The sad thing about film festivals is that oftentimes it can be hard to find your favorite films after they’re over. To wrap up our look forward to Reeling 2009, we are going to wallow in self-pity and discuss some of the fantastic dramas being presented this year.
The Filipino film Boy splits its focus between the innocence of first love and the eroticism of desire. The Boy in this case is a thoughtful poet who, when he’s not using his allowance to buy exotic fish to fill his room, spends it at the local male dancer club. He meets Aries there, and as things progress toward New Year’s, The Boy decides to blow his load and take Aries home for the night. There are some very heartfelt and specific character interactions mixed with some standard cliches, especially in the portrayal of the transgender members of the club and shallowness in having such an uncomplicated relationship build. Madeleine Nicolas as Mother brings a lot of credence to her role of a scattershot near-divorcee who has a child with a secret and a husband with another family, and she affects some good performances from the younger cast. The movie is beautifully shot and attempts to overcome its flaws in story with symbolic imagery. (Boy screens at the Landmark Cinema Friday, November 6 at 7:15 PM).
Family is writer-director-actor Faith Trimel’s exploration of the many difficulties faced by women of color in coming out, from trying to keep a career in entertainment and athletics to remaining a vital part of one’s family and community. The lowered quality of certain production values actually highlights much of what is potent about the film, the double discrimination felt by black SGL women. Trimel stars as Felicia, a moderately successful actress who tries to keep her girlfriend in the closet–literally–when her traditional Jamaican mother comes to visit. Felicia’s long-suffering lover tells her they’re through, and Felicia is forced to realize she has to come out. But not without her friends. Felicia dares her five best friends to come out with her within 30 days. Melanie wants to get back the daughter she had been raising with another women who walked out on her, Tonya proposes to her white girlfriend only to be dropped in on with a surprise visit by her judgmental sister, Sabrina is a doctor whose strong ties to her faith keep her from even accepting herself, Idrice is a WNBA star who is worried her career outside the court will not take off if she’s out, and Monifa outs herself only to find that she may not be as over men as she thinks. These six women work together and separately to understand themselves, their lives and their relationships, some rebuilding and some breaking down. (Family screens at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema on Saturday, November 14 at 2 PM).
Finally, Mein Freund Aus Faro (My Friend From Faro) features Melanie, a 22-year-old still figuring out her place in the world, even if she tries to be someone else in it. After hitting Jenny with her car, Melanie offers to take the teen and her friend to a club and is mistaken for a Portuguese boy (she calls herself Miguel) due to her close-cropped hair, small chest and masculine frame. Melanie and Jenny bond at the club, and Melanie begins hitting up the new guy at work, Nuno, to learn more about Portuguese culture. Meanwhile, Melanie’s brother and father are pressuring her about not having a boyfriend, so Melanie pays Nuno to stop by and pretend to be her new boyfriend, Miguel. In a not-so-subtle Shakepearean way, Melanie’s secret lives begin to converge, and when she finds out that Jenny is only 14, things really take a turn for the worse. The film features many grounded performances, particularly from such a young cast, and Melanie’s anguish over not having anything to identify herself as is heartrending. (Mein Freund Aus Faro screens at the Landmark Cinema on Sunday, November 8 at 7:15 PM).
The opening night of Reeling 28 will feature the filmThe Big Gay Musical at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, which promises to be an outrageous pastiche of musical tropes, camp and heartfelt reverence for one of queerdom’s favorite genre’s. Two other comedy films playing during the festival match the exuberance set forth by this first night.
The Baby Formula is a Canadian mockumentary by director Alison Reid (who also co-stars as the director of the documentary) that posits what would happen if two women decided to make their own biological baby. Lilith and Athena are a happily married Toronto couple who have found a way to have their own kids: genetic testing with stem cells in mice has proven effective in utilizing eggs from one female to create a zygote with an egg from another female. As the first human subject, Athena is excited to become a new mommy, focusing on her own burgeoning belly and needs, leading Lilith to make the decision to be impregnated in the same way without informing her partner. The two reconcile and begin planning for the birth of their daughters, but it’s none too easy with an overly religious mom on Athena’s side, two alcoholic gay fathers on Lilith’s, and a secret to keep about how these babies were conceived. The documentary style creates compellingly natural characters with very distinct personalities and great performances by leads Angela Vint and Megan Fahlenbock and Rosemary Dunsmore as Athena’s mother. The humor is laced in surprising ways, but there are startling moments of poignancy throughout and some tough issues about what it means to accept one’s role as a parent. (The Baby Formula screens at the Landmark Cinema on Friday, November 6 at 9:15 PM).
For fans of early Peter Jackson, you may have found a good ringer in Kevin Hamedani’s ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction. Like all good horror, ZMD bills itself as “a political zomedy” and follows a few liberal-leaning protagonists in a small New England town that just happens to fall under attack by zombies. Frida Abbas has returned home after quitting Princeton, her excuse being to help her father run his restaurant, but all she encounters are neighbors mistaking her for every other identity but Iranian, which ends up even worse when a very Fox News-style channel purports that Muslim terrorists are behind the zombie outbreak. Tom has returned with his partner Lance to finally come out to his mother, only to find her already bitten and becoming zombie. They team up with Cheryl Banks, the ultra-liberal teacher who has put in her bid to run for mayor. Unfortunately, zombies alone aren’t their problem; the close-minded townspeople keep blaming and trying to get these “outsiders” to conform to conservative values. The one-liners are endless, the gore fantastic, and Frida’s theme song will stick with you for weeks. The film’s politics are evident throughout, but it slyly puts into context what it means to be a minority in America today. (ZMD screens at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema on Friday, November 13 at 9 PM).
Our regular weekly news briefs are being replaced by a different look at the world around us: we’re anticipating the opening of the 28th Reeling Film Festival here in Chicago this Thursday, November 5 with a preview of some of the films that will be playing on screens throughout Chicago, from The Music Box to the Landmark to hosts Chicago Filmmakers. Cul de sac’s three-day pre-play begins with a nod to a handful of documentaries that will be screening this year.
City of Borders inundates us in the lives of Palestinian, Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli LGBTs and their struggles with acceptance, especially in proximity to the holy land of Jerusalem. Those taking part in the documentary have found their own having in Shushan, an LGBT bar owned and operated by the first openly gay Israeli council member Sa’ar Netanel. The engaging ensemble story features Palestinian Samira and Israeli Ravit, a lesbian couple who struggle not only with typical problems such as deciding to have children and how working together affects their relationship, but with the present feeling they are sleeping with the enemy; flamboyant Boody is a sometimes drag queen whose mother wants to marry him off to his cousin from America and who is constantly receiving death threats; and Adam and Amit are working to live in the settlement in which Adam grew up and rebuild after a hate crime in which Adam was stabbed during a Pride ceremony. The unquestioning acceptance shown between members of the Palestinian and Israeli LGBT community highlights the doubly compounded hatred they receive from the outside world as identifying as both queer and culturally other. (City of Borders screens at the Landmark Cinema on Tuesday, November 10 at 9 PM).
Two short documentaries focus on the strides made by the LGBT community in the U.S. Out in the Silence is filmmaker Joe Wilson’s response to growing up silently queer in small-town Pennsylvania. After running the announcement of his marriage to another man in his hometown paper and receiving an expected backlash, Wilson is sent a letter by a distraught mother whose son came out and is facing violence and discrimination at school. Wilson takes his camera to Oil Town, PA and connects with 16-year-old C.J., trying to provide him guidance about being out and revisiting his own fears from when he was a teenager. Wilson also interviews Rox and her partner Linda who are battling against zealous Focus on the Family radio host Diane to keep their business restoring an old theater afloat. Wilson captures a good deal of the socioeconomic factors that can lead to a community rejecting LGBT members or denying their existence outright. (Out in the Silence screens at Chicago Filmmakers on Friday, November 13 at 7 PM).
Conversely, Switch: A Community in Transition, focuses much of its attention on the smaller community of family, both blood and chosen. Filmmaker Brooks Nelson’s transition from female-identifying to more masculine is the topic of conversation among his friends and his partner Jeannie’s family, and for good reason: Brooks has asked them to talk about it for the camera. Although it mostly focuses on dialogue and can be a little too intimate to connect to at times, this film is a great conversation starter on why we hold gender identity so close to us and having trouble identifying people gender-neutrally. Even Brooks and Jeannie’s friends, who are predominately butch lesbians, have some discomfort with Brooks’ transition, and a great dialogue about privilege unfolds over the shift in perception of Brooks as a white woman to Brooks as a white man and Brooks’ friend who transitioned from black woman to black man. The film does a great deal to show that people going through transition should not be characterized as “changing;” the perspectives of the people around them should be. (Switch screens at Chicago Filmmakers on Saturday, November 14).
Finally, Fig Trees uses mixed modes to tell the tale of AIDS activists Zackie Achmat of South Africa and Tim McCaskell of Canada. A blend of opera, parody, palindromes and live footage–not always successfully combined but often enthralling–showcases the symbolism of HIV both as a commodity and a commonality between people. You’ll probably never see a better Gertrude Stein impression, and the refreshing perspective that AIDS is something one learns to live beyond rather than learns to accept as a death sentence is especially resonant. (Fig Trees screens at the Landmark Cinema on Wednesday, November 11 at 9 PM).
Due to increasing advancements in technology and the popularity of the internet, we live our lives in the open more than we used to. OMG/HaHaHa ties together vlogging, digital video and personal stories to create an emotionally revelatory work about today’s youth and the meaning of family. Director Morgan Jon Fox discusses his vision with Cul de sac Magazine in a recent interview:
CM: The actors come across as very natural; in fact, the film has a documentary feel. What was the workshop process like in order to present character in the way the film does?
MJF: The way I look at creating films at this level, with not much money involved, stripped down and bare, is that I really want to maximize what resources I do have. To me, since I’m making films that aren’t trying to emulate what processes that usually cost lots of money, i.e. special effects over load, big production design, etc…. what matters most to me before all things is that the acting must, absolutely MUST be authentic and come across as naturalistic as possible. I was heavily inspired by the Dogme95 filmmakers Lars Von Trier (Dancer In The Dark, The Idiots) and Thomas Vinterberg (Celebration). [T]hey were previously more traditional or even studio-centric filmmakers who made a pact to create films that were centered more around the actor and strong, organic performances. The way we created OMG was this way from the start.
CM: What was the development process in the script stage of OMG/HaHaHa?
MJF: [M]e and my assistant director, John Tom Roemer, wrote scene ideas back and forth via email. He was a freshman in film school in NYC at the School of Visual Arts. Being from Memphis, he would come back and forth for his breaks and we’d work more on the script and we’d have auditions. We eventually developed a 40-page outline that was mostly a blue print. There were some scenes that had dialogue scripted, but mostly, it was detailed descriptions of scenes. From there, we created even more detailed descriptions for each character…this is a process I value highly…In some cases, a character who may even only be in one scene may have had a 5 page character description that was given to the actor who was cast for the role. Once we assembled the entire cast, we decided that everyone who was cast would have to agree to not know what the story was about, or whom was cast in any particular role, unless they were supposed to have had a history with this person. So, if two characters were supposed to know each other, then of course we’d introduce them, and we’d hold several workshop sessions with improv and basic character building techniques often guided by the Meisner Technique. That’s an acting technique a long-time collaborator, and in the case of this film, actress, Amber O’Daniels introduced me to. Amber played Autumn, the girl who was pregnant. She taught me everything I know about Meisner…. it’s a technique that’s very simple and practical, yet intense and rooted in finding one’s emotional core. So, we’d workshop with everyone separately, and make sure any characters who were supposed to have relationships would have ample time to dig into their character, so that when the time came, basically whatever they did on screen would be from the place of an understanding their character possessed. For characters who weren’t supposed to know each other, we’d make sure they weren’t introduced to each other until the very moment, on screen, that they were supposed to meet. This also applied to the entire outline of the story. No one was allowed to see what the fate of their character would be, or what they were going to face. This was a part of our plan to keep things real and not have the actors get too caught up in pre-determining their outcome, unless this also was a trait of the character’s personality.
Usually, we’d show up for each shoot day with the actors and then explain to them what was going to go down… of course, we’d give them the info that was pertinent, such as, if they were supposed to be working in a clinic, we made sure they had their costumes, etc, and they knew what their job was and all that, but they wouldn’t know who was showing up to their clinic that day, or what was going on in their life… So, questions that would be asked, or info[rmation] that would be revealed would come across for the first time. After we’d do the first take, we’d give direction and end up shooting each scene anywhere from 3 to 5 times…never more than that…I’m big on that…I refuse to wear down an actor; it’s my opinion that if it’s not working after 5 takes, then you move forward and come back to that moment with different plans. It’s super important for me to make sure everyone is comfortable, and in a space where they feel safe, and at ease when we’re working. All the preparation is important for me, because when we get to the set, I want to be able to let the actors shine, and in that sense, we kind of are just there to then document what they’re doing. I don’t think I’ve ever given an actor staging cues…The last thing I want an actor worrying about while they’re performing is where to stand, or where they cannot walk or something as futile as that.
CM: The film utilizes current phenomena, such as MySpace and vlogging, to create an interesting visual palette. Is that specific to this film, or does this DIY style seem to be increasing in popularity in the film world?
MJF: I see more and more references to MySpace and YouTube in film, but not necessarily utilizing the actual formats such as webcams to tell the stories. This isn’t that original, of course; it’s more just a modern day adaptation of what films like Reality Bites did when they started using video cameras that were turned on actors by the characters as a part of their narrative. For me, it wasn’t really a creative choice, or a ploy, so much as it just made sense. This character lives through a different world view…he made it through j[unio]r high and high school by connecting and making friends and getting popular via his MySpace page and LiveJournal posts. So, it didn’t even cross my mind to film him filming himself while he was making his vlogs… people are so used to watching poor-quality video on YouTube anyways, so I figured it just made sense.
CM: Did you have other filmic influences in making OMG/HaHaHa?
MJF: [In addition to the Dogme95 films there are] many others: Harmony Korine’s Gummo and Julien Donkey Boy, as well as Gus Van Sant (Elephant, Last Days), and a newer filmmaker whose work I’m completely in awe of, Cam Archer, who made one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen, titled Wild Tigers I Have Known.
CM: Can you describe some of the benefits of working in the Memphis film scene?
MJF: I was born and raised in Memphis. It’s my home and I love it. The community of artists, and just people in general here that I’ve come to know, they’re my family by all means. There’s not a big queer community here, which to me is rather nice because instead of being separated into a specific community, I’m simply a part of a larger more diverse community of people that I work with in every way…and the whole being a homo thing has never been an issue. I feel very very fortunate to know all the incredibly talented and sincere people I work with here. It’s also very helpful that the city is extremely accessible, in that it’s very easy to shoot here without the hassle of worrying about permits and all that. There’s a lot of locally owned businesses here who are more than willing to help and allow us to use their facilities to shoot.
CM: How is the film being distributed after the festival circuit?
MJF: We are fortunate enough to have gotten a distribution deal through Water Bearer Films. They will be distributing the film sometime next year.
CM: What are some future projects you are working on?
I’m finishing up a documentary I’ve [been] working on for two years that follows a story that unfolded in Memphis in 2005 where a 16-year-old teenager was forced into an Evangelical Christian program that pledges to turn gay people straight. It should be completed in February.
The extended trailer for Fox’s upcoming documentary is below.
Goth kids of the world rejoice! A new hero for the disenfranchised has emerged in the form of a hoodie-wearing zombie. Otto refashions the zombie move into a fabulous examination of pornography and politics. A young man, Otto (Jey Crisfar), returns from the dead with no memory of his life. He encounters experimental director Medea Yarn (Katharina Klewinghaus) when he stumbles upon a casting call for “zombies,” and instantly lands a part because he is so convincing in the role. Medea’s gay zombie fantasia focuses on an epidemic of homosexual zombies who are being oppressed by society, which reflects in Otto’s own experience of attempting to gain acceptance. The only problem is everyone thinks Otto is only faking his condition. Director Bruce LaBruce utilizes fantastic flourishes throughout the film, from Medea’s flicker-framed, silent-film star girlfriend Hella Bent (Susanne Sachsse) to a violently and sexually explicit zombie orgy. The performances are perfectly suited to the story, fitting very naturally among the larger-than-unlife circumstances. Crisfar develops a surprisingly nuanced performance as Otto, and Klewinghaus is captivating in her fiery persona as an eccentric artist. Music fans may also enjoy the adept use of songs by Cocorosie, Antony and the Johnsons, and Throbbing Gristle.
Although it has been compared to Donnie Darko, Half-Life has more in common with Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise, not to mention Richard Linklater’s Waking Life. The arresting visual lingo combining live-action and animation sequences avoids gimmick by playing into the central theme of alienation occurring in the modern era. The film even contains this piece of wisdom in a pop-up book with the statement “One’s body is no more than thought itself.” Half-Life allows entry into the psyche of Pammy Wu (Sanoe Lake) who is dealing with a dissociation of sorts from herself. Her relationship with her mother, Saura (Julia Nickson-Soul), and brother, Tim (Alexander Agate) is strained from the recent departure of her father, and Pammy seeks some semblance of a normal life in a near-future that faces even greater environmental challenges than our current state. The title comes from the half-life the sun is rapidly approaching before it is on its way to destruction. As in White Noise, the background of constant T.V. and radio announcements play an important role; environmental threats are woven into the discourse of this film as elemental constructs of the future society. Our current “green” obsession is not obliterating the danger of pollution, and this in turn leads to a reaction of dislocation by Earth’s inhabitants. As Pammy falls deeper into her depression, Tim searches to discover a way to fix what is broken in his life. His special powers (think pretty much every character in “Heroes”) are displayed matter-of-factly, and they offer some hope as a way to combat disintegration, both within his family and for the world at large. The chemistry of the Wu family is amazingly strong between all performers, and the subtlety of Agate as Tim is a marvel. Beautiful scoring and cinematography contribute to an all-around magical move-going experience whose thematic conceits remain long after its viewing.
In the 1970s, experimental and independent films became a more viable option for struggling filmmakers in the U.S. The founding of the MPAA in 1968 provided some freedom in content that had been impossible under previous codes, although this came with the burden of a film rating. It makes sense that James Bolton’s film Dream Boy is set in this era as its story is about experimentation and awakening for two teenage boys in rural Louisiana. Nathan (Stephan Bender) is perpetually in motion as his father’s job situation forces the family to move regularly. Nathan comes to live next door to Roy (Maximillian Roeg), a farm boy who drives the school bus. Their instant friendship leads to a clandestine romance as both boys have a lot to lose if their secret comes out. The cinematography by Sarah Levy captures gorgeous images of the rustic landscape, and the aging process of the film lends it the appearance of 1970s film stock. The abusive relationship Nathan has with his alcoholic father (Thomas Jay Ryan) is presented very naturally, building alarming tension throughout the story. The transition from domestic drama to Southern Gothic is slightly abrupt, but the resolution to Nathan’s transitory life is emotionally satisfying, leaving an indelible impression.
We all know the story: boy meets boy, boy gets beaten up for loving boy, boy loses boy. However, this earnest drama features some fantastic performances, moving dialogue, and wonderful cinematography, saving it from cliché. Teenage artist Danny (Tye Olson) is forced to take on a weekend roommate in the form of swimming jock Carter (Kyle Clare). Coming from separate worlds, the two develop an amicable rapport, which leads to gentle flirtation. A give-and-take is established between the two as Danny writes Carter’s essay for him, and Carter poses nude for Danny. They uneasily begin a relationship, Carter slowly allowing Danny to explore his body, claiming it as reward in a way that seems designed to protect himself from questioning his sexuality. As homophobic swim team members uncover the relationship and Carter’s anxieties rise to the surface, the future looks uncertain. Watercolors has been winning awards from various film festivals, including best actor for Tye Olson at Outfest, Kyle Clare for supporting actor at Tampa, and best director for first-timer David Oliveras at Tampa. Great performances from the supporting cast help ground the film, and a wonderful framing device for the main story provides surprising depth. The film delivers refreshingly believable characters in a conventional narrative that makes Watercolors strikingly vivid.
Earning a top spot as the opener for Los Angeles’ Outfest and Chicago’s Reeling Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Breakfast with Scot has a definite mainstream appeal that charms audiences effortlessly. Employing the talents of the perpetually likeable Tom Cavanagh and a crew of mop-topped tots, Breakfast has all the makings of a family holiday hit. The NHL even gave it a go-ahead with an endorsement by the Toronto Maple Leafs, a historical first for a major sports organization. Unfortunately, its look into the lives of two gay partners raising a child has hampered its potential outside the festival circuit as it was brought to a limited release in the U.S. on October 12. Cavanagh and Ben Shenkman play couple Eric and Sam who, it seems, are only out to each other and their families. They are put in charge of a young boy, Scot (Noah Bernett) after a death in the family, and Eric is terrified that he will be a juvenile deliquent. Even worse, he turns out to be flamboyantly effeminate, creating a danger to the safe life Eric has created for himself since his injury as a hockey player (which is brought up with irritating regularity) years earlier. The film leads to a pat ending of coming to terms with one’s identity, but many complex elements are put into play that make the film a shade darker than the typical family comedy. The opening of the film establishes the subject of normalizing masculinity when a group of pre-teen boys witness a special practice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, leading to Eric’s injury. Along with this struggle between masculinity and femininity, Scot works on coming to an understanding of his mother’s death. Paired with the light-hearted approach the film tries to maintain, it leads to some tonal disparities, but for the most part, provides more gravity to the situation than would exist if the dark elements were whitewashed over. While it may not reach as wide an audience as a similar film with straight characters in the lead roles might, its good intentions and fine performances should help it live on as an alternative for families sick of treacly fare.
In 1981, few films exploring queer themes had broken through to the mainstream. The exploitation flicks produced by Andy Warhol in the ‘70s were the purview of the high-art crowd, and directors like William Friedkin who were willing to tackle queer subject matter were alternately pioneering (The Boys in the Band) and frustratingly moralistic (Cruising). Amidst a burgeoning underground queer film scene, Chicago’s Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival began at Chicago Filmmakers, playing to a small but devoted crowd that has seen tremendous growth over the last 27 years.
To that end, Chicago Filmmakers’ Executive Director Brenda Webb sees Reeling as “the marriage of culture and community. We see this as an opportunity to reach out to new audiences that may not be on our radar.” Reeling reaches out to communities across Chicagoland with programming aimed at diverse viewers. A co-presenter program that works with local community groups, such as Asians and Friends, meshes with sponsorship organizations, like the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, to foster cultural diversity at all levels. Representations of Black, Latino and Asian lifestyles are a refreshing focus at Reeling. “You can see how significant that representation is for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of color who are not represented well in mainstream media,” says Webb.
While filmmakers from across the globe commit their personal stories to the festival to create a compelling tableau, this year’s theme is “All American Queer.” Traditionally, Reeling is held on the first Thursday of November, which means it has been preceded by many elections in its history. Following the election results of November 4th, many at the festival have responded that they “feel proud to be Americans.” This year’s festival features more American-made films than previous years, including a feature documentary from Chicago, Just as We Are, and two native short films—Dolls and Trophy—playing in the shorts programs. Submissions for a music video category were included this year for the first time, and the festival is also featuring the music program “Rock Reeling” in order to “try to reach out to new audiences and recognize that queer music is a burgeoning field,” according to Webb.
Starting at its roots as a venue for media-hungry queer audiences and building to a weeklong event that inspires numerous communities, Reeling shows no signs of slowing. Its history proves that this boutique festival has something to offer everyone.
The 27th Annual Reeling Film Festival is currently ongoing until Sunday, November 16th, with the closing night presentation of documentary Eleven Minutes. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ReelingFilmFestival.org.
