The Pink Triangle
“Hush,” Ferdinand whispered. He shuffled around until he faced the French boy, raising a hand to the side of his jaw. Gently, he tilted Antoine’s head upwards until he could see his tired eyes. “We’ll fix your hand, even if it costs all the money we have. I promise you that. Just don’t lose hope. Don’t ever say that you want to die.”
A single tear rolled down Antoine’s cheek. “But I’m so tired, Ferdi. I’m tired, I’m in pain and every day, I starve. Why can’t I wish for death?”
“Because I need you here,” Ferdinand said quietly. “I need you to keep me going. I need you so I’m not alone.”
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Germany, 1920’s. A haven for the homosexuals accumulated across Europe. While other countries of the world banned their gays and refused to acknowledge the existence of love between persons of the same gender, the homosexuals of Berlin enjoyed a higher level of freedom and acceptance than any other location in the world. This freedom, however, was not to last. Following the rise of Adolf Hitler, gay men (and to a lesser extent, lesbians) found themselves under attack from the Nazi party. The homosexuals of Germany were compelled to conform to sexual practices thought of as “normal” under the new Nazi order. It is thought that 5,000 to 15,000 of these men were sent to concentration camps.
Young German citizen Ferdinand Shriver finds himself among this unlucky group after his name is found on a list of clientele in one of Berlin’s underground gay bars. While being processed by Gestapo officers he meets Antoine Bonhomme, a diminutive French boy with the soul of a virtuoso. In those sharp moments surrounded by falling snow and the stomping of Gestapo boots they bond, and remain together for the duration of their imprisonment. However, life in the camp is harsh and it is hard to keep one’s mind... Ferdinand quickly realises the only way out is to escape, but as Antoine continues to weaken, he is not sure they will both survive.
He only knows that he loves the boy and cannot leave without him.
A single tear rolled down Antoine’s cheek. “But I’m so tired, Ferdi. I’m tired, I’m in pain and every day, I starve. Why can’t I wish for death?”
“Because I need you here,” Ferdinand said quietly. “I need you to keep me going. I need you so I’m not alone.”
---
Germany, 1920’s. A haven for the homosexuals accumulated across Europe. While other countries of the world banned their gays and refused to acknowledge the existence of love between persons of the same gender, the homosexuals of Berlin enjoyed a higher level of freedom and acceptance than any other location in the world. This freedom, however, was not to last. Following the rise of Adolf Hitler, gay men (and to a lesser extent, lesbians) found themselves under attack from the Nazi party. The homosexuals of Germany were compelled to conform to sexual practices thought of as “normal” under the new Nazi order. It is thought that 5,000 to 15,000 of these men were sent to concentration camps.
Young German citizen Ferdinand Shriver finds himself among this unlucky group after his name is found on a list of clientele in one of Berlin’s underground gay bars. While being processed by Gestapo officers he meets Antoine Bonhomme, a diminutive French boy with the soul of a virtuoso. In those sharp moments surrounded by falling snow and the stomping of Gestapo boots they bond, and remain together for the duration of their imprisonment. However, life in the camp is harsh and it is hard to keep one’s mind... Ferdinand quickly realises the only way out is to escape, but as Antoine continues to weaken, he is not sure they will both survive.
He only knows that he loves the boy and cannot leave without him.
-
A Courtyard In Ice.
Ferdinand Shriver recalls the day he was escorted to the camp, and the moment in which he met Antoine Bonhomme for the first time. -
Fatigue.
Life under imprisonment becomes steadily worse. -
Flight.
The year turns full circle while Antoine and Ferdinand wait for an escape. -
Aftermath.
Time heals all wounds.