NCGLFF

My wife and I bought a couple of five-packs to movies at this weekend's North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Durham. Here are some of my thoughts on the movies we saw.


On Thursday night we went to our first film, Amnesia - The James Brighton Enigma. A French-Canadian film, definitely had an "artsy-indy" feel to it, which is something that I generally enjoy. Inspired by a true story, it is about a man who wakes up in Montreal not being able to remember his name, or anything about himself other than that he is gay. Overall, I thought that the movie was very well done, though I overheard some other people afterwards claiming that it was "pretentious" and a little bit full of itself. I think that the filmmaker would have been better served to focus more on James himself and less on those around him, but it is only a minor complaint of mine. The scene where the audience finally finds out what (possibly) happened that caused him to lose his memory is certainly a powerful one and strongest image from the movie. I would certainly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys art house films, but not if they are in the mood for something light.


Friday afternoon we saw Lesbian Grandmothers from Mars, a documentary about a lesbian couple (who are grandmothers, obviously) who bike across the country in support of equal marriage rights. I generally enjoy documentaries, and while this was not the best I have ever seen, it was enjoyable and showed a story I was not familiar with. Although the story was slow at times, the movie's strength was the way it really captured the emotions of the two women. Their openness about the need for acceptance (not just tolerance), their love for each other and their families and their thoughts about their own identity was quite touching (I found scene with one woman talking about the effects of her mastectomy on her self image to be nearly heartbreaking). This is a film that I would love for all of my students to see (though I know that I would never be able to get away with telling them to see it), since it would show people opposed to equal marriage rights just how it affects the lives of real people.


Friday evening we saw what was probably the most talked about movie of the festival, Fat Girls. We saw this in a full Fletcher Hall, which seats about 1000, and I think everyone had a great time. The story of the high school friendship between gay man and an overweight woman. Both of them are outcasts and have to learn to come to terms with who they are and be comfortable with themselves. I think this movie was written specifically for my sense of humor. Some of the scenes were touched with just enough absurdity to be really perfect. I don't remember the last time I saw an audience laugh as much at a movie as they did at this one. Also, the work of Ash Christian is particularly impressive. Not only did he play the lead role perfectly, he also wrote, directed and produced the movie. There aren't too many adults that can do all of that successfully, much less a 20 year-old. I hope that he is able to continue in the industry, since he seems to be off to a great start.


Saturday afternoon we saw Coffee Date in another packed theater. Another very funny story of a straight man (Todd) set up on a blind date with a gay man (Kelly) as a joke. The two of them, once they figure out what is going on, get along well and strike up a friendship. This starts everyone assuming that Todd is gay and, eventually, even gets Todd to question his own sexuality. All in all, another good movie, and there were scenes that were really laugh-out-loud funny, which is something that I rarely do. It was well written and I was pleased to see the film avoid the cliche ending that I was worried that it was heading towards. That all being said, I don't think that I ever really connected with Todd the was that I was supposed to. The movie's plot felt like something from a sitcom ("strange mix up leads to lots of laughs!"), which is why I was not surprised to learn that the film started as a short. I think that it might have made more of an impact if the filmmaker had cut out a few of the jokes and spent a bit more time focusing on Todd's process of questioning (and eventually finding) his true self. Of course, the filmmaker may not have been trying to make an impact. In terms of getting a laugh the movie was extremely successful, I would just have liked to see a bit more depth.


Saturday evening we saw our last film, Red Doors. This was probably the best overall film we saw, though I thought it was an unusual choice for the film festival, since there was not a large gay or lesbian focus. The movie shows the story of the Wong family and all of their relationship troubles. There is the depression of the father and how the mother copes with it. Daughter Katie has a prank-based relationship with a fellow student at her school. Samantha is struggling with her questions about her engagement after she sees and old flame. The last member of the Wongs, Julie, develops a relationship with an actress working at her hospital. Julie's relationship is the only gay or lesbian story in the film, and it is probably the story that gets the least attention. The first time they kiss (about half way through the movie) got at lot of cheers and a number of "it is about time" comments from the audience. That all being said, the film was excellent. It was funny and touching at the same time. There is a theme of the importance of family, and it is carried through the end without being overbearing. Gay and lesbian themes aside, this was a very well done film that I think most anyone would enjoy.


All in all, we had a great experience at this festival. A few people we know here asked why we, a straight couple, would go to a gay and lesbian film festival. The short answer is that enjoyable movies are always worth seeing. The longer (and more accurate answer) is that I really love living somewhere where this is possible. As I have mentioned on this blog before, I grew up in Colorado Springs, where religious oppression rules and the thought of a gay and lesbian film festival would have been laughable (at least, one that was not surrounded by protest and anger and the like). I think it is important to support this community and its values. Before we moved to North Carolina a lot of our friends thought it was strange that we were moving to "a southern hick red state". The truth is that we now live in the most accepting community I have ever been a part of.

It makes me proud to live where I do.