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Queer Wave 2023

Feature Films

 

Overcoming

Besire Paralik 63′ 2023 Cyprus

On the 20th anniversary of the opening of crossing points, OVERCOMING tells the inspiring story of Cypriot women, queers, and antimilitarist cismen challenging militarism and gender norms. Through diverse interviews, the film explores how the opening and closing of the checkpoints, as the sole passageways between north and south, have impacted the lives of Cypriots while revealing their struggles against the ongoing division of the island and their efforts towards a more united future.

 

Will-o’-the-Wisp

João Pedro Rodrigues 67′ 2022 Portugal France

On his deathbed, his royal highness Alfredo, King without a crown, is taken back to distant youth memories and the time he dreamt of becoming a fireman. The encounter with instructor Afonso from the fire brigade, opens a new chapter in the life of the two young men immersed in love and desire, and the will to change the status quo.

 

All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White

Babatunde Apalowo 92′ 2023 Nigeria

Bambino and Bawa meet in Lagos and hit it off immediately. During their long trips around the city, they develop a deep affection for each other. But in a society which considers homosexuality taboo, they feel the pressure of social norms.

 

Blue Jean

Georgia Oakley 97′ 2022 UK

In Georgia Oakley’s stunning directorial debut BLUE JEAN, it’s 1988 England and Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean, a gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new student catalyzes a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core.

 

The Five Devils

Léa Mysius 104′ 2022 France

Eight-year-old Vicky has a mysterious gift: she can recreate any scent she comes across, even that of her beloved mother Joanne. When her estranged aunt suddenly returns to town, the invocation of her fragrance plunges the young girl back in time to unravel a past replete with family secrets and queer romance.

 

Rurangi

Max Currie 87′ 2020 New Zealand

After skipping town a decade ago, transgender activist Caz Davis returns to the remote, politically divided dairy community of Rurangi, hoping to reconnect with his estranged father, who hasn’t heard from him since before Caz transitioned.

 

Who I Am Not

Tunde Skovran 105′ 2023 South Africa Romania

What makes a male, what makes a female, where do we draw the line, and why does it matter? Sharon-Rose Khumalo, the beauty queen with male genetics who struggles with gender dysphoria, needs the guidance of somebody just like her. But the only person who will help is Dimakatso Sebidi, a male-presenting intersex activist who turns out to be her complete opposite. The two parallel but divergent stories are an intimate look at the struggle of living in a male-female world, when you are both or neither. “Who I Am Not” gives a voice to the long ignored and mostly silent two percent of the world’s population: the intersex community.

 

Design For Living

Ernst Lubitsch 91′ 1933 USA

Painter George and playwright Thomas are two Americans sharing a Paris apartment. They’re also rivals for the affection of commercial artist Gilda. When the plucky Gilda moves in, with the express understanding that there will be no funny business, the rivalry between George and Thomas heats up even further. Then Thomas heads to London when one of his plays is being produced there, leaving George free to make his move. OR A woman cannot decide between two men who love her, and the trio agree to try living together in a platonic friendly relationship.

 

Bread And Salt

Damian Kocur 99′ 2022 Poland

Inspired by true events, with a cast of non-professional actors. Tymek, a young pianist and student of the Warsaw University of Music, returns to his little town for a holiday break where he is awaited by his mother, younger brother and his homies. The main meeting point for the local youngsters is a newly-opened kebab place. Tymek witnesses the growing spiral of tension between the Arab employees of the bar and his friends. A spiral which will lead to tragic consequences.

 

By Miracle (AΠΟ ΘΑΥΜΑ)

Marinos Kartikkis 85′ 2010 Cyprus

Aliki and Andreas, a couple in their thirties, try to have a baby a year after the death of their 4-year old daughter. Marios, a man in his late twenties living with his mother Demetra, tries to satisfy his sexual needs by having casual encounters with men in the park. Aliki develops an interest in miracles when she hears in the news about an icon of Virgin Mary who is believed to weep and perform miracles. Meanwhile Marios is getting interested in a young man he meets at the swimming pool while Demetra is constantly concerned about her son. One day, while visiting her husband’s grave Demetra sees Aliki in front of her daughter’s grave and is intrigued.

 

The Servant

Joseph Losey 116′ 1963 UK

Posh Tony hires the seemingly proper and very attentive Barrett as his manservant. Soon Tony’s lady friend, Susan disapproves of the ever-unflappable Barrett, which causes a strain in the couple’s relationship. When Barrett’s “sister” Vera arrives to stay, the situation descends into depravity, with the servant vying to become the new master of the house.

 

Passion

Maja Borg 92′ 2021 Sweden Spain

A film about longing, healing, and belonging. Adopting rituals and play from queer BDSM practice and their own Christian heritage, filmmaker Maja Borg seeks to reclaim intimacy and re-establish boundaries in the wake of a destructive relationship. Through stories of queer BDSM communities, Borg portrays the humanity at the heart of the practise, illuminating its similarities with Christianity.

 

Fierce: A Porn Revolution

Patrick Muroni 96′ 2022 Switzerland

In Lausanne, Switzerland, a group of young women in their twenties embark, camera in hand, on making pornographic films. Between their jobs for some and their studies for others, they make every effort to produce ethical and dissident films. Very quickly, the media of the country, then the public, are interested in them. In the eyes of all, here they are immersed in a fight for another vision of desire and sexuality.

 

100 Ways To Cross the Border

Amber Bemak 84′ 2023 Mexico USA

A daring, self-reflexive performative documentary on the extraordinary Mexican/Chicanx performance artist Guillermo Gómez-Peña’s 40-year career of radical artistic practice alongside his international troupe La Pocha Nostra.

 

Close

Lukas Dhont 104′ 2022 Belgium Netherlands France

The intense friendship between two thirteen-year old boys Leo and Remi suddenly gets disrupted. Struggling to understand what has happened, Léo approaches Sophie, Rémi’s mother. “Close” is a film about friendship and responsibility.

Short Films

Shorts I: Activism

Documentaries paying tribute to those who pave the way forward.

 

Because I Know How Beautiful My Being Is

Ana María Jessie Serna 18′ 2023 UK

A documentary essay film that uses the tools of visual ethnography to explore and focus on the diverse corporealities of black and queer communities in Manchester, Liverpool, and London, England.

 

Poisoned Well

Radek Ševčík 14′ 2023 Slovakia

October 12, 2022 – terrorist attack in Bratislava – death of innocent LGBTI+ people – no political response. Film-requiem discusses the deteriorating state of society after the attack, as well as the intimate feelings of LGBTI+ people, including the author himself.

 

RAIZES

Celine RUFFIN-BAYARDIN 35′ 2023 France

The lesbo-trans-activist batucada Raízes Arrechas is preparing for one of the most important moments of their year: the feminist and radical night march.

Shorts II: Families

A programme exploring different notions of ‘home’.

 

A Present Light

Diogo Costa Amarante 19′ 2021 Portugal

On a rainy night, a sad man leaves his home to deliver a letter to someone who recently left him. At a corner, he meets a woman who warns him about the slippery road.

 

Bellydance Vogue

Hadi Moussally 5′ 2020 Lebanon

“My birthday was on the 3rd of April 2020 during lockdown, and for the first time, I celebrated it all by myself. But even if I was alone, I decided to celebrate it as if it’s the last one”

 

Eggshells

Slava Doycheva 15′ 2020 Bulgaria

On Easter day, when her girlfriend picks family over her, Nevena dyes two red eggs and sets on a journey to meet her own estranged father.

 

Hands and Wings

Sungbin BYUN 18′ 2019 South Korea

Mi-Sook helps her son, Woo-Sung with masturbation because he has disability that makes him unable to masturbate by himself. One day, Woo-Sung rejects his mom’s offer to help.

 

Shower Boys

Christian Zetterberg 9′ 2021 Sweden

After a heated training match with the team, twelve-year-old Viggo and Noel go home to challenge each other’s limits and masculinity. A sudden stop to an innocent game questions what a male friendship is allowed to be.

 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Arthur Cahn 20′ 2021 France

The factory where Romain and Adémar work has caught fire, so they decide to enjoy three days of idleness together in the mild summer.

 

We’ll No Longer Be Alone

Manon Perreaut 15′ 2022 France

Jess’ nights are haunted by memories of her childhood. She wears a mask which is keeping her from being herself.

Shorts III: Defiance

These queers are here to subvert expectations, embrace their desires and celebrate their true selves!

 

Alex’s Machine

Mael Le Mée 25′ 2022 France

Alex is the only girl in her “automotive biomechanics” class. For her degree, she has chosen to build an engine made of artificial flesh. One night, Chloé, who shares her boarding school room, discovers that Alex takes a singular pleasure in working on her living machine…

 

Catboy

Cristian Sitjas 13′ 2023 Spain

Marc, after receiving several racist and feather-phobic comments from a gay dating app, receives a message from his transgender friend Cacao inviting him to a Ballroom.

 

G Flat

Peter Darney 17′ 2022 UK

84 year old cellist Ceri has lost his husband to cancer and his ability to play to a debilitating stroke. His dull life is spent in solitude, save for the interruptions of agency carers and the solace of his I-pad.

 

God’s Daughter Dances

Sungbin BYUN 25′ 2020 South Korea

A transgender female dancer, Shin-mi, gets a call from the Military Manpower Administration, to attend for the Military Service Examination.

 

The Cutest and Funniest Animals in the World

Renato Sircilli 24′ 2022 Brazil

Jorge is 70 years old and is one of the most capricious and dedicated janitors at the Paradise Motel, except for a single detail: He secretly records the audios of the room’s guests.

 

The Tree

Ida Hansen Eldøen 14′ 2023 Norway

Low and hungover, Rebecca finds herself fighting off her ex-girlfriend Vivian, who has turned up to claim the apple tree they had planted in Rebecca’s backyard.

Shorts IV: Stephen Cummins Retrospective

The complete works of Australian filmmaker Stephen Cummins: digitised, restored and re-celebrated.

 

Stephen Cummins Retrospective

Stephen Cummins

Shorts V: Love, Sex, Loss

A selection of films exploring the links between love, sex and loss, and how we come to know one another, or someone who is not there anymore.

 

A mountain and a room

Alexandros Pissourios 2’55” 2023

 

Blind Date 2.0

Jan Soldat 7’33” 2022

 

He loves a bodiless dream

Alexandros Pissourios 2’34” 2022

 

LOVERFILM – An Uncontrolled Dispersion of Information

Michael Brynntrup 21’30” 1996

 

Patrick

Luke Fowler 21′ 2020

 

The Pool

Alexandros Pissourios 3’10” 2023

Screening with Features

 

Clause

Scott Hurran 7′ 2022 UK

CLAUSE is set in a school that is being attacked for its equality policies, there is going to be a board meeting to decide what happens, but what do you do when the headteacher of the school is a gay man.

 

The Hat

Hadi Moussally 4′ 2022 France

Hadi stares at the camera and begins to get dressed. As he prepares himself, he expresses his thoughts on the current situation, how much discrimination and amalgams weigh on him, he who wears the double stigmatizing hat of gay & Arab.

 

Your Name Is

Paulo Patrício 24′ 2021 Portugal

The look at the murder case of Gisberta Salce Jr, a transsexual, HIV-positive, homeless and drug addict who was brutally tortured and raped for several days straight by a group of 14 teenagers in Porto, Portugal, in 2006. Centered around topics like memory, social status, violence, discrimination and gender identity, “O Teu Nome É” explores the worrying account of two of the convicted teenagers, now young men, and the memories of Gisberta’s transexual friends, confronting different perspectives and dimensions of the human condition.

 

Tommies

Brian Fairbairn Karl Eccleston 15′ 2022 UK

In Regency-era London five women waiting for a carriage descend into a frenzy of vicious gossip about a notorious scandal – with devastating results.

 

Pipes

Jessica Meier Kilian Feus Sujanth Ravichandran 4′ 2022 Switzerland

Bob the plumber is hired to fix a broken pipe in a sex club. As he sees the crowd, he realizes that he has not ended up in just any sex club, but a gay fetish club.

 

The Proof is in the Pudding

Suçon 16′ 2022 France

Milly comes to visit her former classmate, Lise. They are invited to a vegan birthday party and discover an original recipe that will lead them to unknown paths of pleasure.