Debut: ‘Outside Center’ Features Queerness In Full Contact
When one thinks of a documentary, they often imagine a rigid structure with facts presented linearly and information monotonously thrust upon the audience. Eli Jean Tahchi’s Outside Center challenges these conventions, pushing the boundaries of what documentary film can achieve. The short’s subject, Desmond, has his story intricately woven into the narrative, guided by intention and authenticity at every step. By experimenting with the genre’s capabilities, Tahchi maximizes visual aesthetics and emotional truths, telling Desmond’s story without compromise.
The short opens with footage of the Munich Monks rugby team in practice; a co-ed, LGBTQ+ inclusive team, whose ferocity is evident within seconds. A montage features the players' bodies colliding, exerting everything they have, even in practice—pure grit and passion that could easily be mistaken for a professional league. One member stands out among the pack: Desmond. He’s at home on the field, his sheer athleticism evident as soon as he appears onscreen. While rugby is an integral component of the film, Desmond’s story extends far beyond the field and across the globe.
Desmond is an immigrant who moved from Jamaica to Munich to reunite with his mother, leaving behind his family, friends, and home in search of a new beginning. He is also a gay man, a part of himself he was forced to keep secret while growing up in Jamaica, given the isolation and oppression that comes with queerness. Desmond’s move to Munich was an opportunity to live authentically for the first time.
Though the move was initially isolating, Desmond eventually found a home within the Monks, despite having never played rugby before. What drew him in was not the sport itself, but the family that came with it. In what may be the film’s most salient scene, Desmond and his teammates sit together and reflect on what the team has given them, particularly in relation to their journeys with queerness. Sports have historically been isolating for members of the LGBTQ+ community, as toxic masculinity has deeply embedded itself within the culture.
Teammates candidly express the hardships they endured in sports before finding the Monks. One even says, “Sport was always my ultimate enemy.” While team sports often forge lifelong bonds and create found families, these opportunities have not historically been afforded to queer people. The longer the discussion continues, it becomes undeniably clear how healing the Monks have been for those who previously faced adversity in sports. Another teammate states, “Sport was just bullying! That’s why for years I didn’t practice any.” The team has allowed them to reclaim sports, something many of them believed they had lost forever.
Arriving in Munich with only his mother to lean on, Desmond was forced to start fresh as a gay, Black immigrant in a predominantly White country with a history of deep-rooted racism and prejudice. The bravery in his decision to uproot his life and begin again across the globe is undeniable. Through his own unabashed dedication to leading with a genuine spirit and support from the Monks, Desmond accomplished everything he set out to and more. Reflecting on this, he says, “I don’t think I will ever leave. And I think what’s really keeping me here is just having the Monks. A family that don’t judge.”
Throughout the short, Tahchi treats audiences to intimate glimpses into Desmond’s life without ever becoming exploitative. From a night out at a gay club to the quiet pillow talk that follows, the short ebbs and flows alongside Desmond, creating a wholly immersive filmic space. The line between immersion and exploitation is often blurred, but Outside Center navigates it expertly.
The film concludes with a walk Desmond takes with his mother as they overlook the city of Munich. The scene is symbolic of everything they have achieved to reach this point, as they discuss family, identity, and love. It is revealed that Desmond’s mother left him in Jamaica when she moved to Germany, and what could have been easily dramatized was instead framed with care. The conversation invoked a sense of healing for the two, encapsulating two of the documentary’s central themes: the importance of community and being embraced for exactly who you are.
Rather than continuing a tired trope of framing LGBTQ+ stories through a lens of oppression, Outside Center is a celebration of authenticity. Desmond’s masculinity is embraced wholeheartedly, and his strength is never compromised for his queerness—a rarity onscreen. His journey, much like the film’s place in the documentary genre, is free-spirited, crafted with distinctive storytelling and an indelible courage.