‘Les Crevettes Pailletées’
The Shiny Shrimps explores sports as a vehicle for social inclusion and change, rather than homophobia and oppression. For the Shiny Shrimps, Water Polo is the glue that binds their friendships as they seek a sense of belonging in a heteronormative sporting world.
Inspired by a real-life gay water polo team, director Cédric Le Gallo’s lived experience meets a classic tale of the sporting underdog in a joyous, tender film.
The Shiny Shrimps may not be unique, playing into the same narrative clichés of all sporting underdog stories, but it shines with humour and love as Pricilla Queen of the Desert meets Water Polo. Olympic swimmer Matthias Le Goff’s (Nicolas Gob) career has nosedived into the murky pool of regrets. His woes were brought about by a toxic TV interview where his homophobia and misogyny were laid bare. As a result, his governing body suspended him and offered him a redemptive path, the voluntary coaching of a local gay Water Polo team named ‘The Shiny Shrimps’.
However, the Shiny Shrimps are a team with a rather lacklustre history of winning, and they’re not that bothered if they never win anything again. The Shrimps are bound together by a sense of belonging and friendship rather than sporting prowess, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t keen to get to the prestigious Gay Games in Croatia for the partying and men, if nothing else.
In creating The Shiny Shrimps, co-directors Maxime Govare and Cédric Le Gallo offer a perfectly timed comedy that also dives into themes of friendship and belonging. Here, The Shiny Shrimps explores sports as a vehicle for social inclusion and change, rather than homophobia and oppression. For the Shiny Shrimps, Water Polo is the glue that binds their friendships as they seek a sense of belonging in a heteronormative sporting world.
The overarching narrative swims in the vibrant colours of LGBTQ life, with each character fully formed and unique. There are more than a few classic gay stereotypes, but Govare and Le Gallo never let The Shiny Shrimps fall into lazy tropes, leaving us with a surprisingly tender final act as the sport takes a back seat and the warm glow of friendship takes to the podium.
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Director: Maxime Govare & Cédric Le Gallo
Cast: Nicolas Gob, Alban Lenoir, Michaël Abiteboul, David Baïot, Romain Lancry, Roland Menou, Geoffrey Couët, Romain Brau, Félix Martinez, Pierre Samuel
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