7th Queer Lion Lineup and Winner

A few minutes ago the winner was announced and to my surprise this year Queer Lion winner is a film that I'm really looking forward to watch, which is highly unusual!

... and the winner is:

Philomena, Stephen Frears, UK, USA and France (G)

The jury, headed by Angelo Acerbi and composed by Queer Lion founder Daniel N. Casagrande and Marco Busato, general delegate of cultural association CinemArte, unanimously awarded the prize "For the ability of giving proper relevance to issues such as homosexuality, AIDS and homophobia in a movie focused on the painful topic of a 50 years long search for a son, and for emphasizing, with the light touch of a comedy, how an humble woman with a deep Catholic faith can show outright and loving acceptance for the essential, important aspects of the sexual identity and same-sex family of a 'just re-discovered' son."

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8/21
Today finally was published the list of the nine (9) films that will compete for the 2013 Queer Lion and here they are with a small summary for each film.

Venezia 70 (Main Competition)
Philomena, Stephen Frears, UK, USA and France (G)
Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman.” When her baby was only a toddler, he was taken away by the nuns for adoption in America. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for him but with no success. Then she met Martin Sixsmith, a world-weary political journalist who happened to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off to America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son (who had become a great lawyer, front-man for the Republican Party under Reagan’s and Bush Sr.’s administrations; but who was also gay, forced by his party’s homophobic views to lead a double life, until his tragic departure, at 43, due to AIDS), but also create an unexpectedly close bond between Philomena and Martin. The film is a compelling narrative of human love and loss that ultimately celebrates life.

Tom à la ferme (Tom at the Farm), Xavier Dolan, Canada and France (G)
Tom, a young advertising copywriter, travels to the country for a funeral. There, he’s shocked to find out no one knows who he is, nor who he was to the deceased, whose brother soon sets the rules of a twisted game. In order to protect the family’s name and grieving mother, Tom now has to play the peacekeeper in a household whose obscure past bodes even greater darkness for his “trip” to the farm. Stockholm syndrome, deception, grief and secretive savageries pervade this brief and brutal pilgrimage through the warped and ugly truth.

Via Castellana Bandiera (A Street in Palermo),Emma Dante, Italy, Switzerland and France (L)
It’s a Sunday afternoon. The sirocco is blowing pitilessly in Palermo when Rosa and Clara, a lesbian couple, lose their way in the streets of the city and end up in a sort of alley: Via Castellana Bandiera. At the same moment, another car driven by Samira, crammed with members of the Calafiore family, arrives from the opposite direction and enters the same street. Neither Rosa at the wheel of her Multipla, nor Samira, the old and stubborn woman driving a Punto, is willing to give way to the other. A wholly female duel punctuated by the refusal to drink, eat and sleep; more obstinate than the sun of Palermo and more stubborn than the ferocity of the men who surround them. For, as in every duel, it is a question of life or death.

Orizzonti
Eastern Boys, Robin Campillo, France (G)
They come from all over Eastern Europe: Russia, Ukraine, Moldova... The oldest ones appear no more than 25; as for the youngest, there is no way of telling their age. They spend all their time hanging around the Gare du Nord train station in Paris. They might be male prostitutes. Daniel, a discreet man in his early fifties, has his eye on one of them, Marek. Gathering his courage, he speaks to him. The young man agrees to come and visit Daniel the following day at his place, with wholly unpredictable consequences. Daniel will have to learn to fight to defend himself and the youth from the violent reaction of the group, led by a brutal man who is determined not to loosen his grip.

Piccola Patria, Alessandro Rossetto, Italy (L)
Two young women, a hot and stifling summer, the desire to get away from a small provincial town. Luisa is full of life, uninhibited, unconventional; Renata is dark, angry, in need of love. The lives of the two women tell a story of blackmail, of betrayed love, of violence: Luisa uses Bilal, her Albanian boyfriend, Renata uses Luisa’s body to pull the strings of her vendetta. Both want to leave the small community that raised them, among local festivals and nationalist rallies, exhausted families and new generations of migrants targeted by those still feeling threatened. Luisa, Renata and Bilal will run the risk of losing themselves, of losing a precious part of themselves, of losing the people they love, of losing their life.

Giornate degli Autori
3 Bodas de Más (Three Many Weddings), Javier Ruiz Caldera, Spain (G)
Is there anything worse than being invited to your ex-boyfriend´s wedding? Sure! When it happens three times in one month, when you don´t know how to say no, when you are an awkward 30-something who loses it after a couple drinks, when the only person you can convince to be your date is the new intern, and when at one of the weddings you are up for a huge surprise, when it comes to the sentence “you may now kiss the bride”.

Gerontophilia, Bruce LaBruce, Canada (G)
18-year-old Lake has a sweet activist girlfriend, but one day discovers he has an unusual attraction for the elderly. Fate conspires to land him a summer job at a nursing home where he develops a tender relationship with Mr. Peabody. Discovering that the patients are being over-medicated to make them easier to manage, Lake decides to wean him off his medication and help him escape, resulting in a humorous and heartfelt road trip that strengthens their bond.

Julia, J. Jackie Baier, Germany and Lithuania (documentary) (T)
A story of faith and disbelief. Of uprootedness and affiliation. What makes a boy from art school decide to leave home and live as a girl on the streets of Berlin selling her body for money? For more than ten years, photographer and filmmaker J. Jackie Baier followed transsexual Julia K. from her birthplace, Klaipeda in Lithuania, to her tough life on the streets as a hooker, outlaw and nonconformist who never signed any social contract.

Kill Your Darlings, John Krokidas, USA (G)
Kerouac. Burroughs. Ginsberg. Who were they, though, before they became virtual icons of the counterculture movement? In 1944, Jack Kerouac was a washed-up college running back who had lasted all of eight days in the U.S. Navy. William S. Burroughs was a medical school dropout, former door-to-door insect exterminator and budding drug addict, hanging on the fringes of the New York bohemian scene after following a pair of friends from his native St. Louis, Lucien Carr and David Kammerer, to Manhattan. Allen Ginsberg was a nervous, straitlaced freshman at Columbia University, easy prey of Carr’s seduction games and his obsession with the charismatic Kammerer. This is the story of three future beats who fell in with each other, and a brutal murder that capped off their youthful partnership.

Settimana della Critica
L’Armée du salut (Salvation Army), Abdellah Taïa, France (G)
In Casablanca, the young Abdellah spends his days at home, living a relationship of conflicts and complicity with his father. In the city streets, he has occasional sexual intercourses with men. During a holiday, his older and venerated brother Slimane abandons him. Ten years later. Abdellah lives with his Swiss lover, Jean. He leaves Morocco and goes to Geneva, where he decides to break up and to start a new life alone. He takes shelter in a house of the Salvation Army, where a Moroccan man sings a song of his idol Abdel Halim Hafez for him.

Furthermore, NOT competing, but worthy of being mentioned for their secondary LGBT contents, are Stephen Frears’s Philomena (Venezia 70), Paul Schrader’s The Canyons (Out of Competition), Cherien Dabis’s May in the Summer (Venice Days), Moisés Sepúlveda’s Las Analfabetas (International Critics’ Week). And we cannot  forget mentioning the restored version of Nagisa Ôshima’s masterpiece Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.

As usual, during the Festival the jury might decide to include in the competition movies not mentioned in this list.

On Saturday, September 7th, at Cinema Astra in Lido, Special Event with the screening of Il rosa nudo by Giovanni Coda, the Queer Lion 2013 award ceremony, and the debate Lotta all’omofobia: quali strumenti? (Fighting Homophobia: How?) at the presence of Sen. Josefa Idem, M.P. Alessandro Zan, and president of Gaynet Franco Grillini.

Up to this moment the jury has three members Angelo Acerbi (president), Daniel N. Casagrande and Marco Busato.

Here is a recently published document that has a bit of the award history plus several award winners in past editions. Available only in Italian.

27th Teddy Award Winners

A gay interest movie is the top Teddy winner, In the Name of, but this time I am really interested in watching film because of the director, Małgośka Szumowska, and her previous film, Elles.

But definitively the film to watch as Must Be Seen is the Jury Award winner, Concussion by Stacie Passon a film that is starting to look very promising not only for today's honor but because seems will become one of the very few lesbian interest films that crossover to mainstream cinema. Film already has a US distributor and is none other than Radius-TWC (yes, is another Weinstein company) plus Paradigm Films. Very good news.

Most remarkable, top feature films Teddy winners are by women directors'. Excellent!

Winners are in *BLUE.

1/30/13
As stated at Berlinale official site, the Teddy Award is the most outstanding queer film prize in the world with a clear vision that shows prize is socially engaged, political honor presented to films and people who communicate queer themes on a broad social platform, thereby contributing to tolerance, acceptance, solidarity and equality in society.

The theme of this year’s Teddy Award is ‘Queer icons: Let’s open up our queer family album’. This is a celebration of gay men, lesbians, bisexual men and women, transgender, closet queens and raging queers, from Valeska Gert to Divine, from Tom of Finland to James Baldwin and from Mishima to Mapplethorpe. The 27th Teddy Award will feature an homage to Jean Marais, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth. The theme is underlined in the series of works Golden Queers by the painter Rinaldo Hopf which will be on display from 1 to 28 February. His artwork – the Teddy design for 2013 – makes reference to the anniversary of Marais’ birth.

The Teddy award is a non-profit event and is financed exclusively through the contributions and donations of the sponsors and benefactors of the Teddy foundation, the hard work of its many volunteers and through sponsorship and ticket sales for the event itself.

Every year films from all sections of the Berlinale compete for the Teddy Awards. Award ceremony will be on February 15.

Did a spontaneous classification for each movie, but be aware that some films blur the LGBT interest to go more mainstream, meaning: films could appeal more to general audiences than to genre audiences, those films are left without a classification.

The Films

Feature Films

Competition
La Religieuse (The Nun), Guillaume Nicloux, France, Germany and Belgium (L)
Vic+Flo on vu un ours (Vic+Flo Saw a Bear), Denis Côté, Canada (L)
*W imię… (In the Name of), Małgośka Szumowska, Poland (G) BEST FEATURE FILM

Panorama
백야 Baek Ya (White Night), LeeSong Hee-il, South Korea (G)
Chemi sabnis naketsi (A Fold in My Blanket), Zaza Rusadze, Georgia (G)
*Concussion, Stacie Passon, USA (L) SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Deshora (Belated), Barbara Salasola-Day, Argentina, Colombia and Norway (G)
Interior. Leather Bar., Travis Mathews and James Franco, USA (G)
Lose Your Head, Stefan Westerwelle and Patrick Schuckmann, Germany (G)

Panorama Special
Boven is het stil (It's All so Quiet), Nanouk Leopold, Netherlands and Germany (G)
Maladies, Carter, USA
Flores Raras (Reaching for the Moon), Bruno Barreto, Brazil (L) (photo)
明天記得愛上我 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, Arvin Chen, Taiwan (G)

Forum
Echolot, Athanasios Karanikolas, Germany
くじらのまち Kujira no machi (The Town of Whales), Keiko Tsuruoka, Japan (L)

Perspektive Deutsches Kino
Freier Fall (Free Fall), Stephan Lacant, Germany (G)
Zwei Mütter (Two Mothers), Anne Zohra Berrached, Germany (L)

Documentary Films

Berlinale Special
Tribute to Rosa von Praunheim
Rosakinder (Pink Children), Julia von Heinz, Chris Kraus, Axel Ranisch, Robert Thalheim, Tom Tykwer, Germany

Panorama
*Bambi, Sébastien Lifshitz, France (T)  BEST DOCUMENTARY
Born This Way, Sahun Kadlec and Deb Tullmann, USA (LG)
Exposed, Beth B, USA (GT)
Fifi az khoshhali zooze mikeshad (Fifi Howls from Happiness), Mitra Farahani, USA
Gut Renovation, Su Friedrich, USA
Naked Opera, Angela Christlieb, Luxembourg and Germany (G)
Out in Ost-Berlin - Lesben und Schwule in der DDR (Out in East Berlin - Lesbians and Gays in the GRD), Jochen Hick, Germany (LGBT)
Paul Bowles: The Cage Door is Always Open, Daniel Young, Switzerland (LG)
Sing Me the Songs that Say I Love You - A Concert for Kate McGarrigle, Lian Lunson, USA

Forum
Die 727 Tage ohne Karamo (The 727 Days Without Karamo), Anja Salomoniwitz, Austria
Portrait of Jason, Shirley Clark, USA (G)

Forum Expanded
Helio Oiticica and Neville D'Almeida's Block-Experiments in Cosmococa - program in progress: CC6 Coke Head's Soup, Hélio Oiticica, Neville D'Almeida and Thomas Valentin, Brazil and USA, 1973 (Avant Garde cinema)

Short Film

Berlinale Shorts
Beshivhey Hayom (In Praise of the Day), Oren Adaf, Israel, 20' (G)
Ja kada sam bila klinac, bila sam klinka (When I was a Boy, I was a Girl), Ivana todorovic, Serbia, 30' (T)
*Ta av mig (Undress Me), Victor Lindgren, Sweden, 15' (T) BEST SHORT FILM

Panorama
Two Girls Against the Rain, Sao Sopheak, Cambodia, 11' (L)

Forum Expanded
Not Blacking Out, Just Turning The Lights Off, James Richards, UK, 17'
The Runaway Troupe of the Cartesian Theatre, Lior Shamriz, Germany and China, 18'

Generation
Dina and Noel, Sivan Levy and Natalie Melamed, Israel, 10'
Första gången (The First Time), Anders Hazelius, Sweden, 9'
O Pacote (The Package), Rafael Aidar, 18' (G)

Not sure if they will be in competition, somehow will be highly unfair as the following are excellent movies -some really cinema classics- so will list them apart assuming that they are part of the program and not in the competition.

Retrospective
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, USA, 1935
First a Girl, Victor Saville, UK, 1935
Gado Bravo, António Lopes Ribeiro and Max Nosseck, Portugal, 1934
Peter, Hermann Kostelitz, Hungary and Austria, 1934
Some Like It Hot, Billy Wilder, USA, 1959
Viktor und Viktoria, Reinhold Schünzel, Germany, 1933

Berlinale Classics
Cabaret, Bob Fosse, USA, 1972

The Jury
Sophie Shu-Yi Lin, China
Pavel Cortes, Mexico
Martha Arredondo, Dominican Republic
Benoît Arnulf, France
Dilcia Barrera, USA
Gerjo Pérez Meliá, Spain
Ljosha Chaschyn, Ukraine
Johana Hakanen, Finland
Katja Briesemeister, Germany

As every year there are more Gay than Lesbian interest movies, but have to admit that the full lesbian interest films are great, especially the one from Brazil Flores Raras -with an excellent cast- but also Stacie Passon's Concussion. To learn more about this award go to the official site.

Check some trailers plus summary/images @MOC

Award Ceremony (artetv)

După dealuri (Beyond the Hills)

Not many movies leave me speechless, much less wondering what I really saw; more specifically, with my brain empty. But exactly that's what happened after watching Christian Mungiu's film. It took me weeks to decide to write something about this movie and as soon as started I stopped as nothing made sense. No doubt that my expectations had much to do with my reaction and was not until I forgot about his first movie, that I tried to forget about my expectations and after running many times the movie in my head that some clarity came to me and only then decided to read what it has been written about movie and what the director says about his movie.

My surprise was to find so many different story interpretations, that many extensively talked about the story while much less about the film as a film and remarkable is that most gave movie top scores, meaning they highly enjoyed what they saw... for whatever not-so-clear-for-them reason. Was after this moment that words came to my mind and it was time to write about this movie. Yes I liked movie, I liked what I saw but had not much idea why, until now.

As most that write about film, let's start with the story.

The Story

The story is a fictional interpretation of a real event that happened in 2005 as told by two non-fiction novels by Tatiana Niculescu. The key element is the word fiction as fictionalizing the real story is what allowed Mungiu to create an "evolving" narrative that can be seen in so many ways.

On the surface this is the tale of two orphan girls that after reaching their eighteen birthday had to leave the orphanage and went their separate ways. Alina end up in Germany while Voichiţa stayed in Romania. They were in love and the separation was not easy for none of them. When Alina returns to get some papers, she hopes Voichiţa will go back to Germany with her as work awaits for both of them. But Voichiţa has filled her life with strong commitment to religion and while she still loved Alina she had found what she never had before, a family. Story evolves with the dilemma of staying or leaving that BOTH have and unravels into the known-end as was impossible that their story could have a happy ending.

Of course the above is a very simplistic way to describe the story as this love story is peppered with many decision points that "complicate" the narrative to unimaginable levels, only absolutely amazing Mungiu's creative imagination could make this simple (yet, unconventional) story into a very complex, layered story.

But there is another simple way to describe the story. The tale of how poverty, no-future, ignorance, and religion can make people do unthinkable things, things that were common in darker ages but that should not happen today. What follows has major spoilers and if you wish not to learn them, please skip the rest of paragraph. This tale is told in an Orthodox monastery founded by an ex power plant worker whose life was turned around by an encounter with an Angel, whose church has not been approved by Orthodox authorities and who in private is called Papa, while in public Priest. The monastery has no other men as is inhabit only by nuns with mother superior also called Mama in private and the first in public. It is a tight family with a very strict Papa and a Mama that quietly follows her Papa's will. The few nuns background stories we learn describe situations that have very little to do with faith and more with escaping their previous lives, including Voichiţa's who seems to be the youngest of them all and perhaps Papa and Mama favorite. When Voichiţa's "friend" Alina comes to stay in the monastery, their peaceful monotony is highly disturbed due to conflicts between trying to keep their own peaceful life and helping others, leading them to the ultimate solution: exorcise Alina as the devil inside her is what is making her do everything she does.

And still there is a third simple way to summarize story. The tale of abuse and its consequences. More major spoilers will follow so stop reading paragraph if you wish not to learn them. Alina and Voichiţa were abused in the orphanage by a photographer who took photographs (we assume relationship to child pornography) of many girls, a scandal that later was uncovered and is known to local authorities; is precisely this photographer who finds a "job" (prostitution?) for Alina in Germany. One nun's background story tells about spouse abuse. Alina's foster family abused her in many ways, including stealing money from her. Life in the monastery shows mental abuse by stern priest to submissive nuns. Physical abuse is shown in more ways than with the exorcism. Etc.

Could go on and on with "simple" stories summaries but will stop here to do an exercise, combine the above three simplistic stories into one and there you have some (indeed not all) of what is shown in the screen. It will be up to you to interpret according to your own values what you saw as Mungiu absolutely do NOT take any side, does not influence you in any way and does not give any answers. He just tells a "simple" story in his own particular way.

The Screenplay

The Cannes award winner screenplay written and re-written while filming by Cristian Mungiu can be described by one word: Brilliant!!! Wish to understand more Romanian than what I do, but undoubtedly the richness of the language in this screenplay is perfection to take narrative into what images or actors/non-actors performances couldn't and somehow imagine that much is lost in translation.

The Film as a Film

To me Mungiu's previous film was a strong emotional roller coaster so I was expecting something similar; more clearly I was expecting to feel strong emotions. I did not. I was expecting raw reality told with some hand held camera that gave not great visuals but increased tension and the feeling of emotions. It didn't happened. For me this is a very brainy film in all senses including most tech specs and a few mind blowing awesome images and compositions.

Some indoor and outdoor scenes have outstanding production design and cinematography, a true feast to the eyes, so good that made me wish many more in the screen. None is as impressive as when the nuns take Alina from one side of the monastery to the church as the "black centipede" in the white snow background plus the fast movement make this still camera long-take just unbelievably good. The use of light and darkness is remarkable in many scenes as well as the use of color in the many ways it is used, especially the color palette used inside the chapel that made me recall Russian movies. Storytelling pace is slow, very slow at times, which obviously allows you to see everything that is in the screen plus "think" about what is happening while watching; it is only after the second third of film when pace increases but interestingly enough the use of long takes continues.

Even when director describes the pressure of deadlines while filming and after, you can see the attention given to details in many moments and actors/non-actors performances are remarkable as all make you believe their characters. Especially the two Cannes winners leading actresses that unbelievably follow the complete film style in their performances as even in the more dramatic moments they are immutable, mostly expressionless -even deadpan- and you still clearly see what the character is feeling deep inside.

Chirstian Mungiu has done another amazing film, very different to his previous work and yet remarkable in its own way; now I am "dying" to see what comes next from him and just hope it doesn't take much time. But know he will take his time as his artistry is not based on rushing, but on well-crafting all movie elements.

Closing Remarks

As mentioned in the beginning, read many story interpretations but none captured my attention more than the one that compared story to totalitarianism or what Romanians had to live while under totalitarian regime. Until I read interpretation this idea was not in my head, but now think that is a possibility as story could be describing totalitarian ruling, the one that comes from government but also from religion.

Yes, film has some lesbian interest BUT film is not what I can call a lesbian interest movie as is SO different to what the genre does that know that many looking to watch for this reason will be disappointed and surely many will not stand the film very slow pace as more than three thirds of film have very slow storytelling style and narrative. But the last comment is also true for general audiences. Of course I highly recommend watching film but believe some will like it while some will not, still there is no doubt that for whatever reason film will stay long in your head.

Know will see film many more times looking for what could be hidden inside the "obvious" story, but the next time for sure will see it as a totalitarian story.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Joven y Alocada (Young and Wild)

A HUGE surprise, very positive surprise. Knew the highlights of the storyline but never imagined that a story like this one could be told as is done here; much less that story is being told in a film from Latin America. Think that have so much to say about this film that post will be long, so please bear with me.

The Film - part 1

Feature film debut by Chilean Marialy Rivas, after her much acclaimed short Blokes, is an impressive work that looks and feels like the work of a more experienced director as does quite successfully something that not many have been able to accomplish; she does a fragmented film so well, with such a good rhythm that makes watching a great experience as you can hardly tell that films is a rapid (at many times) succession of moments that make narrative to flow almost seamless. There is only one consideration to experience this, you have to really understand Spanish as I believe this is the kind of film where much will be lost in translation and consequently, you will see more the fragments than the narrative flow.

The filmmaking style comes from mimicking the Internet with its fast transactions, fast typing, fast blogging, fast posting, fast liberation, fast multitasking and fast everything; but also mimicking Internet's proliferous use of images (photos, drawings and videos) and words, more often than not, spontaneous words posted without much thinking. More or less this is what Marialy Rivas said in an interview and according to me that's a good description of what you see in the screen. A world inhabited mainly -but not only- by younger people, a world that has a succession of fragments, moments, a world that Marialy Rivas and her team were able to capture quite well in the screen. Have seen many fragmented style films from America, Europe and Asia but in my opinion none, I say none, does it as well as is done here -not even Japanese cinema. Chapeau Miss Rivas.

Technically movie is very complex; just as an example, the screenplay was written by four people, Rivas plus Pedro Peirano (La Nana, NO), Sebastián Sepúlveda (also did editing) and Camila Gutiérrez; and don't doubt that film was made in the editing room, which obviously required more filming to fill the gaps to finally reach the end product. Also worth mentioning is that film is almost entirely shot with a subjective camera showing the perspective of the main character; there are a few objective shots that I imagine were done to increase the "hotness" factor in movie as these are mostly sex scenes.

The Story - part 1

Inspired by a real blog that run from 2005 to 2007, film tells the perhaps not that unusual story of a young girl-almost woman that uses the blog to vent her thoughts about everything that matters to her and when you come from a very conservative family ruled by religion what matters to you is sex as a consequence of your healthy sexual appetite that is furiously requesting everything that is denied by family (when everything sexual is forbidden) and most of all religion (guilt), especially those religions like Evangelical Christians -as portrayed here- or Catholicism.

The Film - part 2

To tell the story film uses different storytelling techniques. One, perhaps the less used, is having the characters telling their lines; another is the actual representation of the blog in the screen plus live chatting, and close-ups of people posting comments in the blog, in all cases you see what is written; last uses the main character voice over that tells what she is thinking, which most times contradicts what she just said. Also uses (very sexually graphic) animated line drawings and photo stills -some tinted-. There are moments that have two styles at once, which is very effective to give the fast rhythm and accurately represent multitasking.

I laughed hard at many of the written texts with the misspelled words, the very Chilean colloquial words and sentences (written colloquial language is always funny), and Anglicisms like Yisus (Jesus) and guater (water), all of which indeed you find in the infamous net. Here is where especially I believe that much will be lost in translation and understanding Spanish becomes essential.

But what blew my mind was Alicia Rodríguez outstanding performance as the lead character, Daniela. She is so good with silences and most of all with face expressions, specifically her eyes tell everything that words don't say. Amazing for a young actress and more for a non-European actress. She is so good here that got extremely surprised when I learned that have seen her previous films, Navidad, La Vida de los Peces, Gatos Viejos and Bonsai, films where she was "invisible" to me. So I deduce that her greatness here has more to do with the expert hand of a great director.

The Story - Part 2

So the story is about sexual awakening in a very repressive environment, which obviously leads to lots of sexual encounters in many forms. There are many sex scenes, some more graphic than others, and some suggested. Nothing you have not seen in European cinema but here, done within the filmmaking/storytelling style(s) frame become quite "hot", to use the American word; which is indeed unusual in Latin American cinema that tends to do sex scenes quite vulgar in one extreme or so not erotic in the other extreme. Surprising is to find that some non-Spanish speaking critics and viewers find sex scenes "excessive", so perhaps this is another issue that is lost in translation.

This takes me to the part of the story that will include some spoilers, so if you wish not to learn them please stop reading this and the following paragraph. Was reading some reviews in lesbian sites and to my surprise some say that this is not a lesbian-interest movie. Absolutely disagree. This is not a bisexual character movie, this is a 100% lesbian interest story about a girl that had to follow family/religion/society rules in her sexual awakening and that included exploring love and sex with men. Not only is the story of many women in the world, but with a few differences, can be the story of many of my friends and mine. For me there was no need to learn the real-life story as knew that after Daniela says that she is lost and movie ends, what comes next is her discovering her sexual preference and according to what I saw in story there was only one she will follow to be part of her own self.

I learned that Camila Gutiérrez, who co wrote the script, is the real-life blogger and recently she publicly "came out" as lesbian; so, this recount of her life -with many creative liberties- had to end exactly the same way. Why? The main clue in the film story is the repressive family and the role the mother plays as the direct executioner of the repression.

No More Parts

Definitively an interesting film from any point of view that I could analyze it and believe that made clear that there is a great director behind movie that hope will continue to take risks in her next movie as much as she did here. As we know film has been honored while traveling the festival circtuit starting with winning the World Cinema Screenwriting Award at 2012 Sundance, being official selection at 2012 San Sebastian in the Horizons section and winning the Sebastiane Award, being official selection at the 2012 Berlinale at Generation section, is Chile's submission for the 2013 Goya Awards and more accolades. All this done while becoming a box office success in Chile.

So is a film that attracts mainstream cinema viewers, as film does not compromise much the way it ends which know pleases general audiences. But undoubtedly this is a lesbian-interest movie that will please many that could see something of themselves in film; but I know that due to the graphic male/female sex scenes many could be offended by film, so watch at your own risk.

I do highly recommend film, but insist that chances are that if you don't understand Spanish much will be lost in translation.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

2013 Sundance - A Very Different Preview - Part 2

Continues from Part 1. If the news in the previous post weren't enough surprising for you, then let's continue exploring other films that have unusual stories centered in women.

Jill Soloway

Jill Soloway is not really known to me even when have seen most of the TV shows she has written for (Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, United States of Tara, Dirty Sexy Money); then just learned that she was behind the "lesbian stories" told in some of those shows but most interesting is to find that her previous work is Valencia (aka Valencia: The Movie/s) a collaborative film project by twenty one queer filmmakers each shooting 5-7 minute short based on a chapter from the underground classic memoir into a kaleidoscopic vision of San Francisco's Mission District in the early 90's during the rise of a punk lesbian diaspora told through the experiences of Michelle, a single rootless twenty-something searching for sex and love, drugs and adventure. If you wish to read more about this movie go here.

But going back to Sundance that will screen Jill Soloway's debut feature film, Afternoon Delight, which she directed and wrote the script, and considering everything I learned today about her, have to admit that became very interested in her film even do there is not much info about it in the net but check the fest synopsis.

In this sexy, dark comedy, a lost L.A. housewife puts her idyllic hipster life in jeopardy when she tries to rescue a stripper by taking her in as a live-in nanny. Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, Jane Lynch.

The housewife is played by Kathryn Hahn and from photo dare to deduce that the stripper is played by Juno Temple. I just hope that as much as Soloway has contributed to lesbian stories in television, she also contributes with a lesbian-interest storyline in this film. But will not be until more information becomes available that we will be able to find what story is really about.



Still, based on what I saw in her short Una Hora Por Favora I like her filmmaking style even do her humor is not exactly the kind of humor I enjoy; but I'm interested in watching this film.

Lynn Shelton

After watching Your Sister's Sister I became really interested in the work of Lynn Shelton and her new film Touchy Feely also in US Dramatic competition seems could be interesting especially because has Rosemarie Dewitt playing the leading role as a massage therapist who suddenly finds the human body repulsive. Check the synopsis from the fest.

A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother's foundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his “healing touch.”

The cast includes Ellen Page, an actress that I like but suddenly disappeared into low-profile roles and/or movies and just hope she shines again in this indie movie which was the milieu that made her well-known. I'm interested in finding what Shelton will give us in this movie that know probably will surprise me once again.



Shelton has been called Sundance's "L'enfant chéri" as her recent films have been showcased at Sundance, Humpday in 2009 and Your Sister's Sister in 2012; her newest is just following what it seems has become a tradition due to the quality of her films.

Liz W. Garcia

Not familiar with Garcia's work even do have seen some of the TV shows she has written for, like Dawson's Creek and Cold Case. But her film The Lifeguard also in the US Dramatic competition seems could have an interesting story. Check the synopsis from fest.

A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager.

Another film that has not much information in the net but here is a still from the film where Kristen Bell has the lead role.



Perhaps due to the casting and from the eight female directors in the US Dramatic competition, this is the film that I'm interested less in watching, but have to wait for info to become available to determine if film is interesting or not.

Lake Bell

I'm familiar with Lake Bell as an actress as has many big and small screen supporting roles but have no idea what a film directed and written by her could be like, especially when is her debut feature film, is an indie comedy plus also she is performing in what could be her first leading role. Not really interested but check the fest synopsis, cast and film still

In a World... An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation. Cast: Lake Bell, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Fred Melamed.

Maybe when we learn more about Bell's film I could be more interested in watching.



Jerusha Hess

Known as the half of the Jared and Jerusha Hess husband and wife filmmaking team behind movies like Napoleon Dynamite or Nacho Libre, Jerusha jumps to direct her first film Austenland based on the novel by Shannon Hale with a script co written by Hess and Hale. Check the synopsis from fest plus the cast.

Thirtysomething, single Jane is obsessed with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. On a trip to an English resort, her fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman become more real than she ever imagined. Cast: Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, Georgia King, James Callis.

Perhaps the better known person from those involved in film is none other than Stephenie Meyer, which is one of the film producers. Not proud of what I'm about to say but I know will watch this USA and UK production as I see everything where Keri Russell is in, besides story could be "sweet" and entertaining.



I have the feeling that this unprecedented milestone that Sundance Film Festival has achieved is more than remarkable for being 50-50, have the work of some known female directors and most of all is an amazing moment for openly lesbian filmmakers, lesbian-interest audiences and the community in general as not often have something to celebrate, much less in cinema related events.

From the other six male directed films in the US Dramatic competition only one more has what seems is a women-centered story.

Mother of George / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Dosunmu, Screenwriter: Darci Picoult) — A story about a woman willing to do anything and risk everything for her marriage. Cast: Isaach De Bankolé, Danai Gurira, Anthony Okungbowa, Yaya Alafia, Bukky Ajayi.

In the end there are 9 out of the 16 stories told about women, which is also surely a first. Nevertheless we have to consider that the two movies that had more buzz before the festival announcement are none of the ones in the first post or above. They are films with male directors, both have male-centered stories and are included in the following list that completes the US Dramatic competition lineup.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Lowery) — The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Nate Parker, Keith Carradine.

C.O.G. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kyle Patrick Alvarez) — In the first ever film adaptation of David Sedaris' work, a cocky young man travels to Oregon to work on an apple farm. Out of his element, he finds his lifestyle and notions being picked apart by everyone who crosses his path. Cast: Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Corey Stoll, Dean Stockwell, Casey Wilson, Troian Bellisario.

Fruitvale / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O'Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.

Kill Your Darlings / U.S.A. (Director: John Krokidas, Screenwriters: Austin Bunn, John Krokidas) — An untold story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that led to the birth of an entire generation – their Beat revolution. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHann, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Elizabeth Olsen.

The Spectacular Now / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber) — Sutter is a high school senior who lives for the moment; Aimee is the introvert he attempts to "save." As their relationship deepens, the lines between right and wrong, friendship and love, and "saving" and corrupting become inextricably blurred. Cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler.

Toy's House / U.S.A. (Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Screenwriter: Chris Galletta) — Three unhappy teenage boys flee to the wilderness where they build a makeshift house and live off the land as masters of their own destiny. Or at least that’s the plan. Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie.

Upstream Color / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Shane Carruth) — A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins.

If you can't guess which had buzz before being in the Sundance US Dramatic competition lineup, let me help you. First, the one where you find Rooney Mara and Cassey Affleck; and second, the movie where you find Daniel Radclife and Elizabeth Olsen. Yes, buzz came because the actors and not the directos.

Can't deny that I'm extremely curious to see how the fest will distribute their awards in this competition that has the most unexpected and surprising lineup. But we have to wait about two months as fest runs from January 17 to 27, 2013.

Cheers!!! ... and many congratulations to the honored women filmmakers and the festival programers that made history with this lineup.

2013 Sundance - A Very Different Preview - Part 1

Because the Sundance Film Festival started to release their program and me getting excited by what I saw yesterday, writing about it became a must as not only there are many female directors but also there are many stories about women which absolutely call my attention.

Today I was reading the news at reputable American newspapers and my spontaneous reaction was that articles were written by male journalists that not only react to the surprising lineup but also to the directors' gender. Take a look at some excerpts.

In what festival programmers say is a Sundance first, fully half of the narrative features were made by women. (...) Many of the films, perhaps as a reflection of the gender of their directors, focus closely on personal, and often highly sexual, relationships.

Sundance, known for championing dark and inscrutable films, has unveiled an unusually accessible — and sellable — competition lineup.

The fact is that this year the lineup has eight (8) of the sixteen (16) films chosen for the dramatic U.S. dramatic competition helmed by women, which is a first for Sundance but also for any top festival in the world! Then you have to agree that -in general- women stories are better told by women, so no one shouldn't be surprised when a 50-50 lineup gives the impression that festival stories are focus on personal relationships plus, as in reality, personal relationships have much to do with sex.

From more than 12,000 submissions, another first for Sundance, 113 feature films were selected and 51 are from first-time filmmakers. But what this year calls the attention is that in the lineup there are some recognizable directors like Cherien Dabis, Lynn Shelton and Chilean Sebastián Silva, among others. The consequence of the 50-50 lineup plus recognizable directors , at least for me, is that this fest edition becomes interesting to follow to learn more about how films are received by critics and more important, if they find distribution in regular and/or new distribution channels.

As soon as the complete lineup is published will do a post, but for starters take a look at some films that called my attention.

Cherien Dabis

The festival high-profile opening slot went to May in the Summer by Cherien Dabis that came to be widely known for her highly praised debut film Amreeka which premiered in 2009 Sundance, was official selection in the Director's Fortnight section of 2009 Cannes where won the FIPRESCI Prize and continued to collect more honors in the festival circuit; but to some of us was already known for being one of the few openly lesbian filmmakers and for being a writer in the television series The L Word.

Written and directed by Dabis, May in the Summer is a USA, Qatar and Jordan production that brings us the surprise that she also performs in the leading role along with extraordinary Hiam Abbass (she was also in Amreeka) in a story that seems compelling as the following synopsis tells.

At the center of the tangled family in May in the Summer is thirty-something Palestinian American May (Cherien Dabis) whose stubborn pride and fear of making herself vulnerable stand in her way of having honest relationships with the people closest to her. As the story opens, May travels to Amman where she’s reunited with her divorced mother Nadine (Hiam Abbass) and younger twenty-something sisters. In the midst of planning her summer wedding, May has one slight problem: Nadine, a devout Christian, disapproves of her Muslim fiancé. Convinced that a mixed marriage is doomed, she plans to boycott the wedding. As if that’s not bad enough, there’s trouble in paradise. But May is too busy trying to prove her mother wrong to take her relationship troubles to heart. Meanwhile, May and her sisters attempt to reconcile with their estranged father only to learn that his new wife suspects he’s having an affair. Faced with family secrets and the fallout of her parents' divorce, May starts to come apart at the seams. But only in facing the reality of what she’s lost can she discover the freedom of letting go. And ultimately, she and her mother learn to accept one another for who they truly are – differences and all.

But from the few publicity material available seems that film will also have some breathtaking visuals.







I'm really excited with Cherien Dabis second feature film and look forward to eventually watch film that know is must be seen for me not only for how much I liked Amreeka but also because Dabis is performing.

Francesca Gregorini

Another film in the US Dramatic Competition that calls my attention is Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes directed and written by none other than Francesca Gregorini, better known as Countess Francesca McKnight Donatella Romana Gregorini di Savignano di Romagna, Ringo Starr's stepdaughter and/or Portia di Rossi's ex. This is her second feature film and many of us have to remember her debut film, Tanner Hall, which she co directed and co wrote with none other than Tatiana von Furstenberg. So, tell me, what are the odds that two of the few openly lesbian filmmakers have films in competition at a top festival? Very low, but finally is happening!

Nevertheless her film could be interesting for the story -especially because the spoilers I read, which I'm not sharing here- but check the official synopsis written by the director.

A troubled girl (Emanuel) becomes preoccupied with her mysterious new neighbor (Linda), who bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother. In offering to baby-sit Linda's newborn, Emanuel unwittingly enters a fragile, fictional world, of which she becomes the gatekeeper.

Have to admit that I'm a bit concerned with the casting as I haven't seen Kaya Scodelario (Emanuel) in the big screen (seen her in UK TV series Skins) and do not enjoy Jessica Biel (Linda) performances; but maybe both can surprise us here plus Alfred Molina (Emanuel father) and Frances O'Connor (Emanuel stepmother) can make the watching more easy to ride experience.





Stacie Passon

If you are not surprised enough to find two openly lesbian filmmakers in the competition, how about finding an unusual lesbian-interest story? But first let's learn about the director. She became known to me when a few days ago won the Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" grant at the 2012 Gotham awards but is not until finding her debut film in Sundance that I learn the story that Concussion tells. Check the fest synopsis.

After a blow to the head, Abby decides she can't do it anymore. Her life just can't be only about the house, the kids and the wife. She needs more: she needs to be Eleanor.

But without giving too many spoilers check an excerpt from the news that Stacie Passon won the Adrienne Shelly Foundation 6th Annual IFP Labs Director's grant.

Concussion follows Abby, a disengaged wealthy lesbian housewife stuck in the suburbs. After a concussion-inducing hit to the face, something inside her ignites; she craves more than her boring, saturated existence. She buys a loft in the city to fix up and sell. Then, she sees a prostitute, and then another, and is drawn into the life herself.

So yes, probably story will be very unconventional to most lesbian-interest audiences but definitively we have a film here that besides being honored by being in competition at Sundance has already won in the past week two relevant women directing awards. Just fantastic!

To my surprise there was a film video on Youtube but surely due to the buzz Passon has been provoking, the video has become "private". But check a couple of films stills.





Film absolutely has become MUST BE SEEN for me!

I don't like long posts and post has become too long, so please continue reading in Part 2.

Your Sister's Sister

Not an American indie films fan but once in a while there is one or two films that calls my attention like, for example, Winter's Bone or this year Beasts of the Southern Wild. Lynn Shelton film did not particularly called my attention as I decided to skip her previous and most honored Humpday as believed story and the kind of humor was definitively not for me. Now, after watching this film I'm starting to think that maybe I should give Humpday a try.

Shelton's film was a total surprise for me as even do looks like a low-budget production, feels like a very good one thanks to great performances and a storytelling style that engages you fast no matter what you see happening in the screen.

Think will have to split myself to review this film and first let's get out of the way everything about the "lesbian interest" this movie has. There will be some story spoilers, so if you don't want to learn them please stop reading this paragraph. One of the three characters is lesbian and since the beginning of film you see her going to bed with a man; my reaction was to excuse her as I know can happen especially when you are drunk. But how her story ends really was inexcusable as plays with a cliché, the newest of the stereotypes, the "lesbian sperm-stealer". I did not find this funny and I did not like it at all.

Going back to my "normal" non-lesbian-interest mode have to admit that this romantic comedy in general is interesting as basically tells the story of an unusual relationship triangle of painfully real characters. Grieving on the first anniversary of his brother death, Jack (Mark Duplass) is a verbally aggressive mess; so his best friend and his brother ex-girlfriend, Iris (Emily Blunt), invites him to her father's cottage for some alone time to recuperate. Both are unaware that Iris' sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt) is staying at the cottage recovering from her recent break-up to her girlfriend of seven years. So Jack meets Hannah, start talking, start drinking, start what seems like flirting, have sex, sleep together and next morning Jack wakes up when he hears noises from Iris. So Iris, Hannah and Jack are together in the middle of nowhere and that's when this very talkie story really starts, when Jack and Hannah try to hide all evidence of their one-nigther.

I'm a very visual person and "talkies" have to be outstanding for me to engage, fortunately this is an outstanding talkie that will engage you thanks to the most unbelievably good natural dialogue delivered with very realistic performances. The film really works its way into your head until you can't stop being truly interested and involved in what you are watching.

Since I'm not familiar with Shelton's work was unaware that her storytelling style mostly uses improvisation and have no doubt that this is one of the best improv I have seen in a very long time plus is what makes film so engaging and realistic. Even if her character story ends in a very unpleasant way, is undeniable that Rosemarie DeWitt's performance is the best and almost steals the whole movie, but Emily Blunt's gives Iris an outstanding warmth and Mark Duplass is acceptable even when I believe that too many times he overacts with his face expressions.

There was no real need to have a "lesbian sperm-stealer" in this story and I really regret they used it for humor; but besides this issue film is quite enjoyable, entertaining, engaging, compelling and worth-watching. I highly recommend film, but for those readers that enjoy the lesbian interest genre and tend to dislike lesbian/male sex and the use of stereotypes, I suggest to stay away as surely will get upset with Hannah story.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Bye Bye Blondie

I find films directed by Virginie Despentes quite unpleasant to watch, especially Baise Moi but also Les Jolies Choses which she did not direct, did not wrote the screenplay but was based on her novel. This film is not like those as while still having some very unpleasant moments, definitively she toned down -a lot- from her directorial debut and made film easier to watch.

Most surprising was to find that movie is based on her book with the same name but in book the protagonists are a man and a woman, while in movie are two women. Have no idea why Despentes changed the story but definitively if this was a man/woman story would have been similar to many other stories told in films; what makes story different is that is about two women.

I see everything with Emmanuelle Béart so film was must be seen for me because of her and well, yes because is absolutely with lesbian interest. The bad news is that this film is NOT fantastic Nathalie, did not enjoyed much Béart performance (that's what happens with an inexperienced director) and found story not that much interesting.

Film tells the story of Frances and Gloria who meet when they are teenagers, fall in love, life separates them and when they're older Frances looks for and finds Gloria again. So older Frances is played by Béart and older Gloria by Béatrice Dalle; this couple have no chemistry, their interactions look forced BUT chemistry explodes when they fight, which are the only scenes where I recognized the Béart I enjoy so much.

The good news is that story is not told sequentially as their younger years are told by flashbacks, but what is incredibly good are the performances by Clara Ponsot (teen Frances) and Soko (teen Gloria) as couple not only has good chemistry but somehow their story is a lot more interesting. Just to watch Béart fighting and the younger couple film is worth watching.

Will share a bit more about story. Younger Gloria is punk, which gives permission to play some nice old punk rock and later some retro punk scenes with a famous French punk icon, so she's rebellious and ends up in a psychiatric institution. There is where she meets younger Frances who dares Gloria to have sex with her as is forbidden by the institution. What follows you have to watch, but will share that while watching started to think that story was about two different backgrounds, about love not being enough and I was sure that was what I was seeing until the "shocking" end that absolutely surprised me. In French cinema not often you will see a film ending like this film does.

Found film as a film to be uneven, some scenes have good tech specs while many others don't. I know this is unthinkable/unforgivable in French cinema but for the lesbian interest genre unfortunately is quite common, so know that won't bother at all to those watching because they enjoy the genre.

Having two well-known French actresses in film, Béart and Dalle, plus famous singer Soko, attracted much attention from critics and viewers, but I'm afraid that this film is only suited for lesbian interest audiences that do not mind to see "unusual" French movies. Sigh.

Can't say I did not enjoy film but also cannot say that I enjoy it. I'm lukewarm as after all film looks and feels like a Virginie Despentes film; all right, a slightly improved Despentes.

Enjoy!

Watch trailer @MOC

Tanner Hall

Browsing what to watch in my cable, discovered this 2008 produced film that was screened at 2009 Toronto fest, seems went into oblivion until 2011 when had a limited theater release and the DVD came out. Film is co directed by two little-known women, that's it if you are NOT familiar with royalty and/or lesbian celebrities. Tatiana von Furstenberg, better known as Tatiana Desirée Prinzessin zu Fürstenberg, and Francesca Gregorini, better known as Countess Francesca McKnight Donatella Romana Gregorini di Savignano di Romagna or Portia di Rossi's ex, direct and co wrote the film.

All right after the film royal pedigree let me share that I found movie to be quite interesting and surprisingly good, with a few storyline exceptions that were really horrendous. Film is "inspired" by co directors/writers real experiences while being in England boarding schools but has fiction peppered around. Have no idea what is fiction and what is not, but I can guess the storyline that involved Mr. and Mrs. Middlewood has to be fiction, was introduced mainly for comic relief and is absolutely horrendous, not only because casting, actors performances but also because was not credible, realistic. The last becomes more visible as everything else not related exclusively to the Middlewood's looks and feels very real. If all those scenes were deleted, film would have been better.

Film tells the story of four girls at a very upper class New England boarding school and is a slice of their lives that shows crucial moments that changed them forever. Fernanda (Rooney Mara), Victoria (Georgia King), Kate (Brie Larson) and Lucasta (Amy Ferguson) are the four very different personalities girls and this story is interesting, actresses give quite good performances and feels real. Admit that saw film to see Rooney Mara's performance and now I'm quite impressed, the young actress can really act and she's good; so sorry that I had to meet her doing the American version of Lizbeth Salander.

If you enjoy regular girls boarding school movies maybe you will not enjoy this one as definitively film does not look like regular American cinema, this is similar to European cinema and/or European boarding school stories. Film has a lesbian interest character and perhaps those that enjoy the genre could enjoy the storyline that -for a change- has a happy ending.

A good film with some big flaws, but believe could entertain you and if you are like me, unable to appreciate Mara's most famous performance, then give this movie a chance and maybe you will agree that Mara shows here that she's an actress worthy to follow her career.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Muriel fait le désespoir de ses parents (Muriel's Parents Have Had It Up to Here)

A nice -but very French- made for TV movie by Philippe Faucon that made me recall when movies were light and was common to show things that nowadays hardly anyone shows in the small or big screen. This feel-good movie with not much drama, showing life as it is, gave me a good entertainment moment while telling a "normal" story, French style of course.

Definitively a mainstream movie with nothing special, one that looks and feels like many European made for TV movies, but story plus storytelling style makes watching very enjoyable even today, seventeen years after was first released on French television. Yes, this is a 1995 movie that if you haven't watch it, I suggest you do. Good is to mention that film was screened at 1996 Locarno in competition at the Cinéastes du Présent section.

Film tells a very important slice of the life of Muriel played by Catherine Klein and is based on real life experiences that happened to the actress, who also co wrote the script; tells about Muriel realizing she's attracted to her friend Nora, how she tells her mother that she prefers girls over boys and how she finds her happy life. This simple and light story also talks about very profound things but you have to see film to find them.

Absolutely not the regular movie in the lesbian interest genre and one film that I know goes above and beyond the genre as could please general audiences that still recall how simple life was or could be, and do not mind watching very European movies.

A great unexpected surprise for me, which made me wish filmmakers could do now films as light and as real as this one as not only is very entertaining and makes you feel good, but also shows/says something profound that can stay a while in your head.

Enjoy!!!

Watch scene @MOC

Leaving here an excerpt from the dialogue that perhaps sounds dramatic but in my opinion was not at all. To me it was a wow-moment and made me smile.

MURIEL : Si, y a une chose que je voudrais te dire.
SA MÈRE : Qu’est-ce que c’est ? T’as fait une bêtise ?
MURIEL : Non mais faut que je te parle d’une chose.
SA MÈRE : Qu’est-ce qu’il y a ? T’as fait quelque chose de grave ? T’as quand même pas volé ? T’es enceinte ?
MURIEL : Non.
SA MÈRE : T’as couché avec un mec ?
MURIEL : Non.
SA MÈRE : C’est quoi ?
MURIEL : Voilà, y a une chose qu’il faut que tu saches. Faut que tu l’admettes et que tu me prennes avec ça parce que je ne changerai pas. C’est que je préfère les filles aux garçons.
SA MÈRE : Comment ça ? Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire ? Comment ça ? Mais t’as pas pu faire ça !
MURIEL : Me regarde pas comme ça, comme si j’étais sale.
SA MÈRE : C’est pas possible enfin ! Tu sais ce qu’elles font entre elles ces femmes-là ? C’est pas possible, t’as pas couché avec une fille !
MURIEL : Si.
SA MÈRE : Non, c’est pas possible. C’est pas vrai. Tu mens. Tu dis ça pour m’énerver.
MURIEL : Non, je mens pas.

6th Queer Lion Award Winner

Today the award winner was announced by organizers.

무게 Mooge (The Weight), Jeon Kyu-hwan, South Korea (G, T)

The strong drama "The Weight" presented in the Venice Days sidebar of the 69. Venice International Film Festival, won the Queer Lion Award 2012.
The jury, headed by directors Daniele Coluccini & Matteo Botrugno and composed by Queer Lion founder Daniel N. Casagrande and Marco Busato, general delegate of cultural association CinemArte, unanimously awarded the prize "for dealing in a poetic and convincing way with an extreme language covering topics as diverse as they often are taboos, and for depicting, in a way as straightforward as it is devoid of morbidity, a gallery of borderline characters looking for their own corner of the world where living without being judged for their differences."

Film seems interesting beyond the genre and probably will watch as soon as possible. To read the official announcement go here.

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8/21 - Lineup
The preliminary list of films that will be competing for this year Biennale collateral award has been released and includes seven films with LGTB interest. Before listing the films and considering what is being commented in the 2012 Queer Palm post, will share how this award has been improving their organization as well as obtained the support of four entities that improves their recognition as an award. Consider that the award is still "young" (especially compared to the Teddy) plus happens in a country that hosts the Head of the Catholic Church and perhaps you will better realize their task as an organization.

Queer Lion, the collateral award of the 69th Venice International Film Festival dedicated to movies "with homosexual themes or queer interest" is now in its sixth year, yet again under the prestigious patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Veneto Region, Province of Venice, Venice Municipality and the National Union of Italian Film Critics.

The preliminary list contains some films that I consider "very good films" that obviously are not only must be seen for me but if they have what organizers call "steamy lesbian sex scenes" then definitively is a plus to stimulate more my interest.

The Films

Official Selection - In Competition
Passion, Brian de Palma, France and Germany (L)

Official Selection - Out of Competition
Cherchez Hortense, Pascal Bonitzer, France (G)
Den skaldede frisør (Love is All You Need), Susanne Bier, Denmark and Sweden

Venice Days
Acciaio (Steel), Stefano Mordini, Italy (L)
무게 Mooge (The Weight), Jeon Kyu-hwan, South Korea (G, T)
6 Sull'Autobus, Simone Dante Antonelli, Giacomo Bisordi, Rita de Donato, Irene di Lelio, Antonio Ligas, Emiliano Russo, Italy (Short Collection) - Short film: Unghie (Nails) by Emiliano Russo (T)

Venice International Film Critics Week
Kiss Of The Dammed, Xan Cassavetes, USA (L)

The Jury
Presidents: Matto Brotugno, director and Daniele Coluccini, director
Daniel N. Casagrande, creator of "Queer Lion Club"
Marco Busato, General Delegate of cultural association CinemArte

As mentioned this is a preliminary list that will be updated as soon as more information becomes available; updates will be announced at the award site and will update this post accordingly. One film that seems will be also included is Spring Breakers by Harmony Korine but we will have to wait until is confirmed.

Yes, Brian de Palma's Passion is one of the two films with "steamy lesbian sex scenes" and my imagination went "wild" with the idea of Noomi Rapace involved in some of those scenes; definitively will have to control my expectations as above all, this is a Brian de Palma's film and that's the main reason why is must be seen for me.

The following is the catalog published by organizers with films info available in Italian and English.

Open publication

The Long Hot Summer Movie Bits

My summer was hot, too hot. I'm talking about the weather as many movies I saw were not hot at all. I'm glad this season is about to be over so my favorite season of the year will come next. I'm an Autumn person, because the weather as well as for the movies and all the cinema industry events.

Bonsai by Cristián Jiménez, Chile, Argentina, Portugal and France
Wanted to like movie at least as much as Ilusiones Opticas but I did not. At first couldn't figure out why but believe was because the narrative as movie as a movie is not that bad. Imagine many could like it but not me. Sigh.

Dark Shadows by Tim Burton, USA
While watching wondered if Burton saw what he did, I don't think so. One of the worst movies I have ever seen and the story idea was good, but the end result was awful. Sorry to see Johnny Depp involved with such a bad movie. Sigh.

Chelovek s kino-apparatom (Man With A Movie Camera) by Dziga Vertov, USSR, 1929
Wanted to love this silent film as many have enjoyed the ahead of its time documentary. Started watching in awe but too soon it became the same, something different was being shown but it was the same. Still agree that its ahead of its time, but after a while was too much to endure. Maybe it was the music of the version I saw (there are several music versions) so I muted sound but the visuals did not improved. Saw it complete but watching was hard until the end even when is just 8 minutes more than an hour. But is a classic and one film that everyone should see, maybe you will enjoy it more than I did. Enjoy.

Skoonheid (Beauty) by Oliver Hermanus, South Africa, Germany and France
Came with great credentials but I was not prepared to see a film that look and felt old, very old. I do admit that what happens here still exists today all over the world and never ends well for anyone. There are many homophobic married men that are homosexuals and this is just one story. Never before have seen man-to-man rape, was very unpleasant to watch as much as it is with any kind of rape. I did not enjoyed this film. Sigh.

Fjellet (The Mountain) by Ole Giæver, Norway
The location was absolutely stunning and film had great visuals but fast, very fast I stopped enjoying the sights as this grieving story became truly annoying. Film tells about a couple of women, lesbians, trying to save their relationship while one of them (the biological mother) can't overcome the death of their child. Everything in this film is underestimated and maybe in the hands of a female director film could have been better, at least to help bring more credibility to these two women drama. Film is quite short, 13 minutes more than one hour, but felt like it was three or more hours Sigh.

The Dark Knight Rises by Christopher Nolan, USA
Not impressed at all. Batman has so little time in the screen that doesn't seem like a Batman movie which is similar to the Dark Knight; but unfortunately is NOT the Dark Knight as no one can do what Heath Ledger did in that movie. Marion Cotillard is here and I hardly notice her. Wanted my money back. Sigh.

I had not much luck with those movies but my luck was better with several documentaries.

First Love by Claire Gorman, Australia and USA
A true surprise very enjoyable to watch with a great story about three teenage girls that are in love, not with boys but with surfing. Narrative is so well constructed that makes documentary look and feel more like a movie, a very entertaining movie. Highly recommend watching film and definitively is must be seen for women that enjoy surfing. Enjoy!!!

Senna by Asif Kapadia, UK
Another surprise as yes I know who Ayrton Senna is, no I'm no motor-racing fan (even do once, only once I drove a Formula One) and no, knew nothing about Senna's life. A very emotional roller-coaster tale that shows us a very interesting human being. Very hard to believe that a car-racing driver story could be that much entertaining and so highly emotional but documentary has excellent tech specs and a most impressive storyteller and filmmaker. Bravo. Must be seen. Enjoy!!!

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present by Matthew Akers and Jeff Dupre, USA
Very interesting documentary mainly because the story it tells. Documents the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work (we see old footage of some of her work) at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, but also takes us into the most amazing, compelling performance she does for 3 months every day. I love Art as much as I love movies, but not much a fan of performance art; still this amazing artist has changed my mind, I fell in love with performing art. Bravo. I strongly suggest you experience this film. Big Enjoy!!!

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom by Lucy Walker, UK
Lucy Walker makes impressive documentaries but this short documentary is more than impressive as is really beautiful to watch but at the same time awfully hard to watch and you can't help but shred tears while and after watching. For me was a very emotional experience. Tells a story about survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan's recent tsunami and how they find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins. Suggest you watch it, but maybe you have to be prepared for a strong emotional ride. Enjoy!!!

Vito by Jeffrey Schwarz, USA
Another surprise as documentary is very well constructed while the story is compelling. Tells the story of Vito Russo, founding father of USA gay liberation movement, vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s and none the less, the author of the quite famous and the most iconic guide to gay and lesbian cinema history, The Celluloid Closet. I knew him for his work but his life story is very compelling and touching thanks to the great storyteller and filmmaker. I believe that even if you're not interested in the genre films, the story in this documentary could interest you as after all is part of the history of the United States of America, and in a way, that's exactly how I believe is portrayed in the documentary. Find this documentary many times more interesting than The Times of Harvey Milk documentary and yes, also than the film, Milk. Enjoy!!!

Surely I'm forgetting some movies but as you can suspect, where not interesting enough for me to like or dislike them.