The Shiny Shrimps – a heartwarming cocktail of humour and belonging

‘Les Crevettes Pailletées’

The Shiny Shrimps is released on Streaming and Blu Ray on 13th January 2020. Pre-order HERE

Inspired by a real-life gay water polo team, director Cédric Le Gallo’s team experience meets a classic fictional story of the sporting underdog in a joyous and 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 have dovetailed a perfectly timed comedy with a much deeper exploration of friendship and belonging. Here The Shiny Shrimps explores sport as a vehicle of social inclusion and change rather than homophobia and oppression. For The Shiny Shrimps, Water Polo is the glue that binds their friendships together as they seek belonging in a heteronormative sporting world. The overarching narrative swims in the vibrant colours of LGBTQ life, with each character fully formed and unique, and while there are more than a few classic gay stereotypes, Govare and Le Gallo never allow The Shiny Shrimps to fall into mediocrity. While the story may be predictable, The Shiny Shrimps leaves us with a surprising and tender final act as the sport takes a back seat with more than a few tears and a warm glow of friendship.

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