Lesbian Space Princess: A Witty and Heartfelt New Take on the Space Adventure Film
Written by Riley MacMoyle
On October 15, at 7:30pm, I sat down in my seat at Nitehawk Cinema and waited for Lesbian Space Princess to begin. I had the honor of attending this screening as a part of Newfest: The New York LGBTQ+ film festival. It was my first time ever at a film festival screening, and I was bursting with excitement to be there. I had watched the trailer prior to attending the screening, and was excited to see the film. Little did I know I was about to witness 87 minutes of pure adventure, wit, empowerment, and some of the best comedic writing I have ever seen.
Lesbian Space Princess is an Australian animated film that follows Princess Saira of Clitopolis as she tries to win the approval of her moms, the two queens of Clitopolis, and the entire kingdom. When her ex-girlfriend Kiki is kidnapped by the evil, and aggressively heterosexual, Straight White Maliens, Saira leaves the safety bubble of Gay Space to rescue her. Along the way, she faces her fears of both the outside world, and herself, learning to love the person she is and has always been. Written and directed by Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese, this Teddy Award winning film deserves every bit of praise.
One of the biggest strengths of the film is the fact that it is animated. From the moment it began, I was immediately drawn into the colorful and magical world of Clitopolis. The style of animation used is reminiscent of nostalgic childhood favorites from Cartoon Network, allowing this film to connect with both older and younger audiences. It was also incredibly refreshing to see not only this story in an animated lens, but to see these specific characters. Saira, as the heroine of the film, is both a lesbian and a woman of color. She represents a community of women that are not often seen in this genre of media.
“Saira, as the heroine of the film, is both a lesbian and a woman of color. She represents a community of women that are not often seen in this genre of media.”
The comedy in this movie was so fresh and relevant to today; I laughed until my stomach hurt. The use of humor to reflect real life situations was absolutely brilliant. From the Straight White Maliens sharing half a brain cell between the three of them, to Saira and Willow’s (Saira’s love interest who sees and loves her for her), sweet moments, this film captured moments of innocence, humor, and self-love that had me completely enthralled the entire time.
Within the humor, the movie’s plot shines a light on the problematic scenarios ignorant people, in this case the Straight White Maliens, put lesbians and women of color in. The Straight White Maliens do not listen to Kiki when she tries to give them genuine advice on how to“ get chicks” because they think they know how (despite their lack of a success rate). There is also a moment in the film where Saira has a revelation about needing to love oneself first before loving others; the bland and boring paper-looking Maliens ignore her…until one of them says the exact same speech not even three minutes later. For those who maybe aren’t familiar with the obstacles faced by women, lesbians, and POCs, this film has many examples that are presented in a digestible way for many ages.
Another absolutely brilliant and whimsical part of this film is its original soundtrack, which is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music and I HIGHLY recommend you do. The songs are both hilarious and heartfelt as they narrate what the characters are feeling at each moment of the film. The fact that Willow is a musician adds to the comedic nature of the soundtrack, as they write songs about Saira and their adventures as they have them, which all culminate to a hit album about their fleeting but strong love.
The beauty of Lesbian Space Princess is the representation it gives to all. I am straight (I know, I know, I’m so sorry!) but I saw bits of myself in Saira. The self-doubting introvert, with a passion for magic tricks, that suffers from pretty chronic anxiety? Aside from the magic tricks (more of a book gal myself), I could relate to her. Watching her push away a real love because she didn’t think she was deserving of it? Been there too. A lot of us have. Anyone can relate to this movie, even those who may align more with the Straight White Maliens; though, if you do, I implore you to do some introspection and stop that behavior immediately.
Lesbian Space Princess is, in my opinion, the only space adventure film one needs to see. No hate to Star Wars, but a story about a space princess from Clitopolis who faces her fears while attempting to save her ex-girlfriend from evil straight idiots is a much more fun watch!
