs and Varghese to describe the film, one offers a descriptive summary, which the other fills in by saying that the film’s heart is queer joy, silliness and fun. This describes the mellow and warm Australian duo to a T.
The team behind the film is like a small family. Varghese says that though the directors represent the film, she wishes the rest of the group could be present. “A film is never just a product of the screenwriter or the director. Making it requires an entire village.” And they have received lots of support, especially from those who understand the need for a film like Lesbian Space Princess. Varghese cites the Berlin Film Festival and the Teddy prize they received there as the biggest impetus for the film’s long tail. “They believed in it before anyone else did,” says Varghese, but Hough Hobbs interrupts and says, “Besides your sister, who was the first person who ever believed in this,” and the pair grin.
It was clear from the start that Lesbian Space Princess will be a comedy. “You can’t make a drama called Lesbian Space Princess,” Varghese says with a laugh. She thinks comedy as a genre is underappreciated, but powerful, because it can connect people in different ways. People can learn through laughter instead of through tears. “Laughter is a great tool for tackling different topics. I’m quick to make a joke when bad things happen, which sometimes lands me in trouble,” quips Hough Hobbs. The couple’s sense of humor is both shared and individual. “The film’s referential humor comes from Emma and its comicality and the ways the characters are funny comes from me,” says Varghese.
Music plays a central role in the film. Varghese has performed musical comedy and wrote the songs herself. Of the characters in Lesbian Space Princess, she most identifies with Willow the musician, though she also finds elements of herself in Saira. “I identify with Saira, but I would like to be Kiki,” says Hough Hobbs. Varghese interjects with her own opinion: “In many ways you are like Willow. We are like a mix of both.”
Lesbian Space Princess has a refreshing take on the queer and lesbian experience. The anxiety and pain of the characters isn’t in their own gender or sexual identity. Queer films often sadly center on tragedy, queer suffering and coming out experiences, with no room for joy. Varghese and Hough Hobbs succeed in finding a perspective on people who are comfortable with themselves and who celebrate their sexual identities, even considering them a privilege.
Because of her Indian and Lebanese background, it is important for Varghese to include non-white people in the film’s cast. She emphasises that, just as in the case of queer stories, representation for people of color is often found in midst of stories that accent suffering. Varghese is making an effort to demonstrate that instead of this common narrative, stories can also focus on the joy of one’s background, whether in gender, sexuality or ethnicity.
Varghese points out that contrary to the common narrative, “Queer people don’t spend their days at home lingering in the suffering related to their identities. There is much more to life,” to which Hough Hobbs adds: “I find it important that the next generation will see films that show other narratives than gloomy stories of a destructive fate. I would have benefitted from that myself.” According to the pair, the film has gained attention for bringing like-minded people together despite their opinion of it. Experiencing the film in the theatre can bring a sense of community: it can feel like a warm hug and demonstrates that one is not alone.
The first two Helsinki screenings of Lesbian Space Princess were sold out, which Varghese found to be a delightful and beautiful surprise, considering that the film doesn’t have a Finnish distributor. “The audience of the screening on Friday was charming. It was easy to find the way to the theatre just by following where all of the cool people were going,” Hough Hobbs continues. The duo also commends Love & Anarchy for actively including Palestinian voices in its programming.
Varghese and Hough Hobbs are currently working on their new project in Finland, where the idea took seed. The residency they participated in offered an inspiring and calm environment for art in the midst of nature. Their next animation won’t be set in space–this time the scene is set with fantastical elements. But back to Lesbian Space Princess for a moment.
“We hope our film is just the first of many. We hope people keep supporting each other and that this support will result in more voices like ours being heard. We hope that this film instills in filmmakers and artists a belief that it is possible to create something and make it visible,” says Varghese.
Venla Rouhiainen (translated by Amanda Alvarez)