Watch this heartwarming short film about queer love and acceptance

A French film about two queer black women falling passionately in love is now available to watch online.

Susanne Serres, screenwriter and filmmaker of Zaya, describes it as “a short film promoting love and acceptance”.

The protagonist, Zaya, is a contemporary dancer who realises that she’s attracted to Nadege, her dance partner.

To be able to face who she is entirely, Zaya feels the need to overcome her internal fear and come out to her mother.

Her mother’s unwavering love and immediate acceptance is an emotional thing to watch, and is a much-needed relief from the tragedy so often portrayed in LGBT+ movies.

The film is made up of beautiful cinematic shots, along with a gorgeous soundtrack to go along with the heartwarming and well-acted story.

A movie like this is critical in the current social climate we are living in.

Lack of diversity in the media is something we see all too often, and it’s films like Zaya that are needed to break us out of Hollywood’s heteronormative whitewashing.

A recent GLAAD report showed that LGBTQ+ people are either invisible or used as punchlines in big Hollywood films.

GLAAD also noted a lack of racial diversity in film, with the numbers decreasing rapidly year after year.