Queer Cinema Comes Out of the Closet
Written by DCist Contributor Christopher Durocher
In commemoration of National Coming Out Day it’s time to set the record, er, straight. It’s time to admit what every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered person already knows – mainstream, gay-themed cinema is, at best, a mixed bag. But don’t despair. Beginning October 12, the Reel Affirmations International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, is going to show D.C. that there is more to queer cinema than gay caricatures.
The fact is, as far as mainstream movies go, if you’re gay, you’re either destined for a life of rejection, pain, and tragic death (and likely an Oscar nomination) or you’re a powder-puff, a fairy and, too often, the butt of the joke.
Take some of the more mainstream, gay-themed movies of the past decade. Brokeback Mountain is a beautifully filmed, Oscar nominated love story that centers on the tragedy of the closet and ends with one of the main characters beaten to death because he is gay. Philadelphia and Monster are films about an HIV positive gay man (played by Tom Hanks) and a serial killer lesbian (played by Charlize Theron), respectively, who - you guessed it - both end up dead and with Oscars statues.
For the more lighthearted viewer, we have the “gay-as-clown” genre. To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar is a head-scratcher of a movie with Patrick Swayze in drag, and the touching message that as long as you’re gay and fabulous, middle America will welcome you with open hearts and open arms (as long as you don’t kiss, or hold hands or any of that other gross stuff that would hint at your sexuality).
Reel Affirmations provides an opportunity for gay and straight audiences to see that queer cinema and gay and lesbian characters can be more than award winning tragedy or sterotyped farce.
The festival, now in its sixteenth year, will hold screenings from October 12 to October 21 at locations around D.C., including the Landmark E-Street Theater, the Lincoln Theatre and the Goethe Institut. It opens with Shortbus, the highly anticipated film from Hedwig and the Angry Inch writer/director John Cameron Mitchell. The real buzz around this film is Mitchell’s use of actual sexual intercourse performed by the mostly novice cast – a cast that critics say still manages to deliver performances that are funny and sometimes moving.
With over fifty films being screened, the festival will spotlight the variety in queer cinema, and showcase comedies, dramas, documentaries and musicals that speak to the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered experience. Festival goers can take in a Bollywood film that casts a eunuch (a character more commonly the object of comic disdain in Bollywood) as the hero. You can also learn about true community in a documentary that profiles small town gay bars in the rural South. If you’re feeling less cerebral, you can enjoy a gay-zombie flick set on the shore of the Pink Lagoon.
Cineophiles can purchase passes good for the entire festival, including opening and closing night parties and reserved seating. Depending on the perks you’re looking for, passes start at $350 for one person. For those of us breathing less rarefied air, there are more reasonably priced, limited festival admission tickets that range from $125 to $75. Those who take their queer cinema in smaller doses can purchase tickets for individual movies starting at $9. For the real cheapskates, Reel Affirmation even offers Free at Five, with admission to the all movies screening at 5 pm from October 16 to the 20. You can find additional information about pricing and availability as well a complete schedule at the Reel Affirmations Web site.
Reel Affirmations is presented by One in Ten, an organization founded in 1991 to promote gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender contributions to the arts.