In Swiss German, German, and French, with English subtitles.

LGBT rights and social acceptance don’t necessarily go hand in hand, as this moving historical docudrama illustrates.

Although homosexuality wasn’t illegal in Switzerland, witch-hunts, police brutality, and murders plagued the country’s first gay-rights organization, Der Kreis (the Circle), and its underground publication.

Stefan Haupt beautifully re-creates the enduring love story between two members, French-literature teacher Ernst Ostertag and hairdresser/drag queen Röbi Rapp, that survived the stresses of secrecy and homophobia of the 1950s. Interviews with the aging couple anchor the story’s real-life triumph.

Cinematheque, May 9 (6:30 p.m.)