Otto; or, Up with Dead People

Before Bruce LaBruce shocked Australian censors with L.A. Zombie, he introduced us to a queer zombie named Otto.

After climbing out of his grave, a disorientated, hoodie-clad zombie named Otto has no memory of where he came from and no idea where to go. After hitching a ride to Berlin and gravitating to the city's gay clubs, fragments of his former life begin to come back to him. Along this journey of self-discovery, Otto himself is discovered by underground filmmaker Medea Yarn who is immediately resolute – a film about Otto must be made.

Curator's note

While Bruce LaBruce might be better known for his notorious 2010 film L.A. Zombie – it caused a censorship row in Melbourne before it could be screened and has been banned in Australia ever since – this precursory film is the director's O.G. queer zombie film.

Flipping the zombie subgenre on its head, LaBruce's zombies are the cruising male, ruled by the id, leading us through an insider's tongue-in-cheek look at contemporary gay culture. Along the way, there will be blood! There will be sex! And this film is not recommended for the oft-offended or the easily queasy.

Otto; or, Up with Dead People made its world premiere at the 24th Sundance Film Festival. It shocked audiences then, and it's sure to shock audiences today.

– Reece Goodwin; Curator (Film & TV)