© SALZGEBER
CHUCK CHUCK BABY
Director—Janis Pugh
Feature, UK 2023—102min—18+
English original version with German subtitles
COMPETITION
FILM SPONSORSHIP
Musical meets chicken factory meets queer love story in Janis Pugh’s wonderful debut feature Chuck Chuck Baby.
As a teenager, Helen had a huge crush on Joanne – without ever having talked to her. Twenty years later, Helen works at the chicken factory in her small Welsh hometown, takes care of her odious husband’s mother, and fights her way through life. The tightness of her everyday life is broken open when Joanne suddenly arrives back in town. Between working shifts in the factory, facing old wounds, and finding courage, the two slowly rekindle their connection. Supported by the solidarity of their fellow factory workers, Helen and Joanne dare to find a new kind of freedom.
Janis Pugh’s debut feature never shies away from the harsh realities of its protagonists‘ lives while being an ode to queer solidarity, second chances, and self-determination. In doing so, Chuck Chuck Baby effortlessly combines a kitschy neon aesthetic, a fantastic soundtrack, and great empathy for its protagonists.
© SALZGEBER