The hottest movie on the festival circuit right now isn’t a slow-moving meditation like Boyhood or a heartbreaking look at masculinity like Moonlight.
Nope, it’s Suicide Kale, a low-budget homemade indie film made by a group of queer unemployed friends, shot in 5 days.
Let’s back up a little. How did a movie with a name like Suicide Kale even come about? Was it the product of someone’s bad experiences with garden vegetables?
A group of queer women watched Tangerine in the summer of 2015. Tangerine is remarkable not only because it’s about trans women, but also because it was shot on an iPhone, proving that expensive movie-making equipment isn’t always necessary. The friends, who were LA-based performers and writers, started asking themselves, “Why haven’t we made a movie yet?”
So they did. Powerhouse Brittani Nichols (of Hamilton the Podcast fame – is there anything this woman can’t do?) came up with the idea, wrote a barebones script and cast all of her friends.
Five days later, the film was entirely shot – with a $0 budget. For reference, Get Out is being hailed for being such an incredible low-budget film, shot for the low, low price of $4.5 million. The last Pirates of the Caribbean movie cost $410 million.
The film follows Jasmine and Penn, two friends whose cheery lunch turns into a tragedy when they “find an anonymous suicide note at the home of the happiest couple that they know.”
Based off that concept and the 30-page script that Brittani sketched, the actors improvised most of the script in order to create something that felt authentic to their queer experiences. They shot so much in 5 days that editing took 6 months. Now Suicide Kale is earning massive buzz on the festival circuit and is finally available for home viewing.
South Africa has a vibrant filmmaking scene, especially where LGBT movies are concerned. Grab a bowl of popcorn, snuggle up with your girlfriend and watch one (or all) of these amazing films.
Lost in the World (2015)
While being LGBT is legal in South Africa, the situation is much more complicated for women. Queer women face the threat of corrective rape – men believe that they can sexually assault a woman into being heterosexual. This issue is well-known but not always talked about.
Lost in the World pulls back the curtain on this issue. The film follows a police officer seeking revenge for the brutal rape and murder of her female partner.
Even though the story centers around rape, the rape is not depicted, and the narrative is non-linear, which is deliberately confusing.
The filmmaker, Xolelwa Nhlabatsi, gives the reason why: “I didn’t want people to be comfortable watching this movie. I want you to feel Whitney’s character, I want you to feel this loss and this “What the fuck is going on?” thing all the time.”
The film debuted at the New Queer Visions Film Festival. Stream it here.
If you loved Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth in the international lesbian romantic comedy, I Can’t Think Straight, then you’ll enjoy The World Unseen.
Apartheid is just beginning in 1950s Cape Town, where South Asian women Amina and Miriam live. While Amina is a free spirit, Miriam is fiercely devoted to her family, to conservative values and to doing what is expected of her. After they fall in love, they decide to meet without raising suspicions by arranging driving lessons.
Despite the racist, sexist and homophobic society in which they live, Miriam and Amina realize that the only thing that makes life worth living is their love.
This multigenerational story of queer South Africans twists and turns around itself, bringing several seemingly disparate storylines into one graceful arc.
An elderly gay man searches for one of his lost lovers, who is now a political heavyweight. An interracial lesbian couple find their relationship tearing apart due partly to race and partly to infidelity. Their adopted daughter, who is also the student of the elderly man, falls in love with a “tommy boy.”
Although paraded around Cape Town as the epitome of diversity, their daughter feels more like an experiment.
The film, shot in Cape Town, also features music from local artists.
Period dramas really do have it all. Hair thick and lustrous enough to move you to tears. Outfits that you’d never want to wear but want to look at more than skinny jeans. Enormous emotions communicated via a series of tense looks, vast countryside vistas, formal dances and epic, sweeping soundtracks that make you feel as though all of your emotions are incredibly important.
So, it’s time to loosen your corsets and unbutton your breeches, as here are some of the best lesbian dramas to entertain you tonight.
Carol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4z7Px68ywk
Carol is set in the Christmas season of 1962. This 2015 film is based on the popular novel, The Price of Salt, written by Patricia Goldsmith. The film stars Cate Blanchett who plays a photographer and mother that is separated from her husband. She starts a forbidden affair with a shop girl and this romantic drama is guaranteed to get your pulses racing.
Heavenly Creatures
This 199 film is based on the 1954 Parker – Hulme murder case when two girls, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, become very close to each other as they create their own fantasy world. Things are fine until Juliet’s father approaches Pauline’s parents and tells them the girls relationship is inappropriate. The girls are then torn apart and they reach breaking point leading to a grizzly end.
Reaching For The Moon
This film is based on the true story of a stormy relationship between a Brazilian Architect and an American poet. The film is set in the period of 1951 – 1957 and the scenery is simply stunning.
Tipping The Velvet
This film is based on the book written by Sarah Walters and is set in Victorian England. A young woman, Nan, falls in love with a male impersonator, Kitty, and Nan follows her to London as she also follows her heart.
Bessie
This biobic is based on the life and loves of blues Singer Bessie Smith. Smith is played by Queen Latifah and explores Bessie’s relationship with Lucille.
The Girl King
This 2015 biopic tells the story of Christina, Queen OF Sweden, who finds herself falling in love with Countess Ebba Sparre, who becomes one of her ladies in waiting and eventually her lover.
Daphne
This post war biopic is based on the writer Daphne Du Maurier and her various affairs along with her unrequited love that she has for her publisher’s wife.
Fingersmith
This is another film based on a Sarah Walters Novel. Two women from opposite classes find themselves in an unlikely romance as their paths cross.
The World Unseen
The world unseen is set in 1950’s South Africa and tells the story of two women who fall in love despite the racism, sexism and homophobia that surround them.
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_NYrfnkav0
This biopic is set in the 19th century and follows the loves and life of Anne Lister Drew, a fiercely independent industrialist.
Mania Akbari is a provocative filmmaker who was exiled from her home country of Iran for creating lesbian films.
She began her career by acting and creating films in Iran. Despite the fact that her work could be seen as political and has been deemed a threat to the Republic of Iran, she does not consider herself an activist.
I believe politics needs its own language that is beyond my capability. I was not a political activist and I am not.”
That does not stop her work from resonating with countless women. She sees herself as “a product of feminine history of [Iran] with all its beauties, contrasts and limitations.”
Akbari muses that her work and experiences are not hers alone, but also belong to thousands of women in history.
Despite being exiled with no possibility of legal return in sight, Akbari feels as if she still lives in Iran. She says,
Your country makes you who you are. I am a product of the awareness of the past generations of my country. I never left Iran. Iran is with me in my memories and it is impossible to leave your memories. And I believe a real artist is born somewhere and influenced by that place and space, but her or his existence is stateless and without nationality.”
Her avant-garde films tackle sexual identity and orientation, feminism, marriage, reproductive rights, non-monogamy and infidelity, and lesbian experiences.
As a groundbreaking filmmaker and writer, she has won countless international awards such as the Independence Honorary Award (Germany), Best Film at the Venice Film Festival (Italy), Best Film and Actress at the Barcelona Film Festival (Spain), and Best Director and Best Film at the Kerala Film Festival (India).
Her current project is as an actress in the film Ten. She plays a “chic divorcée” who has ten conversations with the passengers in her car. The passengers include “a young son, a jilted bride, a prostitute and a devout old woman.”
Dashed through your summer reading list already? Cried in devastation one too many times over Orange Is the New Black? Fear not: we have a queer movie for you.
Suicide Kale is a rich and juicy gem of a movie, and one of the most exciting new films on our collective gaydar.
Making its rounds on the US film festival circuit since May, Suicide Kale has garnered attention for its vividly rendered, dark-comedy take on relationship troubles between women and the difficult conversations about mental health that happen in between bites of crisp kale at a seemingly perfect lunch party.
So why is it worth the watch? We all know Jasmine (Brittani Nichols) and Penn (Lindsay Hicks), the newly “one-month official” couple giddy in the throes of young love, and their counterparts Billie (Jasika Nicole) and Jordan (Brianna Baker), the five-years-married couple who throws cute salad parties in their adorable house.
But when Penny finds an anonymous suicide note, it throws everything that the couples thought they knew about each other’s relationships into doubt.
Featuring mostly women of color (with a background team of queer women), Suicide Kale treats its female characters as fully-formed beings for whom sexuality is a natural part of daily life, yet who deal with emotional angst as they grapple with the stresses of what it means to care for another person.
Check out Suicide Kale‘s official website or follow them on Facebook for up to the minute details about when and where you can watch the film.
For many, it’s still not easy come to terms with your sexuality be it as a teen, a young adult or even if you’re in your late 40s.
But when you do, there is a moment of profound revelation (which is pretty awesome), and in cinema, these moments of realisation happens often in coming of age films.
There are some pressing questions which have been answered in the history of LGBT coming of age stories, which range from tragic to fabulous and everything in-between.
So we’ve rounded up the best of the best and found the words that make these movies special.
These LGBT themed films feature good writing, good acting, and good plots. So enjoy, and get yourself immersed in some significant LGBT cinema.
In this powerful tale of forbidden love, beautiful young Kiran (Suhasini V. Nair) falls in love with her lifelong best friend, the effervescent Delilah (Shrruiti Menon). But in their idyllic Indian village, tradition still dictates that a girl marry a boy chosen by her family. With longing in her heart, Kiran refrains from expressing her love.When their neighbor Rajan (Syam Seethal) asks Kiran to compose his love letters to Delilah she decides this will serve as an outlet for her feelings and begins to write passionate, poetic love letters to Delilah in Rajan’s name. When Delilah discovers that Kiran is the true author, Kiran tells Delilah her real feelings.
Boy Meets Girl is a funny, tender, sex positive romantic comedy that explores what it means to be a real man or woman, and how important it is to live a courageous life not letting fear stand in the way of going after your dreams.
Drop dead gorgeous Jessica Clark (True Blood’s Lilith) and TV icon Barbara Niven co-star in this glossy, sexy and fun romantic drama from writer-director Nicole Conn (Elena Undone, Claire of the Moon). When straight and married Rebecca (Niven) seeks out the sexual services of high-priced call girl Paris (Clark) she isn’t expecting to fall in love. A Perfect Ending is filled to the brink with aching desire, and the sexual chemistry between Niven and Clark is off the charts.
From out lesbian director Celine Sciamma (Water Lilies), Tomboy tells the story of 10-year-old Laure (played by the amazing Zoe Heran) who moves to the suburbs and decides to pass as a boy amongst the pack of neighbourhood kids. As “Mikael” she catches the attention of leader of the pack Lisa, who becomes smitten with her. At home with her parents and younger sister Jeanne, she is Laure; while hanging out with her new pals and girlfriend, she is Mikael. Finding resourceful ways to hide her true self, Laure takes advantage of her new identity, as if the end of the summer would never reveal her unsettling secret.
Gay teen Tim (Tyler Ross) and his two best friends Laura (Alison Torem) and Brea (Molly Kunz) spend their last summer before college grappling with their feelings about the fundamentalist Baptist beliefs of their families, and prepping for the Passion Play at their church. Preacher’s daughter Brie is having a crisis of faith while Laura quotes Leviticus to Tim.
Successful in her teaching job at a conservative religious college, Camille (Pascale Bussières) looked forward to marrying her adoring, minister boyfriend (Henry Czerny) and settling down to the conventions of family and career. But a chance encounter with a beautiful, irresistibly sensuous young female circus performer named Petra (Rachael Crawford) is about to transform Camille’s predictable life into an electrifyingly erotic adventure.
Captivated by Petra’s impulsive sexuality and passionately free spirit, Camille is drawn into a world whose existence she never dared imagined: A world of hypnotic sensuality, rapturous self-discovery and exquisite erotic pleasure. Now, walking an emotional high-wire between the familiar past and the forbidden future, Camille must choose between the love she can’t forget… and the desire she can’t resist.
The beautiful Lisa Ray stars as Miriam, a doting wife and mother whose sudden attraction to the free-sirited Amina (Sheetal Sheth) throws her life choices into question. Their subsequent romantic involvement pushes the rules-that-bind and forces them both to face outrage and violent disapproval. Set against the back-drop of 1950s apartheid South Africa, this lush romantic drama showcases the stunning South African landscape and jazz tunes of the time to create a wonderfully atmospheric lesbian love story.
Director Katherine Brooks rocketed to the top of favourite lesbian movie lists around the world with this wildly popular 2006 lesbian drama. The award-winning film continues to earn new fans. Enjoy! Rising heart-throb Erin Kelly stars as Annabelle, a precocious Senator’s daughter who falls in love with her teacher Simone (gorgeous Diane Gaidry) at a stodgy Catholic girls boarding school.
Filled with warm (and wacky) family drama, this fabulous comedy about two sisters (newcomers Shannon Lea Smith and Laurel Vail), their gay best friend (So You Think You Can Dance winner Benji Schwimmer), and their overzealous stage mother (legendary ballroom diva Melanie LaPatin) serves up a tale of uplifting gay affirmation — and exceptional choreography!
When sexy, upper-crust society wife Alex (Keri Jo Chapman) falls for her old high school best friend, Grace (Teresa Garret) the snobby little town of Azalea Springs is up in arms. Alongside the budding romance, indie filmmaker Kelli Herd brings us a hilarious comic portrait of small-town life and a firm trouncing of homophobic intolerance as the whole town confronts the zany rumor that their water supply is turning everyone gay!
Moving between the vast enclaves of Middle Eastern high society and the stunning backdrop of London’s West End, I Can’t Think Straight explores the clashes between East and West, love and marriage, conventions and individuality, creating a humorous and tender story of unexpected love and unusual freedoms.
Their candid and riveting stories bring to life what it was like coming out (or being closeted) and finding community amidst the homophobic backdrop of the era. Interwoven with this real-life history is the aching romantic, pulp-novel inspired tale of star-crossed lovers Mitch and Laura. The film also features an interview with the acclaimed 1950s lesbian pulp author Ann Bannon (Beebo Brinker, Odd Girl Out).
To everyone’s surprise, Vivian and Cay hit it off immediately as Cay introduces the shy academic to the wild-west casino scene as well as the breathless beauty of the desert. It’s not long before Vivian finds her friendship moving into unexpected passion. And for Cay, it’s the first time she has met someone who stirs her deepest emotions.
In the queer community, there are certain expectations we have for ourselves and one another. Lesbians watching other lesbians on TV or the big screen? Definitely lands pretty close to the top of the list. Since (realistic) representation is still a pretty new thing for us, we end up settling for whatever we can find – and Hollywood knows this.
They know that they can feed us terrible excuses for lesbian love, and we’re going to eat it up anyway. Queer-baiting seems to be happening more and more, and despite knowing that the stereotypes we see are Hollywood’s stereotypes – not our own – we watch anyway. We signal boost these horrible shows and movies on social media, often with a disclaimer that we’ve been “hate-watching” them (but not always).
Interested in watching a lesbian movie that doesn’t suck? We’ve got you covered!
All Over Me (1994, English)
Let me preface this movie’s introduction by saying… I love Leisha Hailey. I have ever since The L Word. But if you want to see a glimpse of her before she got huge, All Over Me shows her in fun, cute, punk style – which resonates pretty strong with me because I was, in fact, a little bit pop-punk as a teenager. (I’m talking Crayola-colored hair and a doorknocker hanging from my nostril, with those pants that had a million chains hanging from them that most of us are ashamed to admit we used to have…)
This movie wasn’t billed as a lesbian love story, although there are a number of queer or questioning characters. It was marketed as a story of friendship, and this is something I’d actually like to see more of – why does every lesbian film have to be a romantic drama? Why can’t we have more lesbian movies that don’t require sex to get your attention?! OK… Rant over.
Even if you aren’t into the whole idea, the fact that one of the main characters happens to fall in love with her straight BFF is something that rings true for most of us – that one girl you can’t really get over, despite knowing that it was never really going to happen. Hey – maybe sometimes it does.
Bound (1996, English)
If you’re looking for a film with lesbians in it that’s not a “lesbian film”, Bound is probably exactly what you’ve been looking for. Officially, this is a suspense film, with one of the writer-slash-producers being a trans lesbian – we love to see diversity in our movies, and it’s wonderful that this film does that for us.
Bound centers around a lesbian ex-con and her secret lover – played by the beautiful Jennifer Tilly – as they make their way through things. One of our favorite things about this movie, however, is that the gay characters don’t feel forced, nor is their gay-ness the center of attention. (Although, there are some pretty steamy love scenes, which we definitely appreciate – since they’re done tastefully).
While the writer-slash-producers didn’t want the homosexuality to be the main focus of the film, it was important for them that the character be a lesbian, and a realistic one. When the studios told them to change Gina Gershon’s character to a man, they declined – “that movie’s been made a million times”. More than just that, they hired a feminist sex educator to make sure that the love scenes were actually realistic – making this movie a huge accomplishment for the queer community at large.
Fucking Amal/Show Me Love (1998, Swedish)
This movie is inarguably one of the greatest examples of lesbian movies that don’t suck – it actually beat Titanic’s opening sales when it was released. This is a giant accomplishment, as there are not many queer-themed movies that receive the attention they deserve.
This movie centers around the realistic interpretation of high-school confusion. The leading characters come from different backgrounds, which we do see a lot of, but in this representation, the realism is very real. On the one hand, we have Ellin, who faces a great deal of homophobia from her friends. On the other hand, we have Agnes, whose mother says that a lesbian is “a perfectly normal woman who just happens to fall in love with another woman”.
It is nice to see a movie that shows both sides of the picture – so many movies center either on acceptance or discrimination, but not both. Of course, you will have to deal with subtitles if you don’t speak Swedish, but that’s ok – this movie is well worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtpXpFylSn0
Gia (1998, English)
Another based-on-a-true-story movie about a queer character, played by someone who catapulted into the hearts (and sexual fantasies) of almost every lesbian ever, Gia tells the tale of “America’s first supermodel”. Gia Carangi was a fashion model who happened to be a lesbian, struggling with a drug addiction that led to her eventual death from AIDS. It’s not too often that we hear of female AIDS victims (although they do exist!), so the attention was much appreciated.
One of the things that sets this movie apart is that it’s actually done in “mockumentary” style – but without the satire the label usually implies. Sprinkled with real-life journal pages (from the real Gia) and interviews from her closest confidants, as well as passionate sex scenes starring Angelina Jolie.
If you haven’t yet seen Gia, you should try to find it and watch it as soon as possible – but don’t be surprised when you cry. Hey, there’s no shame in that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2xVI8D2PCY
High Art (1998, English)
This is one that hits a little close to home for me – drug use is a very real problem, especially in the queer community. (I also happened to be an assistant at a photography company, which – while not exactly the same as the job held by the leading lady – is pretty close.) I have yet to actually watch this one, but the trailer is breathtaking and makes me want to watch it like right now. (Maybe I’ll grab it on payday.)
This movie focuses on the power of ambition – what would you do to get ahead? There’s this stereotype that drug users don’t have ambition, and this movie helps to prove that that’s not necessarily the case – sometimes, an addiction is just an addiction, and while it might alter your motivations, it probably won’t completely get rid of your drive. It all comes at a cost, though, and for those who have yet to experience the gripping power of a drug addiction, hopefully this movie will help you see that drugs are never the right answer. They don’t solve your problems; they just distract you from them for a while.
Biggest takeaway from this movie’s description: Drugs are bad, lesbians are good, and ambition is everything. Which sounds an awful lot like my life story, too… Hmm. Coincidence?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-kzOXdmaoA
But I’m a Cheerleader! (1999, English)
This movie was the very first lesbian film that I ever watched – and it has owned a special place in my heart ever since. This movie follows Graham and Megan (played by Clea DuVall and Natasha Lyonne, respectively) as they navigate the waters of a conversion therapy camp – something that is unfortunately still a real thing.
For those of us who never faced this type of disapproval from our families, this movie might not seem the most realistic, as it deals with obvious camp and over-eccentric straightwashing of the gay community. However, for those who live with societally-enforced gender norms and exclusion from their families based purely on their sexuality, this movie resonates even stronger – sometimes, the easiest way to deal with a difficult situation is to poke fun at it.
More than just the great storyline (and totally believable love story – yay!), we’ve got fun colors (girly pink and boyish blue – of course) that paint a picture reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands and Barbie. However, the movie received an NC-17 rating originally – due to its portrayal of homosexual activities – which was financially damaging and took it right out of the hands that needed it the most: The teens who are actually living in the world that the movie portrays. It was later edited and re-released with an R rating, but it’s still not fair that the MPAA chooses to rate gay sex as more offensive than straight sex. (Us gays don’t exactly agree.)
Boys Don’t Cry (1999, English)
This movie was a huge pinnacle in the trans community, as one of the first representations that wasn’t outright offensive, and it even has a familiar face playing the lead. Of course, it received a bit of backlash because there’s a non-trans-actor playing a trans role, but Hillary Swank did a great job at presenting the character as he really was. Often mistakenly labeled as a “lesbian movie”, this is no such thing – like a few other “lesbian movies”, the character is only presumed to be a lesbian. The truth is, trans characters are not necessarily gay characters, even though they do share some similar challenges.
This movie is based on a true story, which always makes it a bit more relatable – Brandon Teena was a real person, a transman in a conservative Nebraska town who was raped and killed after some jerks found out that he was born anatomically female. This movie (and the events that inspired it) took place before trans issues reached the mainstream airwaves, but it helped pave the way for the events that would come.
It’s very artfully done, and even if you don’t think you care about trans issues, this movie will prove to you otherwise. It’s going to rip at your heartstrings and expose you to issues that either you thought you faced alone, or that you never knew existed.
If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000, English)
Here is another one I haven’t seen yet, but it surrounds a magical house that turns all of its inhabitants into lesbians. (No, not really – but there are three sets of lesbians who happen to live in the same house.) Just like the original If These Walls Could Talk, the stories are connected by the house itself, although it spans three separate eras.
According to the description I found, this movie covers pretty much every important issue facing the lesbian community – the dynamics of butch-femme relationships, pregnancy in the lesbian community, hospital visitation rights, and (of course) sex. And it stars Ellen Degeneres (our collective lesbian mama) as well as some other pretty big names. Basically, it’s an in-depth look at the lesbian community, with an actual lesbian writer (Anne Heche, who we all know was dating Ellen at the time).
This movie probably isn’t perfect (although I don’t know for sure, since I haven’t seen it) but it does offer insight to those who think they might be alone – and sometimes, that’s all we need.
D.E.B.S. (2004, English)
Okay, I was turned onto D.E.B.S. when I was in high school, by this woman I was dating at the time – she was absolutely in love with Jordana Brewster and I really can’t say that I blame her. We ended up breaking up after she told me about it, but before I’d actually watched it, so I had this totally unfair reason to reject the movie entirely and didn’t actually watch it until like 5 years later. (What can I say? I hold grudges sometimes.)
For those who don’t have some unfair grudge against this movie, you’ll be delighted to know that it’s full of campy fun and freaking spies – it’s not often you see lesbian spies, but I want to see them more because… Well, spies are sexy, and lesbians are sexy, so lesbian spies are twice as sexy, obviously.
For a low-budget lesbian film, this movie actually blew me away. All too often lesbian movies are forced into independent production because the mainstream media just isn’t ready for it yet – but thankfully we’re getting there these days. It is a bit cheesy, but that’s part of its charm.
Saving Face (2005, English/Mandarin)
Saving Face offers up a not-often-seen look into the world of lesbian characters that don’t just scream “super gay” – dealing with more than just “lesbian issues”, while still presenting a fair view of the struggles involved with the lesbian community. It’s also a benchmark for Asian-American lesbians – the first movie of its kind about the particular subculture of the invisible lesbian community.
While I could never pretend to understand the specific challenges that face someone from a different cultural background, this movie is sure to receive praise from those who do see themselves reflected in the main characters. Sweet, shy Wil is a doctor who works her butt off to prove that she deserves to be promoted to head of surgery. Then, she falls in love with the daughter of the man who’s currently holding the position: The gorgeous dancer, Vivian. Oh, and did I mention that Wil’s mother ends up moving in with her? Talk about awkward!
Saving Face is one of those rarities that presents an awkward situation without making it excessively awkward, and for that it receives all our praise. If you haven’t had the chance to check this one out, definitely do – you won’t regret it!
Of course, there are more lesbian movies that are sure to blow your mind, but these ten should hold you over for now. Do you have any more movies you think we should check out? Leave them in the comments!
Queer movies have a complicated place in our hearts. On the one hand, there are queer characters, who promise to fill some deep void we have when looking for relatable fiction characters. But, on the other hand, there are so many problems with so, so many of these movies.
Most of them have terrible stories that we keep eating up just because we’re so desperate to be included. So much of the world still pretends we don’t even exist – even in forward-thinking, first-world countries.
When it comes to film and television representation, there isn’t a lot to choose from – even still. While lesbian relationships are widely becoming a more mainstream topic, that still doesn’t exactly mean that we can feel totally comfortable discussing things openly.
Case in point? Lesbian movies on Netflix.
Okay, so there are a few good ones out there, and we definitely appreciate those ones. But more often, we come across a movie that we know is not even remotely relatable to actual lesbian life.
But there are boobs. And girls kissing other girls. And… Well, boobs.
So we watch them, because we have to watch them. (You can actually have your Lesbianism revoked if you don’t binge-watch any media with queer subtext, so make sure you’re keeping up.) But we don’t really like ourselves afterward.
What are your least favorite lesbian movies?
Kissing Jessica Stein
This movie probably drew you in because, hello, kissing a woman is literally in the title of the movie, so it’s got to be good, right? The only problem is that these characters are really annoying. We want to watch movies that seem relatable – and if you can’t like the characters, you can’t get into the plot (even though it’s actually not bad). Top that off with the preachy tone it starts to develop throughout the course of the movie, and this is one that you’ll probably rewatch parts of, but skip others. Hey, you can’t win ‘em all.
Summer Lover
As both a lesbian and a writer, I find myself drawn toward kindred spirits. (I feel like I was probably the only person ever who loved Jenny Schecter – although I can’t say I agreed with all her choices.)
When I heard about a lesbian movie that tells the tale of the original lesbian icon – the poet Sappho – it seemed like it was going to be great.
The whole thing is gorgeous, too, from casting choices to scenery. But the story is so predictable that, by the time you realize it, it’s an hour and a half later and you know exactly nothing new. (But, then again, gorgeous movie – maybe there’ll be something when you watch it again…
You Will Be Mine
First off, what is it about lesbian romance movies where they draw you in with women crawling all over each other on the cover? I mean, it works, but it feels a little manipulative after a while. But these actresses are gorgeous, and the score is pretty gorgeous too. Unfortunately, the story fell a little flat, as you can actually predict every twist and turn. This movie is all about a dysfunctional lesbian relationship, which is something we just can’t get fully on-board with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvaAk359wCA
Room in Rome
This is one of those movies where you’ll probably want to pretend you were watching it for totally artistic reasons. After all, it’s two naked women, in a hotel room, in Rome… Obviously, there are certain things involved. But the fact that it’s subtitled means you’re going to have to pick between following the plot or… Well, staring at boobs. We’ve got a pretty good idea what most of you are going to pick.
Therese and Isabelle
An old black-and-white lesbian romance film, you say? And it’s set at a boarding school, which releases all those inner schoolgirl fantasies, too. (Oh, don’t pretend you haven’t thought about it.) But this is an older movie, so the love scenes are pretty tame. The overall story follows the predictable “men-suck-let’s-be-lesbians” route, too, which is always a little disappointing.
Lost and Delirious
Piper Perabo and Mischa Barton. Need I say more? These two women are sexy, and they’re already almost kissing on the cover so you know it’s going to be good. But this one is a big sob-fest… so you’re only going to want to watch it on those days you just need to let it all out. Cuddle up with a pint (beer or ice cream – your choice) and cry it out between long, loving stares at Piper Perabo.
Bloomington
More women crawling all over each other? OK, if you insist… And the actresses actually have an undeniable chemistry. This movie deals with the whole teacher/student fantasy dynamic, like we’ve seen in Loving Annabelle. The problem with Bloomington is that the sexiness is lacking when the relationship starts developing a mother/daughter complex – making it super creepy and awkward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSgh-IA6oF8
Water Lilies
Lesbians. Not only that, but French lesbians. This one just oozes with the possibility of romance. Then, teen angst comes in and almost ruins the show. Thankfully, this one isn’t one of the worst offenders on this list, and it’s pretty short, too – so you’re not likely to regret the time spent watching it.
Heavenly Creatures
Okay, so, I love Melanie Lynsky – and Kate Winslet isn’t so bad, either. So then we get into this one: Two girls with this super-secret fantasy life and mean parents who want to keep them apart. (That’s not exactly what happened, but you’ll figure that one out on your own.) Anyway, this one is bad in such a good way, because it’s actually horrific and based on a true story – which is even more chilling.
What are your favorite lesbian movie guilty pleasures?
Of course, we’re always looking for new lesbian representation in movies and TV. It’s understandable that some of these are going to be really, really bad, and we can’t even justify to ourselves why we watch them. Which ones are yours? I might have to check them out for myself!
I am a sucker for sad movies. I like to pretend that I don’t sit around watching tear-jerking movies and eating popcorn, but… Well, that pretty much sums up my weekend.
Make the main characters gay and it’s even worse. I mean, sad stories are sad stories, and all, but it’s always a little harder when you can see a piece of yourself in the cast. (Which of course means that, if they’re just a bit snarky – like Graham in But I’m a Cheerleader! – I cry like a baby.)
But for some reason, it seems like queer movies are just inherently sad. Even in the super campy ones, someone gets their heart smashed to pieces, and my poor little sarcastic heart gets squished a little, too. Half the time I stick with straight romances because, well, they’re a little easier on my makeup. What is it that makes them so sad?
It’s not just the movies, either. Remember how much pain you felt watching The L Word? No spoilers for those who have yet to experience the rite of passage that is binge-watching all six seasons, but trust me… I think each of us felt emotionally connected to at least one of those characters, even if we didn’t have anything actually in common with them.
I think some of the pain has to do with how infrequently we actually see realistic lesbian pairings in the media. When we find a show that makes us seem real, we start to feel more real ourselves.
As someone whose sexuality is questioned by others on a regular basis, it’s comforting for me to see a picture of myself on the screen, so to speak.
Good lesbian movies don’t rely on the stereotypes that we often see played out in straight romance movies. Even though there are some similarities, we have our own dynamic, and we don’t always do things the same way. There’s nothing wrong with that – that’s just how we are.
Men and women are understandably different, so the approaches necessary when dealing with women are (understandably) different than when dealing with men.
Even though I’m sure of my sexuality now, there are a great deal of lesbian movies that deal with at least one of the main character being completely unsure about who she is. I’m not sure how it stands for people who knew they were gay at an early age, but that’s not who I am.
Seeing a woman start to question things even though she’s with a guy who should be perfect for her reminds me of the days of my own uncertainty – and I can relate.
Aside from relatability, though, what is it that makes lesbian movies so damn sad?! It pains me to think it’s just us living into the heteronormative stereotype that women are emotional creatures… And besides, I’ve met some women who definitely didn’t show much emotion ‘till the end of something sappy.
What do you think – are lesbian movies sadder, or do we just connect more deeply with the characters? Let us know in the comments!
The lesbian community is rife with stereotypes and clichés. As much as they may hold true in the actual, real life world, they’re usually not based on solid facts, but rather what sells movies. Often, these movies aren’t even written by actual lesbians, but by the men who think that lesbians are cool.
(Which, we totally are, but that’s not the point.)
If you have yet to come out, and you’ve been relying on lesbian movies to paint a picture of what lesbians are like, here are some things that usually don’t happen in the real world.
1. A coffee shop is the best place to talk about your feelings.
OK, so there’s this cliché amongst lesbians in general that there is going to be a lot of talk about feelings. I guess it’s because we’re women, and women have a lot of overflowing emotions, or something like that. Oh – and we love to talk. If we don’t, are we really women?
Hopefully the sarcasm in that last paragraph was apparent. Not all women love to talk. Sure, many do, but why is a coffee shop the chosen locale to talk about these feelings?
It’s quieter than a bar, so there’s that. There’s less of a chance of messed-up inhibitions than a bar, too, although coffee can definitely have an intoxicating effect if you haven’t had nearly enough sleep. But, realistically speaking, your chats are probably better if kept in the privacy of your home – strangers don’t need to know all your business.
2. If you’d rather dwell on your feelings, a walk through the forest is a good choice.
Maybe I’m a bit cynical on this one, because I grew up in areas where it really wasn’t safe to walk alone. (I mean, I still do a lot of walking by myself to clear my head, so maybe this cliché isn’t so far off.) But in lesbian movies, the pensive protagonist will often go for a walk in the woods or another private-like area to empty her mind from all the stressors and confusion of Lesbian Life.
An important step that’s sometimes skipped when this is portrayed in a movie, however, is that you do actually need to talk about your feelings once you’ve got them narrowed down. Your partner (or prospective partner) isn’t going to automatically know what’s on your mind, and in most cases, she should.
(And also, walking at night by yourself is really not safe some places, especially for lesbians – make sure you’re being careful, please! And at least let someone know where you’ll be, just in case something comes up.)
3. Lesbians like to bathe together while talking about things.
There’s something about two women talking nakedly about their feelings and troubles. We see this a lot in movies, and while it’s a nice change of pace from – say, sex scenes that focus on “nudity means sex”, if you’ve ever actually tried to have a chat in the bath tub, chances are you know it doesn’t work out so well.
If you and the woman you are attracted to are bathing together, it’s almost always got sexual undertones. Plus, it’s sort of awkward in most bath tubs – they’re really only built for one person. The idea of having sex in the bath tub (or a long, intimate talk) are all fine and dandy when there’s a makeup artist there to make sure the actress looks her best at all times – but the steamy nature will mess up your hair. The slippery surfaces will mess up your game. And what could be more distracting than boobs?
If you can actually have a serious talk while naked with your partner, I envy you. I’ve had it happen a few times, but it’s definitely the exception more than the rule. You shouldn’t expect that every naked chat is going to go according to plan – especially if you’ve got a massaging showerhead at your disposal.
4. Lesbians like swimming together – and it usually leads to sexual tension.
This is one of those things that we just know was thought up by a straight man. The idea that two women who are both attracted to women will definitely end up in a body of water, either completely nude or scantily-clad plays on the idea that “wet” automatically means sexy. This isn’t always the case. Have you ever seen a cat stuck out in the rain?
The act of swimming itself is often chosen to represent the metaphorical cleansing that is done by the power of love – or something like that. Truly, it’s usually an excuse to strip down the actresses without making it seem “gratuitous”. After all, sexuality (when expressed non-sexually) is a beautiful thing, and it’s nice to be able to embrace those things.
Really, though, most movies will use this as a segue into sexual tension. After all, a naked (or half-naked woman) who is literally dripping wet will automatically activate the parts of the brain that say she’s ready to go. While it’s important to realize that these two things aren’t mutually exclusive, the connection is easy to understand – but you shouldn’t expect it to be a part of lesbianism in a broad sense. But if you can talk your new boo into skinnydipping with you, it is a lot of fun – just make sure you don’t get arrested!
5. If the girl doesn’t get the girl, she’s going to die, tragically.
The high-concept death is seen so often in romantic movies that we don’t really associate it with lesbians in particular, but it seems that we are a little more prone to this type of death than other sexualities. This death can’t be something simple, though – it’s got to be much bigger than that.
In a way, this is done as a sort of comfort. If you haven’t found your soul mate, maybe she’s just been hit by a bus. OK, so that’s not the most romantic way to put it, but not every story has a happy ending, and when the not-so-happy ending is tragic and unexpected, it makes for better movie sales.
Don’t believe me? Ask a group of Titanic fans whether they think Jack would have fit on the raft or not. There are going to be worlds of assumptions here, ranging from people who think that he definitely would have fit (he and Rose were both thin, after all) to those who think that he had to die (two people on the raft, shivering and what have you, would definitely have sunk it). Which one is right? Only the director knows for sure.
In any gay-or-lesbian themed movies, there are implied methods of offing one of your main characters. Things such as the suicide rate for in-the-closet homosexuals give way for an easy method of killing off a character that everyone fell in love with. And since we usually love sad, sappy endings (and have since the dawn of time – or at least the dawn of the theater), sales are better if the audience cries. True story.
6. Two women who hate each other will eventually have sex.
I don’t know why this is the case in so many lesbian movies. It seems like the more the women are at each other’s throats, the more likely they’re going to have sex later on. This can lead some of us to mistakenly think that we’re falling for the women we really do hate – and hate-sex is usually a bad choice.
This is especially true since the brain releases oxytocin, a bonding chemical, during orgasm. This means that if you have sex with someone you hate, you probably will start to fall for them – which isn’t usually a healthy step. Try to remember the reasons you hate them, and maybe just picture them naked when you’re pleasuring yourself.
If you do find yourself having sex with someone you don’t get along with, you’re not totally doomed. Usually, we can rationalize better a little while after an orgasm than we can when we’re sexually frustrated, so it’s possible that the sex will actually work to remind you why they’re wrong for you. If that’s not the case, maybe some self-persuasion is in order. Hate plus sex does not equal love.
7. When in the presence of an Ultimate Lesbian, straight girls will magically become gay.
In most lesbian movies, the protagonist will identify as heterosexual for her whole life. Often she will be in a committed relationship with a man, sometimes even engaged to be married (Imagine Me & You immediately comes to mind). Then, suddenly, a super-hot lesbian will come along and BAM, the straight protagonist will suddenly be gay – or at the very least, she’ll cheat on her man with this new woman.
When bi-curious women watch these movies, they get the impression that cheating on their husband or boyfriend is OK, as long as it’s with a girl. Sometimes, the men they’re with will even agree to these terms, but it really needs to be discussed beforehand. Cheating is bad, regardless of the gender you cheat with, and if you don’t have explicit permission from your partner, you are cheating.
When young lesbians watch these movies, they might get the idea that sexuality is always to be questioned. The truth is, it is meant to be questioned – but not by outsiders. It’s important to question your own sexuality, but questioning someone else’s is no different than questioning their overall identity. It’s rude, and presumes that you know more about them than they know about themselves. Even if it’s true, just stop before you do something ridiculous.
8. Retro and indie music are the only things you need for a good soundtrack.
OK, this isn’t a bad cliché, because often indie and retro music is a great choice. But why is it that all lesbian movies seem to follow this rule? Maybe it has something to do with the lack of good lesbian music out there. (Note: There’s not actually a lack of it – it just gets less mainstream attention than heterosexual love songs. We’re working to collect lists of the best lesbian-themed-and-produced songs, but that’s still a work in progress, for now.)
I get it, though. Really, I do. Music is really important for a lot of people, myself included, and often we can feel slighted if our lesbian movies have totally heterosexual soundtracks. Most of us “adopt” straight songs and use them for our own benefit (I had an ex who used Usher as a reference for her pick-up game), but it’s always a joy to find a song that suits your exact specifications – without having to swap genders in the song.
(For what it’s worth, I really want someone to “gay up” the songs I heard in my childhood. If we could get a lesbian covering *NSYNC and a gay man covering early Britney Spears, my heart would be so happy. If this already exists, I would be eternally grateful to the first person to slap a link in the comments!)
9. Lesbian movies are, generally, horrible.
Lesbian movies don’t often get the mainstream attention they deserve. It was briefly addressed in the final season of The L Word – making “too gay” of a movie will alienate many of the straight viewers. Thankfully, I think that’s starting to turn around a bit, but if you inject too much gayness into a movie, it’s likely to lose a lot of its potential following.
So, we end up settling for movies directed by new directors with little experience, or by those who never wanted to direct in the first place, but were disappointed in the lack of good lesbian movies… So they tried their hand at making it better. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. When will someone finally appeal to the leaders of Hollywood and demand a blockbuster lesbian film?!
OK, so this is changing a bit these days, thankfully. Most queer movies don’t win awards, at least not outside of the independent circuits. This is fine, because most lesbians are going to watch them anyway, but wouldn’t it be great if we had a gay Academy Award year – one where gay movies were actually honored for their true value? Sigh. A girl can dream.
Are there any stereotypes and cliches that we forgot? Drop them in the comments!
I have a confession to make: I am a sucker for emotional cinema. No matter how heartless I try to pretend I am, the sappy movies make me tear up every time. (I have an aunt who calls this phenomenon “TV eyes” – it helps us keep our hard exterior appearance.)
If you love the movies that bring you to tears, or you consider yourself an emotional stronghold and want to prove it, we’ve found the 7 saddest lesbian movies out there – how many have you seen, and how many actually brought you to tears?
(In order of release – not necessarily indicative of cry-worthy-ness.)
The Children’s Hour (1961)
I’m not sure if this movie exactly counts as a lesbian film, since it centers around a rumor about sexuality, rather than actual sexuality. But, since this movie came out in the early ‘60s and features such huge icons as Audrey Hepburn and Shirley Maclane… We’ll forgive that.
This story centers around a headmistress and a teacher at a boarding school. Everything is all hunky dory for the two BFF’s (actual gal pals, not like the “gal pals” we hear about these days)… Until a student starts spreading rumors about the two women being romantically involved, and students start withdrawing from the school. Yikes!
Mostly, this movie is sad because back in the ‘60s, this was as close as they had to a real lesbian movie. I’m so glad Hollywood has picked up the slack lately, but this movie is pretty much a downer anyway.
Gia (1998)
For all you Angelina Jolie fans out there, this is the one movie where we got to see her as a sexy, emotional creature… Oh wait, that’s true of a lot of her movies. Still, Gia represented an important (and mostly true!) story of the supermodel, Gia Carangi, as she struggled with her career, her mental health, and her own sexuality. Oh, and not to give anything away if you haven’t seen it yet, but she also has AIDS.
Of course, there is the appeal of seeing Angelina Jolie topless, which is one of the big draws of many Angelina Jolie movies in the first place. But once you add in the powerful message behind it and the fact that this is actually based on a true story, it gets heart-wrenching and super painful.
If you start the movie when she’s topless, and then stop it before she gets onto the plane, this movie isn’t so sad – but if you’re into the whole picture, this movie will undoubtedly wreak havoc on your soul.
Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Okay, if we didn’t have Boys Don’t Cry on our list, I would be seriously upset at myself. Truly, this is one of those movies that most people will either love or hate – and most of us love it. Hilary Swank plays a transman in the midst of homophobia, transphobia, and general ignorance in Nebraska. Did I mention this one’s based on a true story, too?
The scenes in this movie are created specifically to rip your heart into a million shreds, halfway patch these shreds back together, and then rip them to pieces all over again. Seriously – it’s that good. If you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s going to make you cry – guaranteed.
Lost & Delirious (2001)
Let me start by saying that I absolutely adore Piper Perabo, and I probably always will. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way… Technically, the characters in this movie don’t identify as lesbians – but as two young women who are just madly in love with each other. I think it’s beautiful that they don’t have to put a label on it.
That being said, this movie is pretty sad. Partially because the potential of the cast wasn’t fully realized, and partially because someone dies. (Not going to say who, but… You know… Any time you have lesbian romance in a movie and someone dies, it sucks pretty hard.)
I have a soft spot for anything one of my celebrity crushes is in, so I’m tempted to ignore the critic reviews that say this movie was total garbage. All in all, it tells a tale that many of us have been a part of us at one point or another, and the relatability is enough to break your heart, right? Take a look and form your own opinion about this one.
The Laramie Project (2002)
Another TV movie to hit our list – which is still a rarity for the queer community. The Laramie Project isn’t about lesbians, specifically, but it does touch on the murder of Matthew Sheperd – a huge event for the gay community as a whole. With a cast that includes “celebs I wish were my BFFs” such as Christina Ricci and Clea Duvall, this movie promises a stellar performance – and delivers.
Of course, a movie that surrounds the killing of one of the pioneers of LGBT+ visibility, no matter which of our fallen heroes it is, is going to be sad. The Laramie Project is no exception. In addition to the death of Matthew Sheperd, this movie also features survival, against the odds, and the paths we follow to grow as humans.
(Oh, and as a bonus, they also perform a version of “Angels in America”… How meta!)
Angels in America (2003)
Okay, so this one isn’t exactly a movie, but a TV mini-series. Still, this offers an inner look to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s as it pertains to characters who you’re probably going to love right off the bat just because of the actors who play them. (I’m talking Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Mary Louise Parker here.) There are also plenty of intersecting sections of the “at-risk community” shown here, and it will rip your heart out – just like any other movie, TV show, or other type of content that deals with the AIDS crisis.
I have yet to watch this one myself, but after looking into it, I’ll definitely have to add it to my own list.
Monster (2003)
Okay, here’s another mostly-true story that happens to be one of my favorites. Monster tells the tale of Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron in a hardly-recognizable get-up) and her girlfriend, Selby (Christina Ricci) through their unconventional and highly criminal relationship.
The scary thing about this movie is that it really was a true story – one that’s been referenced in over two dozen different movies and TV shows – oh, and Charlize Theron won an Oscar for this movie. It’s not too often that Oscars are won by true crime stories, but this movie shows power.
The real Aileen Wuornos was America’s first female serial killer – something that’s not exactly a source of pride for most of us, but personally, it helped me be thankful that I’ve never gone down that path – although parts of it were quite relatable to me. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? This movie is a true classic.
In a recent this interview with Teddy Award, filmmaker Cheryl Dunye discusses her film The Watermelon Woman, which won a Teddy Award back in 1996.
The Watermelon Woman – which is coming up on its 20th anniversary – tells the story of a young, Black lesbian working in Philadelphia who is consumed by a film project: to make a video about her search for a black actress who appeared in films in the 1930s and was known only as The Watermelon Woman.
Following various leads, Cheryl discovers the Watermelon Woman’s stage name and real name and surmises that the actress had a long affair with Martha Page, a white woman director in Hollywood.
Her discovery leads Cheryl into a relationship with Diana, who’s also white and wealthy played by Guinevere Turner.
The affair strains both Cheryl’s relationships with friends and her quest for Fae but ultimately leads Cheryl to finding herself.
The Watermelon Woman will be screening in this year’s TEDDY Retro in honour of the 30th birthday of the TEDDY AWARD and the 20th anniversary of this remarkable movie.
More information can be found on our blog: www.blog.teddyaward.tv
Did you notice that this year you actually got to see lesbian films outside of the LGBT film festival circuit? And that several of them got nominated for (and even won) awards? And they even had big names attached to them?
That’s right, 2015 was a really interesting (and important) year for LGBT movie-goers as more LGBT-themed films got accepted and publicised by the mainstream.
While that meant that we heard about some duds (such as Stonewall, which was rightfully ripped to shreds by critics), it also meant that some true cinematic diamonds got the spotlight they deserved.
Just about everyone has high praise for Carol and with its leading ladies having both picked up Golden Globes nominations for their brilliant performances in the movie, but it’s being tipped for Oscar nominations as well.
Carol, based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt, is one of the most talked about films of the year. Not only does it star Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in a May-December relationship (that also has a class divide) but it’s also beautiful shot and the depiction of 1950s America is absolutely exquisite.
With the help of some friends, Moore and her domestic partner Stacie Andree fight to ensure that Laurel’s pension benefit get passed on to Stacie even after Laurel passes.
Prepare to shed some serious tears watching this one.
Grandma
Grandma is an unusual twist on the buddy movie genre. It stars out actress Lily Tomlin as the titular grandma, who, after the death of her long-time partner and having split up with her girlfriend after four months, has to help out her 18-year old granddaughter.
Her granddaughter is pregnant and needs money for an abortion, but, being broke and having had her credit card confiscated by her mother, the two women have to find the cash for the procedure, opening old relationship wounds and rehashing old arguments along the way.
Bessie
It’s a TV movie, but Bessie deserves its spot on this list. Out director Dee Rees’ film about blues singer Bessie Smith was nominated for a ton of Emmys and won several, including the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. Great acting, amazing music and big names like Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique made for a splendid film. Any worries that Bessie Smith’s bisexuality would be underplayed are squashed after watching this film. And she’s not the only queer lady in this biopic either.
Bare
Dianna Agron’s queer drama about a young woman living in Nevada, who becomes romantically involved with a female drifter, played by Paz de La Huerta. It’s a small town girl – bored with life – story.
The film, is written, produced and developed by Purple Milk aka Natalia Leite and out producer Alexandra Roxo, two independent filmmaker from Brooklyn. Together they have worked on documentaries, like the upcoming Serrano Shoots Cuba, and the web series Be Here Nowish (which you can watch on KitschMix.tv), which they wrote and also starred in.
Liz In September
Despite autumn being the best season of the year, this one doesn’t offer much to smile about as the titular ‘Liz’ is a lesbian who has terminal cancer. Things aren’t going much better for her love interest either as she has lost her son to cancer.
Romance! Criminal hijinks! A queer woman of colour triumphing over a racist buffoon! All About E has got it all, as it stars the titular ‘E’ and her gay best friend as they get into trouble after accidentally steal money from the club where E works.
A gay Mission Impossible this is not, but it is a great deal of fun and you’ll really enjoy seeing E and her ex-girlfriend rekindle their relationship.
7. Summertime
Blue Is The Warmest Colour take a seat; Summertime (La Belle Saison) is the best gay, French film on the block. Featuring farm girl Delphine as she leaves her parents place in the countryside to come to the city, the movie follows her as she meets a feminist named Carole who she promptly falls in love with.
The Girl King
There are (and this is a rough approximation) 1 billion and one films about heterosexual historical figures getting married, cheating and dabbling in royal politics. So why can’t queer characters get the same movie tropes? Lucky for us, The Girl King solves that problem, focusing on the (very real) Queen Christina of Sweden as she assumes the throne at a young age following her father’s death.
A true rebel, despite her title, Christina is pretty fond of peace (despite everyone around her wanting war), wearing men’s clothing and sword-fighting too, but you’ll mostly likely be interested in her romance with Countess Ebba Sparre who becomes one of her ladies in waiting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z65cdquVuMU
Skin Deep
Yes, this is another movie where a lesbian and straight girl become friends and there’s some sexual tension, but Skin Deep is a lot more than that. The film is about two women – with their own dysfunctions – meeting at what should be the worst time ever, yet somehow its not.
The Summer of Sangaile
Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, near her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love the only person who truly encourages her to fly.
Girlhood
Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys’ law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom.
Tig
This documentary explores comedian Tig Notaro’s extraordinary journey as her life unfolds in grand and unexpected ways, all while she is battling a life-threatening illness and falling in love.
The Same Difference
When you’re part of a marginalised group, ‘there’s a high chance of discrimination’ is almost inked in small print at the bottom of the sign-up sheet, as is the nature of the thing.
The Same Difference by first-time director Nneka Onuorah, sheds light on an issue we rarely see discussed in this medium: hypocrisy in the black lesbian and bisexual community. A code of behavior and appearance exists and it’s strong, but as the movie shows us, there are women living outside of these boxes and they often aren’t received well. The film also looks at the judgment bisexual women, pregnant aggressive, and stud-on-stud couples face.
So what films should we being looking out for in 2016?
About Ray
About Ray tells explores the questions of identity and family ties. With Malificient actress, Elle Fanning, playing a New York City teen Ray, who is transition from female to male. Naomi Watts will play Ray’s single mother, Maggie, who must come to terms with raising her only daughter as a son. Long-time LGBT ally, Susan Sarandon will play Maggie’s mother Dolly – a music manager who lives with her lesbian partner and has a hard time understanding her grandchild’s decision.
The release date for About Ray has been pushed around, but it finally looks like Dec. 31 will be the day. Give me a break–most of you will be watching Susan Sarandon play gay in 2016.
First Girl I Loved
In short, First Girl I Loved is about a 17-year-old who falls in love with the most popular girl at school. The backstory about the lives of three young girls from Phillip Island and follows their trip to Hawaii — the first step on their journey to making a break as professional surfers.
Discover the trials and tribulations of training, competitions and injury whilst gaining an insight into life on the tour through the eyes of three girls. With magic footage and stellar photography, First Love will surprise, entertain and inspire a generation of female surfers.
Almost Adults
Almost Adults, starring Carmilla favourites Elise Bauman and Natasha Negovanlis, is also set to come our way in 2016. The film is about a platonic love story between two life long best friends struggling to keep their friendship together as their lives head in different directions.
Also, look out for out actress Kate McKinnon in Ghostbusters, and hearing Ellen DeGeneres in Finding Dory.
Before shows like the L word, Faking It, and Glee’s Britanna getting married on mainstream television. Not to mention way before Ellen Degeneres, Sara Gilbert, and Lily Tomlin were out of the closet – Lesbian visibility was pretty lame when it came to TV and Film.
Trying to identify any early cinematic representations of lesbianism was like collecting crumbs off the top table, but then there was a turn in the trend. We started to see female queer filmmakers (such as Nicole Conn, Kelli Herd, and Sharon Pollack) emerge and deliver real life lesbian storylines.
They were films made by women for women, where lesbian characters were not typically portrayed as victims, femme fatales, killers, prostitutes or neurotic crazy ladies. In fact they told stories of true romance, love and real-life events.
This is one of the all-time classics in lesbian cinema. An uptight and conservative woman, working on tenure as a literacy professor at a large urban university, finds herself strangely attracted to a free-spirited, liberal woman who works at a local carnival that comes to town. Directed by Patricia Rozema, the film stars the sizzling Pascale Bussières and Rachael Crawford – rent it now.
Based on Jane Rule’s novel of the same name, this beautiful lesbian romance tells the story of Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver), a repressed English professor who goes to Reno for a quickie divorce in 1959. She spends the weeks waiting for her final divorce papers at a dude ranch where she meets Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), a beautiful young casino worker. Cay is a free spirit – an artist by day and casino worker by night, as well as a lesbian. To everyone’s surprise, Vivian and Cay hit it off immediately and it’s not long before Vivian finds her friendship moving into unexpected passion – rent it now.
A queer comedy with a little twist at the end. When sexy, upper-crust society wife Alex (Keri Jo Chapman) falls for her old high school best friend, Grace (Teresa Garret) the snobby little town of Azalea Springs is up in arms. Alongside the budding romance, indie filmmaker Kelli Herd brings us a hilarious comic portrait of small-town life and a firm trouncing o homophobic intolerance as the whole town confronts the zany rumor that their water supply is turning everyone gay – rent it now.
A true lesbian classic! In this provocative and sexy romantic comedy, a wonderfully eclectic group of women who went to college together reunite when two of them have a Jewish naming ceremony for their newborn baby. Quick-witted repartee reveals with irony, humor and a touch of nostalgia for the ’70s how all of their lives, their politics and their loves have changed – rent it now.
Claire and Noels contrasting personalities cause inevitable friction, but, despite their differences, the two cannot deny their obvious lusting attraction towards each other and begin a passionate affair – rent it now
While the characters of these films have their own conflicts, whether that be parents or language barriers, they each give you something to smile about.
But much less can be said about In Hiding, the 2013 film about two women who end up living together during World War 2. Indeed, with one of the women (Ester, played by Julia Pogrebinska) being Jewish and having to live in hiding with Janka (played by Magdalena Boczarska) and her father, it was never going to be easy for them to get by.
The fear of being arrested by the Nazi regime – and therefore their inability to leave the house together – is just one of the things that threaten to get between the two leads of In Hiding, however.
Namely, there’s the fact that Janka didn’t want Ester to stay with her and her dad in the first place, not wanting to put her own life in danger for a Jewish girl and on top of that there’s the fact that both Janka and Ester have boyfriends.
As the film progresses, and Janka’s dad disappears, In Hiding’s protagonists do warm up to each other and Janka does ditch her boyfriend (though Ester is clearly still into hers). But even then it’s not easy for them to just be in love and wait the war out because a neighbour moves into the apartment next to them and threatens to rat them out.
And on top of that even after they overcome the neighbour’s blackmailing schemes and the two women do hook up, Janka remains concerned that someone will discover the fact that she’s hiding Ester or that Ester will discover that in the time that they’ve been living together, the war has actually ended and Ester will go back to her boyfriend.
Yes, this film isn’t as bright and shiny as one would have hoped (though could two women in love ever really thrive in such a setting) but some have called it downright troubling.
The lies and the deceit (which some have, perhaps rightfully, called emotional abuse) are enough to turn you off the couple and though you can try and hold on and hold out for the more loving moments between Janka and Ester, the film switches back to the drama quickly it’ll give you whiplash.
That’s not to say that it’s a bad film as not every film needs to be a lovefest (though reviews all agree that In Hiding is just plain average) but it is seriously flawed and its attempts to get viewers to fall for this pairing are futile.
It’s a well spoken about fact that Hollywood is rubbish with queer female representation, which is why we’ve recently been looking at the movie scene in mainland Europe to help fill the void.
In addition to Breathe, Mélanie Laurent’s film about two women in a relationship turned twisted, there’s alsoDual, about two women who fall in love despite a language barrier and of course, there’s the film that made waves just two short years ago, Blue Is The Warmest Colour.
It’s that last movie that new French film Summertime (La Belle Saison) is being compared to, not just for the obvious language similarity, but because of how beautifully it’s shot.
Set in the 1970s, Summertime stars a young woman named Delphine (played by Izïa Higelin) who leaves her parents’ farm in the South of France to go and live in the big city.
It’s in Paris where she meets Carole (played by Cécile de France), who is part of the local feminist group. Carole also has a boyfriend, but that doesn’t stop Delphine from falling for her, hard, and it certainly doesn’t stop Carole from falling for Delphine right back.
The dramatic side of things occurs when Delphine’s father gets sick and she has to move back to the farm to be with him.
Then, there’s double the drama when Delphine’s mother encourages her to marry their male neighbour, Antoine. That leaves Delphine with a choice; bow to her mother’s wishes and leave the woman she loves, or stay with her and risk disappointing her mother?
Despite this conflict, there are plenty of moments where we see Delphine and Carole happy and in love.
Those who were lucky enough to see Summertime when it was shown at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) have called the relationship both beautiful and sexy.The Mary Sue‘s film reviewer even calls it “one of the sexiest movies [they’ve] ever seen”.
Unlike Blue Is The Warmest Colour‘s infamous love scene, which was terribly bad to the point where it was offensive, Summertime’s love scenes are well-staged and look as though the two women are madly in love, rather than being made to cater to the male gaze.
Much of that is probably down to the director, Catherine Corsini, who is gay and made the film with her partner, and thankfully, Summertime is all the better for it.
It’s no secret that the film industry is monumentally rubbish when it comes to the representation of lesbian and bisexual women.
It’s why we’re so eager to shine a spotlight on films that get it right as on the rare occasions that they do, we want everyone to know about it.
Earlier this month, Cinema Diverse, one of the best and most well-known film festivals dedicated to showcasing LGBT related movies, took place in Palm Springs.
Like many Cinema Diverse showings before it, this year’s event knocked it out of the park. There was a solid slate of films on offer this year but we’ve whittled it down to the films about gay, bi and questioning women.
Take a look at the list and let us know in the comments which one you like the sound of the most.
Liz In September
Liz In September reads like a TV Tropes entry in that it’s almost embarrassingly cliché. It stars a young straight woman (the term ‘straight’ used loosely here) whose car breaks down and she is forced to spend the night at a hotel.
This hotel just happens to be filled with lesbians, as they’re all there celebrating the birthday of Liz (who’s played by out gay model and actress Patricia Velasquez).
Naturally, the young woman falls for Liz and the rest is deliciously trope-y history.
Reel In The Closet
Recently, dramatized historical movie Stonewall made headlines for failing to represent what actually happened during the Stonewall riots, being criticised for skewing far from the truth. As a remedy to the bitterness that Roland Emmerich’s new movie left in the mouths of many, there’s Reel In The Closet.
A pun on the ‘come out of the closet’ adage, Reel In The Closet discusses the history of LGBT identities that have been captured on film.
The documentary is a rare look and insight into the lives of LGBT people in the 1940s and onwards, pre-2000 times in which homosexuality was still heavily stigmatised and was even illegal.
Upstairs Inferno
Also aiming to preserve one of the most important events (and tragedies) in LGBT history is Upstairs Inferno. In 1973, the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans was the target of a horrific arson attack.
The Metropolitan Community Church (a denomination of pro-LGBT Protestants and the United States first gay church) had held a service and following the dinner the 60 or so patrons had had together, they soon realised that someone had set the place on fire. Although 30 people escaped, 32 people died both at the scene and in hospital as a result of their injuries.
Upstairs Inferno speaks to people who were in the fire, explaining what happened and reflecting on the lives lost in the tragedy as well as discussing the fact that the police could have done more to find the perpetrator. It also discusses how many families would not claim their family members either.
All About E
Although it’s much loved by lesbian and bisexual women the world over, Thelma & Louise was not actually a gay film (subtext only, sorry). Filling that void, however, is All About E which stars the titular DJ E as she takes something that’s not hers and before she can put it back, they’re hunting her down.
With her gay best friend tagging along with her for the ride, the two see the sights and have a laugh as they go. All About E is definitely one to watch with your pals, with a bowl of popcorn or two on a Saturday night.
We owe a lot to Kathy Wolfe, because back in 1985 she brought to life what would become the largest exclusive distributor of lesbian, gay, bi and transgender movies.
As the company celebrates its 30th anniversary year they cementing their legacy through a donation to the June Mazer Lesbian Archives — depositing a complete DVD library of every lesbian film Wolfe has released since 1985.
The June L. Mazer Archives is the largest major archive on the West Coast dedicated to preserving and promoting lesbian and feminist history and culture.
They create a safe place for women to explore the richness of lesbian history and promote knowledge for future generations to understand more fully their own identity and history.
Wolfe’s donation is roughly 100 great lesbian movies; ranging from classics like Desert Hearts to more recent acclaimed hits like Mosquita & Mari, Reaching for the Moon, Kiss Me and the company’s newest release, Of Girls and Horses (by legendary lesbian director Monika Treut).
June Mazer Archives Board Chair Angela Brinskele.
We’re thrilled to have this incredible trove of lesbian films available to our researchers. We’re extremely grateful to Wolfe Video and founder Kathy Wolfe for this incredibly generous donation to our collection.”
All of the DVDs will be available for researchers at the archives.
Founder and CEO Kathy Wolfe added.
Supporting our community organizations has always been an important part of our work. Making all of our films available for researchers and historians is very exciting for us and we are truly grateful to the Mazer Archives for all the important work that they do.”
It can be hard out there for a female filmmaker. Not only is the movie industry not interested in making films about women, but they also aren’t particularly interested in letting women make films either. Especially if those women are not heterosexual, not cisgendered or are women of colour.
For that reason, it can be very difficult for female-led and female-focused films to get funding and many of them have to turn to crowdfunding. Crowdfunding can also be a great way for creators to get the word out about their projects too and so with that in mind, we’ve put together this list of three female-led movies that you should pay attention to.
The talk of LGBT human rights has almost been entirely dominated by debates about same-sex marriage. While many argue that same-sex marriage isn’t as important as say, protection from discrimination in the workplace, same-sex marriage is a big deal. So why is it then that so few people ever talk about same-sex divorce?
Wedlocked is a comedy but it riffs off of the director’s real life experience. It looks at the issue of getting married in one state that has legalised same-sex marriage but living in one that doesn’t permit it; what happens when you want to get divorced but the state you reside in won’t allow it? One of the director’s friends was actually forced to move all the way to Los Angeles, California just to fulfil the state’s residency requirements so that he could get a divorce.
Of course this situation may change with the upcoming Supreme Court ruling that will decide whether or not the entirety of the United States has to legalise marriage equality. But for now, Wedlocked is going full steam ahead having raised $27,050 of its $30,000 goal.
Yoga originates in India where the practice is commonly used in Hindu and Buddhist teachings and principles. However, in the 1950s Yoga became massively popular in the West and now everyone from flexible atheists to fitness focused Christians take part in yoga every single day.
In addition to being something that Westerners just do, yoga is also a billion dollar business. From how-to books, DVDs and the many membership classes that we can sign up for at the gym, yoga has gone from being a free tool of expression and learning to a commercialised feature in our society. Given yoga’s religious origins, the practices’ popularity often raises the question of ‘is this okay?’
Who Owns Yoga? is a documentary that also wants to explore this, covering commercialisation, the cultural and financial implications and they also talk to yoga practitioners and those who no longer see yoga as they used to. The film hit its $20,000 goal and will be released in July.
If you live outside of the United States, it is highly unlikely that you know what ‘Geechee’ is or what it means (my word processor even considers it a spelling mistake), nor is it likely that you’ve ever heard of Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor. Vertamae Smart- Grosvenor is one of the most important figures in American history.
Geechee most likely comes from the ‘Ogeechee’ River near Savannah, Georgia. The Geechee people are descendants of enslaved Africans and they live in South Carolina and Georgia. Vertamae is a proud Geechee girl and having been heavily inspired and influenced by her heritage, she has travelled the world as a writer (she was a huge part of the beat literary movement), a costume designer and she has also released several cookbooks including Vibration Cooking or The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl.
Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl is a documentary based on Vertamae’s life that looks at her career as she travelled all around the world, taking in part of some of the most significant social, historical and cultural movements of our time. Vertamae’s story is one that very much needs to be told and having raised $33,000 of its $50,000 goal (it has flexible funding and so received all of the funds raised) it finally will be.
It’s been 54 years since Shirley MacLaine starred opposite Audrey Hepburn in drama The Children’s Hour.
During a screening of the film at TCM Classic Movie Festival in Hollywood at the weekend, MacLaine (now 80) said Director William Wyler ‘had trepidations about the subject matter – it was 1961 and nobody had done that.’
She believes the film was not as powerful as it could have been, because of this.
Scenes of brushing each others hair or ironing clothes – he cut some of them out and in doing so I think pared the picture down a little bit.”
Shirley MacLaine
The The Children’s Hour is based on a Lillian Hellman’s play which was banned in some major cities in the 1930s, because of its lesbian theme.
The storyline focuses on, best of friends Martha (MacLaine) and Karen (Hepburn), who’ve set up a school on a Massachusetts farm, find themselves charged by a vengeful pupil, Mary, of being secret lovers.
When the story spreads, parents withdraw their children from the school. The rumor spreads, the school is abandoned and the two women’s lives are destroyed.
That kind of same-(sex) love was not tolerated.”
Shirley MacLaine
Ironically, Wyler had directed an earlier and even more sanitised version of Hellmen’s play in the 1936 film While These Three. In that version, the rumor is about one of the women having had ‘relations’ with the other’s fiance.
The early film has a happy ending while The Children’s Hour ending is dark.
MacLaine believes Wyler took on the play again with The Children’s Hour because he felt While These Three had swung so far away from Hellman’s play.
Despite his watering down of some scenes, MacLaine enjoyed being directed by Wyler and especially enjoyed working with Hepburn.
I adored Audrey Hepburn. We had a wonderful relationship.”
Its Valentine’s weekend, and you’re seeking the right video for a date with that special lady. Something with a good plot, good acting, good directing and some heated romance. Don’t sweat it. Kitschmix.TV has your back.
Here are 8 romantic lesbian films that we think are worth watching (and renting) for Valentine’s Day — or anytime you want a good dose of Sapphic love.
This high-energy romantic road movie stars the beautiful Sinha Gierke (It’s Not Over) as aspiring law student Lucca, and the stunning Verena Wustkamp as her new friend Valerie.
Irresistible chemistry blossoms between them as the two women embark on a wild adventure to deliver the ashes of recently deceased friend to her final resting place – rent it now
Claire and Noels contrasting personalities cause inevitable friction, but, despite their differences, the two cannot deny their obvious lusting attraction towards each other and begin a passionate affair – rent it now
Nana Neul directorial debut draws comparisons with ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ and ‘Unveiled’. It’s the story of eternal daydreamer Mel chance meeting with the beautiful Jenny. It is love at first sight, however there is just one problem: Jenny mistakenly assumes Mel to be a boy. Despite this, they become boyfriend and girlfriend. With Mel attempting to disguise her true gender at every turn, her journey from tomboy to out lesbian is fraught with life-defining dilemmas and sweet surprises – rent it now
The Wedding Song takes place in Tunis in the year of 1942. Two teen girlfriends defy the odds as they face the war together against Nazi’s and Allied bomb threats. One girl is Muslim, the other is Jewish, and they cling to the bond they’ve shared since childhood – rent it now
Looking for a bit of humour then Butch Jamie is for you, as this is a hilarious lesbian comedy. Jamie Klein’s life seems to be going nowhere but south – out she is an out of work actress and unlucky in love. But then Jamie is finally cast in a lead role – as a man! Keeping quiet, she reluctantly accepts the role, only to fall head over heels for her on-screen love interest, Jill. What ensues is a hilariously complicated and sexy affair where Jamie must do whatever it takes to get the girl – rent it now
Stud Life is a sexy, young and cool lesbian romance taking a unique look at a slice of British urban life. The film is about Londoner JJ and her search for love. When she falls in love with the beautiful and mysterious Elle, friendships are put to the test. For the first time in her life JJ has to choose between her hot new lover and her best friend – rent it now
Hannah Free tells the moving story of the lifelong love affair. Hannah and Rachel grow up in the same Midwest town, where traditional gender expectations eventually challenge their deep love for one another. Hannah becomes an adventurous, unapologetic lesbian and Rachel a strong but reserved homemaker. Weaving between past and present, Hannah Free reveals how these two passionate women maintain their love affair despite a marriage, a world war, infidelity, and family denial – rent it now
Roberta is a young lesbian living in Santiago. Her girlfriend, Javiera is a woman of the world; actress, a dancer and philosopher. Despite all of Roberta’s best efforts to avoid it, she finds herself in an awkward situation when she has to introduce her new girlfriend to her conservative mother, Ana.
When Roberta can think of no other way to put off the meeting, she comes up with a bright idea – to go on a small sailboat and leave for a trip with Javiera and Ana, leaving them nowhere to run! For all those who understand what it is really like to introduce your parents to your partner, A Map For Love is a fresh and exciting addition to the new wave of lesbian cinema – rent it now
Things are about to get steamy on the big screen this Valentine’s weekend, with Fifty Shades of Grey finally hitting theaters.
Fans of the popular book are going crazy to see the now infamous characters Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele be brought to life by Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.
However, when it comes to steamy romances, queer female movies has been doing this very well for years.
Here are a few of our favorite lesbian couples the sizzled:
From renowned woman’s director, Nicole Conn, this is a powerful film of female sexuality and empowerment. A repressed and uptight socialite, Rebecca (Barbara Niven) lives a perfect and pointless life, but Rebecca has a secret, something her friends don’t even know. The last person that she expects to reveal it to is a high priced escort named Paris (Jessica Clark). The build in this movie is amazing. Its raw passion and hot. Watch the film here
Bound – Corky and Violet
The chemistry between Gina Gershon (Corky) and Jennifer Tilly (Violet) is hot, in this mob thriller, which serves up a heavy cocktail of sapphic sex and mafia intrigue.
Room in Rome – Alba and Natasha
Starring Elena Anaya as Alba and Natasha Yarovenko as Natasha, Room is about two beautiful strangers quickly become lovers, over the course of an intense and adventurous evening of sex in a hotel room.
Concussion – Abby and Sam
Robin Weigert stars as the suburban lesbian, Kate, whose midlife crisis finds her drifting away from her super-tense wife Kate (Julie Fain Lawrence), flirting with a female friend, Sam (Maggie Siff), and turning tricks while redecorating a downtown apartment.
Elena Undone – Elena and Peyton
Another classic Nicole Conn film, Elena Undone is the love story between Elena (Necar Zadegan), a stay at home mother and pastor’s wife, and Peyton (Traci Dinwiddie), a well-known lesbian author. The two share an intense connection immediately upon meeting and sparks fly.
So, we’re now well-and-truly into the new year, heavily into award season, and the start of the film festival circuits around the world. This year’s festival had a lot to offer the LGBT moviegoer.
The star-studded week-long festival screened almost 120 films. Among the genres that were presented, the LGBT category seemed to grow in strength from the previous year. From documentaries on Larry Kramer and Tig Notaro, to an ex-gay drama starring James Franco and Zachary Quinto to a Lily Tomlin playing her first leading role in a film in 27 years.
Below are some titles that have queer appeal, so we suggest you keep a lookout for them throughout the year.
Grandma
2015 is the year of Lily Tomlin. With a new Netflix TV show with Jane Fonda and awarded by the Kennedy Centre, she is back. Grandma, is a great story. Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid (Lily Tomlin) has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a daylong journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.
Cast:Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox, Sam Elliott. Director and screenwriter: Paul Weitz
The Summer of Sangaile
Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, near her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love the only person who truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė.
Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté
Girlhood
Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys’ law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom.
Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré. Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma
The Amina Profile
During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian-American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSMKXg0qSpU
Director: Sophie Deraspe
Beaver Trilogy Part IV
A chance meeting in a parking lot in 1979 between filmmaker Trent Harris and a young man from Beaver, Utah, inspired the creation of an underground film that is now known as Beaver Trilogy. But the film itself is only part of the story.
Director: Brad Besser
I Am Michael
The controversial true story of a gay activist who rejects his homosexuality and becomes a Christian pastor.
Director: Justin Kelly Cast: James Franco, Zachary Quinto, Emma Roberts. Screenwriters: Justin Kelly, Stacey Miller
It’s Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise
This portrait of Hilary Knight, the artist behind the iconic Eloise books, sees him reflecting on his life as an illustrator and his relationship to his most successful work. The film also premieres March 23 on HBO.
Director: Matt Wolf
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger
Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Director: Jean Carlomusto
The Mask You Live In
Is there a “boy crisis” in America? Is our male population suffering due to our emphasis on power, dominance, and aggression? The Mask You Live In explores how our narrow definition of masculinity is harming our boys, men, and society at large and unveils what we can do about it.
Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Dope
Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek to being dope to ultimately being himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT3tHzqmkng
Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky. Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa
Nasty Baby
A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigate the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt.
Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O’Hare. Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva
The Royal Road
This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican-American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjTj4WN46dA
Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson
Tig
This documentary explores comedian Tig Notaro’s extraordinary journey as her life unfolds in grand and unexpected ways, all while she is battling a life-threatening illness and falling in love.
Directors: Kristina Goolsby, Ashley York Screenwriter: Jennifer Arnold
So it christmas, and TV viewing is poor. The problem is that too much turkey, stuffing, and wine have made making the decision just a bit too difficult and you’e been scrolling for hours. Now you don’t have to decide. This quiz will do it for you!
Film Festivals are about discovery, it’s where the slightly more niche and indie films go to get seen, and for critics to talk them up and tell the public why they should pay attention (even when big production companies or movie distributors haven’t).
That’s often the case for many LGBT films with many big budget publishers shying away from the queer content that many of us crave. Now we move into a new year, and take time out to see what queer related films caught our eyes.
Appropriate Behavior
Making cultural and ethnic identities the subject in this tale, Appropriate Behavior’s lead character, Shirin, must reconcile her identity as a ‘politically correct bisexual’, ‘a hip, young Brooklynite’ and ‘an ideal Persian daughter’ as she, like many young people, struggles to fit all of the pieces to her identity jigsaw together.
Desiree Akhavan is the familiar name behind the project having also picked up acclaim for The Slope, a lesbian webseries that she also worked on so, with plenty of budding talent behind it, Appropriate Behavior deserves more than the appropriate amount of interest.
52 Tuesdays
When your mother reveals to you that she is trans* and is set to transition, that’s something that will certainly accelerate your maturity as your come to terms with such a huge decision. That’s what happens to 16 year old Billie in 52 Tuesdays as she not only has to be there for her mother as he transitions, but her time with him is also limited to Tuesdays, making it paramount for the mother-daughter duo to stay close.
Keeping within the film’s theme, the Australia-set movie was actually filmed across the course of a year as shooting took place every Tuesday. 52 Tuesdays was a big hit at Sundance, with director Sophie Hyde winning the ‘World Cinema Directing Award’ for her work.
I Love Your Work
If 52 Tuesdays’ filming schedule was somewhat peculiar then I Love Your Work’s is even more mind-boggling. Being made up of over 2000 10-second clips, I Love Your Work riffs off the popular saying that you might say to an actor or director of your favourite movie, only in this film, those movies happen to be porn. As an interactive documentary, the Jonathan Harris directed piece covers the private lives of 9 women who make lesbian porn with some describing Harris’ piece as “beautifully designed.”
Beautifully designed as it may be, I Love Your Work is also around 6 hours long, given the fact that footage was taken at 5 minute intervals over 10 consecutive days, but that perhaps provides a more accurate look at the day to day of the porn industry rather than a dramatised serial that someone wants to make headlines out of.
The Case Against 8
A documentary that is shot more in the traditional sense, The Case Against 8 as filmed across 5 years as those in California struggled to overturn Proposition 8, the law that saw the liberal-leaning state of California ban gay marriage. Before the ban, California did allow for gay marriage, with high profile couples like Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi actually getting married just prior to the ban, which is why many saw it as ludicrous when Prop 8 actually passed.
As a result, The Case Against 8 is a phenomenal watch as it follows the team that took the first marriage equality case to the U.S Supreme Court in a move that has led the way for many couples to do the same and progress the same-gender marriage rights across the United States.
The Foxy Merkins
Also focusing on the topic of sex, but very much in a different way to that of I Love Your Work, The Foxy Merkins is based around two lesbian prostitutes in New York City. One of them, a newbie to the queer sex worker world and the other one, who is described as ‘an expert on picking up women’, make for a hugely hilarious pairing.
The Foxy Merkins is essentially a queer-centric buddy comedy that sees the two women meet a delightful selection of characters that you probably wouldn’t see in another film with a widespread release, needless to say, this film is refreshing.
The Skeleton Twins
Usually when a film centres on siblings who have fallen out or who have never gotten along, it takes something dramatic to bring them together and they end the film happily, reminiscing over the parts of their childhood that they actually liked. That’s very much the case of The Skeleton Twins but don’t expect it to be all smooth sailing.
As the film with the biggest amount of starpower on this list, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader play twins Maggie and Milo (Milo’s ex boyfriend is played by Modern Family’s Ty Burrell) who have a reunion after they both ‘cheat death on the same day’. The fact that they actively confront the differences between them to fix their lives rather than passive aggressive behaviour or ridiculous pranks that usually take place in similarly themed movies may make for uncomfortable viewing but with a cast like that, The Skeleton Twins isn’t one to miss.
My Prairie Home
Another intriguing form of filmmaking, My Prairie Home is a documentary and a musical that is described as a ‘poetic journey’. Put in better terms, My Prairie Home is compiled of visual interpretations of trans* singer Rae Spoon’s music, all set with beautiful landscapes of Canadian prairies.
It’s easier to watch than it is to describe because the music can’t be put into many words but if you’d like something offbeat that will be a delight to your ears, check My Prairie Home out.
This movie has a normal plot and predictable when 2 young girls love each other. I love them both cuz they’re very beautiful.
Female Perversions (1996)
I don’t know the name of main actress but she is such a good actress when expressing emotion about her desire.
La répétition (2001)
This film is a sensational touch for me when two woman find their own thoughts, some facts in this movie is not clear, but it’s OK, I enjoyed it anyway.
Viola di mare (2009)
The Purple Sea, just a beautiful film with lovely shores, those two main actresses are impressive.
Lengua materna (2010)
This is an old movie with slight plot just like The Secret Garden 1993 I saw one time.
Not many mainstream movies produced by HBO and Michael Stipe give you the lowdown on lesbianism in female prisons in the US. Stranger Inside follows the journey of an imprisoned African-American woman who is looking for her real mother.
When it first came out Do I Love You? was the first British lesbian feature to be made for a decade. Lisa Gornick’s ‘thesis on love and labels’ was widely-loved and enjoyed by audiences all over the globe. Marina is around thirty and very confused about life and love – her story is told eloquently and incisively by this unique movie.
Some critics wondered whether this mainstream movie with bankable A-list stars signalled that Hollywood was about to embrace lesbianism fully. Things didn’t exactly turn out like that, but the film certainly made waves. Many loved it but others – both homosexual and homophobic – had criticisms about its portrayal of LGBT characters.
Tomboy (2011)
This classic of French dyke cinema was the brainchild of Celine Sciamma who also directed the successful Water Lillies (2007). The protagonist is 10 year old Laure, who wants to be Mikael. (S)he tries to come to terms with the feeling that she is a boy trapped inside the body of a girl, facing off prejudice and misunderstanding all the way.
Part of the British new wave of realist queer cinema, Break My Fall is a painfully honest account of the complexities of an intense Sapphic relationship in contemporary East London. It was shot on 16mm by the Bafta-nominated auteur Kanchi Wichmann.
Tom Sykes: Your new film Anatomy of a Love Seen is about a stormy lesbian relationship. Were you consciously trying to deal with the kinds of challenges that come up in a lesbian relationship or were you just trying to tell a story that happened to have two lesbians at its centre?
Marina Rice Bader: When it comes to relationships women are so very different from men because women have a tendency to engage on every level, if you will. The story is about how nobody can walk away from a lesbian relationship without this rollercoaster of emotions: pain and resentment and bitterness and compassion and love.
TS: Is it a story that’s therefore specifically aimed at lesbians or is there something for everyone?
MRB: I’m not sure if there’s something for every man but there’s something for every woman because even in a straight relationship women want openness and passion and communication and depth of feeling. I think all women have the potential to go where the characters in my movie go.
TS: Anatomy of a Love Seen has an intriguing film-within-a-film conceit. The two characters meet and fall in love while they are acting on a fictional movie set. What inspired that?
MRB: My favourite movies take me to a different time or place, to a world I’m not familiar with. So when I was writing this movie I wondered where I could take an audience? Most people don’t get to experience a movie set. I also liked the notion of two people falling in love at exactly the same time in front of a camera and twenty or thirty people.
Many of us go through a heart-wrenching break-up and we never get the chance to see or touch our ex again. So I was interested in what might happen if these two lovely women went through a break-up and then were not only in the same room together but were back in bed kissing each other. Would that connection transcend all the problems of the break-up in the first place? Would it be a healing measure?
TS: Most independent filmmakers find it hard to fund their projects. Was it difficult to finance Anatomy of a Love Seen?
MRB: It was a very short process. I decided I was going to make the movie in December 2013 and I had it completely filmed by the end of January 2014. We had a two-week pre-prep and we shot over the course of 5 days which is pretty nuts! But I really wanted to make this film and I called an investor I knew who put up the whole budget: $70,000. The financial restrictions forced me to be more creative because I had to work hard to give people a wonderful film with high production values and the best acting possible, but for not much money. Luckily I found an amazing cast and crew who were willing to come on this crazy ride with me!
TS: What’s your estimation of the current state of lesbian cinema?
MRB: It’s hard enough to fund an indie film but funding a lesbian indie film is very very challenging. Most people still view it as a niche market. When people invest in a film they want to know how many people will see it and whether or not they’ll get their money back. Personally I don’t want to compromise what I’m doing to make bigger budget films, but luckily there are a lot of people who have the same interests as me and who want to get these movies made come hell or high water.
I think we will start to see more films with lesbian content and mainstream budgets, although maybe not in the near future. I’m quite hopeful about this upcoming movie Carol, starring Cate Blanchett, which is based on the classic lesbian novel The Price of Salt.
But it’s a double-edged sword. If big studios start making lots of lesbian films that may jeopardise my company, Soul Kiss Films, which exclusively makes lesbian movies. That said, as long as I keep on trucking and stay passionate, it won’t matter who the competition is.
TS: Although our societies seem to be getting more and more tolerant, have you ever experienced any prejudice or bigotry against you or other LGBTs in the film industry?
MRB: I think the industry here is very tolerant. I feel so blessed to live in Los Angeles and to belong to the LGBT community. I had the luxury of entering this community at the age of 52 when I was already confident and didn’t care what people thought of me.
Now people know that we LGBTs are here and we’re staying here so just frigging deal with it! Get out your history books and look at the freedoms our Constitution guarantee us!
TS: Where can we see the film when it comes out?
MRB: Our world premiere is on July 18th in LA and the film will be available worldwide the next day on our website www.anatomyofaloveseen.com.
One of the greatest – but also most shocking – sapphic screen gems. Beryl Reid portrays George, the cigar-sucking dyke who loses everything before entering into an inadvisable femme-dyke-butch love triangle. The film did terrible business when it came out but has become a cult classic, thanks partly to that X-rated scene.
The time: 1956. The place: Hungary. Two journalists who are campaigning against the corrupt communist regime fall deeply and desperately in love. The first Hungarian film to openly deal with LGBT issues, Another Way caused something of a stir.
An insightful documentary all about the bohemian Sapphos who lived in Paris’ chic Left Bank during the early 1900s. You’ll learn a lot about lesbian legends from Collette to Djuna Barnes, Gertrude Stein to Alice B. Toklas.
The Wachowksi siblings’ high-octane lesbo-crime-noir-caper written by feminist intellectual Susie Bright. All the masculinist conventions are subverted in this intelligent and wickedly funny story.
Dyketactics (1974)
Barbara Hammer’s explosive short film is a product of its times: liberated lesbians dance naked in a field while psychedelic music plays. Hammer went on to be probably the greatest of all LGBT avant-garde directors and is highly acclaimed for Born in Flames (1983), Desert Hearts (1985), and Go Fish (1994).
Sundance is sort of a big a deal. An annual film festival that takes place every January in Park City – Utah, Sundance is where filmmakers go to showcase their wares and create pre-awards season buzz. In fact, the critical reception that many films receive at Sundance each year is a pretty good suggestion of which films will go on to take home the big prizes at the Golden Globes or the Oscars that follow.
For others though, Sundance is about discovery, it’s where the slightly more niche and indie films go to get eyes on them, for critics to talk them up and tell the public why they should pay attention even when big production companies or movie distributors haven’t. That’s often the case for many LGBT films with many big budget publishers shying away from the queer content that many of us crave. Now that Sundance 2014 has been and gone we have a better picture of what the queer related films on show.
So you can read the list below to find out more about the LGBT related films from Sundance 2014 that we think you should watch.
52 Tuesdays
When your mother reveals to you that she is trans* and is set to transition, that’s something that will certainly accelerate your maturity as your come to terms with such a huge decision. That’s what happens to 16 year old Billie in 52 Tuesdays as she not only has to be there for her mother as he transitions, but her time with him is also limited to Tuesdays, making it paramount for the mother-daughter duo to stay close.
Keeping within the film’s theme, the Australia-set movie was actually filmed across the course of a year as shooting took place every Tuesday. 52 Tuesdays was a big hit at Sundance, with director Sophie Hyde winning the ‘World Cinema Directing Award’ for her work.
I Love Your Work
If 52 Tuesdays’ filming schedule was somewhat peculiar then I Love Your Work’s is even more mind-boggling. Being made up of over 2000 10-second clips, I Love Your Work riffs off the popular saying that you might say to an actor or director of your favourite movie, only in this film, those movies happen to be porn. As an interactive documentary, the Jonathan Harris directed piece covers the private lives of 9 women who make lesbian porn with some describing Harris’ piece as “beautifully designed.”
Beautifully designed as it may be, I Love Your Work is also around 6 hours long, given the fact that footage was taken at 5 minute intervals over 10 consecutive days, but that perhaps provides a more accurate look at the day to day of the porn industry rather than a dramatised serial that someone wants to make headlines out of.
The Case Against 8
A documentary that is shot more in the traditional sense, The Case Against 8 as filmed across 5 years as those in California struggled to overturn Proposition 8, the law that saw the liberal-leaning state of California ban gay marriage. Before the ban, California did allow for gay marriage, with high profile couples like Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi actually getting married just prior to the ban, which is why many saw it as ludicrous when Prop 8 actually passed.
As a result, The Case Against 8 is a phenomenal watch as it follows the team that took the first marriage equality case to the U.S Supreme Court in a move that has led the way for many couples to do the same and progress the same-gender marriage rights across the United States.
The Foxy Merkins
Also focusing on the topic of sex, but very much in a different way to that of I Love Your Work, The Foxy Merkins is based around two lesbian prostitutes in New York City. One of them, a newbie to the queer sex worker world and the other one, who is described as ‘an expert on picking up women’, make for a hugely hilarious pairing.
The Foxy Merkins is essentially a queer-centric buddy comedy that sees the two women meet a delightful selection of characters that you probably wouldn’t see in another film with a widespread release, needless to say, this film is refreshing.
The Skeleton Twins
Usually when a film centres on siblings who have fallen out or who have never gotten along, it takes something dramatic to bring them together and they end the film happily, reminiscing over the parts of their childhood that they actually liked. That’s very much the case of The Skeleton Twins but don’t expect it to be all smooth sailing.
As the film with the biggest amount of starpower on this list, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader play twins Maggie and Milo (Milo’s ex boyfriend is played by Modern Family’s Ty Burrell) who have a reunion after they both ‘cheat death on the same day’. The fact that they actively confront the differences between them to fix their lives rather than passive aggressive behaviour or ridiculous pranks that usually take place in similarly themed movies may make for uncomfortable viewing but with a cast like that, The Skeleton Twins isn’t one to miss.
Appropriate Behavior
Making cultural and ethnic identities the subject in this tale, Appropriate Behavior’s lead character, Shirin, must reconcile her identity as a ‘politically correct bisexual’, ‘a hip, young Brooklynite’ and ‘an ideal Persian daughter’ as she, like many young people, struggles to fit all of the pieces to her identity jigsaw together.
Desiree Akhavan is the familiar name behind the project having also picked up acclaim for The Slope, a lesbian webseries that she also worked on so, with plenty of budding talent behind it, Appropriate Behavior deserves more than the appropriate amount of interest.
My Prairie Home
Another intriguing form of filmmaking, My Prairie Home is a documentary and a musical that is described as a ‘poetic journey’. Put in better terms, My Prairie Home is compiled of visual interpretations of trans* singer Rae Spoon’s music, all set with beautiful landscapes of Canadian prairies.
It’s easier to watch than it is to describe because the music can’t be put into many words but if you’d like something offbeat that will be a delight to your ears, check My Prairie Home out.
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