According to German, it is also important that LGBTQ stories do not always emphasize trauma. “In the past, with LGBTQ characters, the storyline was always about coming out. If that happened, the character was discarded.”
The makers emphatically wanted to stay away from that, says actress Van Vliet. “We wanted to create something positive for young queers, but also for their parents. So that the parents don’t panic if their child out comes”, she continues. “Parents sometimes react badly to a coming out. They want their child to have it as easy as possible and they react out of concern.”
The Netherlands as an example country?
ANNE+ caught on abroad. Now that the film can be seen worldwide on Netflix, it evokes an image of the Netherlands as a pioneering country in terms of LGBTQ rights. That is not quite right, says Van Vliet. “The world sees us as very progressive, but if you look at the Rainbow index – an annual ranking where European countries are ranked on their commitment to LGBTQ people – the Netherlands is in 13th place.”
According to her, there is still much to be gained in the field of multi-parenthood and discriminatory violence.
No, a successful media production certainly does not solve all the problems faced by the LGBTQ community, German also acknowledges. But good representation can lead to, for example, less violence. “If your identity is never shown in films and series, it feels like denial. It can even open the door to violence, because you deviate from what people see every day,” explains the media scientist. “The more deviant you are, the more vulnerable. Representation has something to do with how people are left out in real life.”
‘Diversity is something special’
Actress Hanna van Vliet hopes viewers from ANNE+ take into account that diversity is something special. “That people think, how nice it is that diversity exists.” The intent, she continues, is for viewers to feel connected to the characters, “queer or not queer.”
In the Netherlands she has received positive reactions so far. “I am approached by straight women in their 50s and even by straight boys in their twenties. I am a lesbian and have watched straight movies all my life. For straight people it is only enriching to be a queer for once. romcom to see?”
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