In a world filled with doomed yaoi, toxic Yuri, and other tragic tropes in queer media, it can often feel like drama and sadness are common themes in popular queer media, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. The queer experience can be a difficult one, and oftentimes, queer representation reflects that. These stories tug at our heartstrings and move us emotionally. But it is also true that such representation can leave one dejected and wondering, “Where’s my happy ending?”
Just as much as there are hardships in the queer experience, there is also beauty and joy. Tears fill our eyes as Jack and Ennis miss out on their good life together. Our hearts ache when Achilles is yet another hero who does not get to be happy. But when do we get to smile and laugh?
Queer joy refers to unapologetic expressions of happiness, love, and euphoria among queer individuals. This is a very important form of representation as it reminds us that despite adversity, joy can be found in community and unabashed love. If this is the kind of story you want to see, look no further, because the South African film industry is bringing joy to the forefront of queer stories.
The 2025 film Umjolo: There Is No Cure and the 2026 film Black Burns Fast are sapphic films that centre South African lesbians. Black Burns Fast is a teen romance that centres a young girl discovering her sexuality and navigating her first romantic experiences. Umjolo: There Is No Cure features older characters and finding love in unexpected places. These stories centre love and are more lighthearted films. What is most refreshing about the films is that they remain true to the queer experience while still allowing the queer characters to experience joy and happiness.
These stories are not only beautiful depictions of queer love, but they also serve as a reminder that queerness is not all doom and gloom. Further, the films remind queer South Africans that love awaits them. It is important to understand that even though queer people do have a very unique experience for many reasons, they are also just people whose queerness does not have to be the centre of their life in a negative way.
We need to be creating and consuming happy media along with the sad. Of course, the experience of the queer community is not all sunshine and rainbows, and there is a lot of progress that needs to be made for queer liberation. But depicting queer joy is an important step in the right direction as it provides comfort and serves as a reminder that queer people can, in fact, have happy endings.
Visual: Mila Jordaan
