We Are Dancers
29 minutes
Joe Morris
[not] Being cautious
Berlin 1933: Drag queens are on the outs with Hitler who decreed “to purge the world of the unwanted” before never realizing he was the most unwanted of all.
Hans Piesbergen gives a stunning, heart-wrenching performance as lavender chanteuse, Hansi Sturm. Not surprisingly, given his/her long life on the stage and surviving the 1919 revolution, one final performance of the “love song” between Fraus Hitler and Hess, seems the best way to make a point and end a career. Love of her life (and swastika-bearing Ulrich—Simon Eckert) can only look on in stoic disbelief while doing his “duty”.
Thanks goodness those days of wanton persecution are long gone… JWR
Geeza
4 minutes
Theo James Krekis
Personal recollections
A thoughtful compilation of home movies that range from patriarchal acceptance of toenail painting to the rough-and-tumble life of coming out.
Elliot Warren ably leads the confessional. JWR
Mon père travaille du nuit
12 minutes
Zachary Ayotte
Everyone into the pool
Felix (the camera-adoring Victor Boudreault) is caught “staring” at pool mate Vincent (the finely bearded Antoine L’Écuyer), who most clearly doesn’t mind the attention (or why else make a present of his boxers…?). Single-parent dad (stoically done by François Trudel), pathetically intercepts a very private text message only to reply.
A montage of fantasy and reality follows, which should be a siren call to all parents to let their prodigies find their own way in life, and not repeat their same mistakes. JWR
L’homme jetée (The Pier Man)
21 minutes
Loïc Hobi
Never stepping ashore
Here’s a queer (in all senses of the word) two-hander that delves into the near-debilitating urges of pent-up want rather than ardent desire.
Landlubber Théo (well-played with passion and conviction by Hubert Girard) observes a wharf-side “audition” by a sailor-wannabe. His task for acceptance into the crews? Survive a brutal hazing with a blue plastic bag choking off nearly all of his air.
Exchanging a look that speaks volumes with veteran seaman Giuseppe (Youssouf Abi-Ayad employs his sultry good looks to great advantage)—using cigarette papers instead of text messages to communicate with his instantly smitten admirer.
Their eventual meetups are more testy encounters than relationship-building dates: they get wet (in the ocean not in bed), dance to delirium, and drink till a toilet bowl is required.
Soon enough, it comes time for Théo’s audition with the crew on a basketball court. Then there is a moment of truth that only the film can reveal.
In just over 20 minutes, writer-director Hobi provides viewers with much food for thought, ranging from rites of passage to loneliness at sea on a container ship (brilliant timing for this, just after the Suez Canal blockage by the Ever Given) through actions that have consequences. He infuses this sparse-dialogue film with many long shots, superimpositions and just enough “space” to encourage viewers to do the heavy lifting of just what happened.
Well worth a look—do savour the closing credits that speak volumes without a word. JWR
My Sweet Prince
12 minutes
Jason Bradbury
Surviving love in your face
Told through a combination of video “home movies” and present-day experience, we follow Tommy’s (solid work from Yoni Roodner) deal with unrequited love and a homelife that is not high in privacy.
Thank goodness for quick relief (at times “interuptus” via noisy dialup connections) bringing a fine-looking Prince into frame on the other side of the hookup. JWR
Dungarees
5 minutes
Abel Rubinstein
A man’s body
Like a wonderful sorbet after a heavy meal (not all gay relationships have happy-ever-after finish: see L’homme jetée, above), here’s a whimsical study of noisy sex, the desire to “look like a man”, a hilariously prominent dildo, and a loving sister’s expert touch with nail polish. Cheers to more! JWR
Clothes & Blow
23 minutes
Sam Peter Jackson
No luck here
Maybe 30 years ago this film might have been fun (widowed mother unexpectedly arrives in 40-something son’s turf to confront him with his gayness. Turns out his sister has known for 26 years…).
Too many clichés more than spoil the broth.JWR
A Normal Guy (Un baiat normal)
15 minutes
George Dogaru
If only they were kissing cousins
Gay bars in Bucharest (or anywhere, really) come under Dogaru’s brief spotlight. Imagine picking up the love of your dreams (desperately seeking coke…) only to return to the scene of the “first look” to discover him heading off for a tryst with another.
Wise wisdom from the cousin (barely flaunting himself to tease) to settle for something more “normal”. JWR
Pretty Boy
10 minutes
Pierce Hadjincola, Sinclair Suhood
Of internal bigotry and racism
The camera-adoring Orlando Norman’s mostly closeted character (to his mother, but not his sister), Kevin, has fallen head over heels for Nicko (Murt Alunsoy), opting to skip class and learn to love. Finally coming out to Mum (Nicole Yarldey), his life simultaneously changes for the better (closer to his man) and semi-worse (evicted by his homophobic mother).
From Hadjincola and Suhood, it’s a cautionary tale about telling the honest truth and accepting/revelling in the consequences. Too many others (then and now) have gone to their graves without ever being themselves.
Sam John’s discreet music adds much to the narrative. JWR