Lesvia - Queer Cinema x Lesbival

Since the 1970s, lesbians from around the world have been drawn to the island of Lesvos, birthplace of the ancient Greek poet Sappho. When they find paradise in a local village and carve out their own lesbian community, tensions simmer with the local residents. With both groups claiming ownership of lesbian identity, filmmaker Tzeli Hadjidimitriou—a native and lesbian herself—is caught in the middle and chronicles 40+ years of love, community, conflict, and what it means to feel accepted.

Lesbival is a camping weekend created for and by the queer community. Together with all our visitors, we co-create the program. Lesbival runs completely on the love and labor of volunteers, we keep the festival alive together. This means that everyone is a volunteer during their stay at the festival. Together we cook, clean and tap beers. At Lesbival, it's the visitors who host the workshops think woodworking, voguing, bird watching, and so much more. We celebrate, enjoy delicious vegan food and dance the night away during our themed parties.

This year marks the 5th edition! Lesbival actually started by accident during the COVID pandemic, when a group of 12 queers unexpectedly found themselves on a scouting site in Zeewolde, armed with silent disco headphones. What began as a gathering of friends (many of whom are still involved) has grown into a vibrant club of organizers full of Lesbival enthusiasts. This June, around 200 beautiful queers will come together somewhere in Belgium to celebrate queerness is all forms and shapes!