Offsite
Maria Hernandez Park
Handball Court
Brooklyn, NY 11237

UnionDocs is headed outside for May and June to take advantage of one of our favorite city offerings: the ready-made cinemas of the handball courts in our public parks. It’s a long-standing UNDO tradition to project bold visions, reflections, and possibilities onto the walls of the city’s handball courts, transforming them into open-air theaters. This summer, we’re thrilled to continue that tradition with a slate of programs that are free and open to all.

This Pride Month, we’re delighted to join hands with Nooks & Crannies (犄角旮旯) to present The The Last Year of Darkness 午夜出走 directed by Ben Mullinkosson, a vibrant and emotionally charged documentary directed by Ben Mullinkosson. Set in the rapidly changing city of Chengdu, China, the film dives deep into the heart of its underground club scene—specifically a beloved venue that has become a sanctuary for the city’s queer youth and creative misfits.

Against a backdrop of gentrification and state surveillance, The Last Year of Darkness follows a tight-knit group of friends, artists, and partygoers who find freedom, identity, and resistance in the pulsing rhythms of electronic music and the electric energy of the dance floor. Their stories unfold in intimate vignettes—by turns tender, defiant, and euphoric—offering a rare glimpse into a subculture that exists on the edge of a society in flux.

With kinetic visuals, raw vulnerability, and a powerful soundtrack, the film becomes a love letter to nightlife as a space of expression, community, and survival. It’s a resonant portrait of youth carving out joy and meaning in a world that often demands conformity.

This event is free and open to all, inviting the UNDO community, our neighbors, passersby, film lovers, and anyone curious to join for a festive evening under the stars—come through!

Special thanks to Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez and her office for their generous support in making these outdoor screenings possible!

Program

The Last Year of Darkness is Ben Mullinkosson’s second feature-length documentary and 6th year coming back to Chengdu. He speaks Chinese. His first feature DON’T BE A DICK ABOUT IT won the 2018 Audience Award at IDFA and is being distributed by Oscilloscope. He now works directing commercials and music videos. His works include the Cannes Silver Lion Advertising Award, Vimeo Staff Picks, and NYT Op-Docs, and some of his films have millions of views. His previous short films have gotten into 50+ festivals around the world including Tribeca (GNARLY IN PINK) and Slamdance (WHAT I HATE ABOUT MYSELF).