Out Laws

Directed by James Lewis

A powerful documentary that follows gay Namibian activist Friedel Dausab as he challenges his country’s criminalisation of same-sex love. In June 2022, Friedel files a landmark lawsuit against the government, becoming a beacon of hope for LGBTQIA+ Namibians seeking safety and equality. Facing death threats, public hostility, and immense personal risk, he takes his fight to court while awaiting judgment. The film also traces the colonial roots of queer criminalisation—from Tudor England to its export across the Global South through empire and later reinforced by Christian evangelism. Alongside fellow activists from Sri Lanka and Barbados, Friedel travels to London, where history, protest, and Pride converge. Blending legal battle with historical insight, the documentary is both an urgent exposé of injustice and a stirring celebration of queer resilience, courage, and resistance.