When Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa in 1994, he set in motion the adoption of a new constitution, with an emphasis on equality of rights and opportunities. This openness was not just intended for blacks. It extended to LGBT citizens, too.
So the South Africa depicted in the movie “While You Weren’t Looking” is reflective of this open society, its director Catherine Stewart says.
“Constitutional experts from all over the world descended on South Africa in 1994 to help us write our new constitution. Entrenched in it are the rights for no one to be discriminated against on the basis of anything, race, class, gender religion, sexual orientation,” said Stewart. “The rights of LGBT are reflected in all laws of the land so that LGBT can adopt children, get married, etc.”
“While You Weren’t Looking” is one of the films to be shown at this year’s Connecticut LGBT Film Festival, which will be at Cinestudio, at Trinity College in Hartford, from May 29 to June 6. Ten feature films and two shorts blocks will be shown over the festival’s nine-day run.
The feature films in the festival include documentaries about Olympic star Greg Louganis; a transgender child and transwomen in the military; dramas set in Mexico, Thailand, Germany and Venezuela; a Dutch gay parenthood comedy; Robin Williams’ last unreleased dramatic role; and a closing-night screening of the 1998 Studio 54 homage “54” starring Mike Myers, Ryan Phillippe and Salma Hayek.
Stewart’s film tells the story of a troubled middle-aged lesbian couple living an upper-crust life in Cape Town, whose grown daughter is hanging out in a poor community with her newest crush, who turns out to be a woman.
In an email interview from South Africa, Stewart said that despite the constitutional protections, the attitudes of the people lag behind.
“For a poor black lesbian living in the township, her neighbors’ opinion of and treatment of her are not much affected by the distant constitution or laws of land,” Stewart said. “Equally, in the upper echelons of power and political circles, there are no openly gay black men or women in parliament. Fearful of censure, people in the corridors of power do not come out.
“In both upper- and lower-class parts of society, there are people who are homophobic and prejudiced and pose a threat to LGBT people in terms of acceptance,” she said.
So despite its remarkably progressive constitution, South Africa is not yet a gay paradise. Neither is Thailand, in real life. However, the world depicted in another of the festival’s films, “How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)” shows an extraordinary level of acceptance of LGBT lifestyles.
The drama tells the story of a gay youth who must show up for the military draft along with all of his 21-year-old friends, one of whom is a transwoman. (All Thais born male must show up for the draft the year of their 21st birthdays.) When the transwoman explains her situation to the military recruiter, he, with the air of someone who has done this before, shows her where to wait in the recruitment room. And the lead character’s religious, superstitious aunt has no problem with his sexual orientation. She scolds him for other reasons.
Josh Kim, the Korean-American filmmaker who made “Checkers,” said LGBT life in Thailand is harsher than the lives he shows in his film. “One of the great things about film is that it allows you to create this world which might not exist, but a world which could be possible,” Kim said in an email interview from South Korea. “To be honest, Thailand is not this tolerant and most of my friends are not out to their parents. But why couldn’t it be this tolerant?”
Other Films
One of the marquee curiosities of the festival will be “Boulevard,” Robin Williams’ last unreleased dramatic role. The film tells the story of a middle-aged man in a dull marriage whose life becomes complicated when he meets a male prostitute. The story of a depressed and confused man is beautifully acted but somewhat difficult to watch, considering how Williams’ own life story ended and his own battle with depression.
“Velociraptor,” a Mexican story of a gay young man and his friend, who walk around talking about their lives as the world comes to an end, has an oddly silent vibe, which is appropriate for a depiction of a world where all the people are running away to hide.
“Liz in September” is a Venezuelan story of a lesbian with a new woman in her life, but who is hiding a serious secret from her new love. “Happy End?!” is another story of lesbians with a secret, this one a seriocomic tale involving a kind old woman and her hateful son.
“54,” which was released in 1998, is being shown in a director’s cut. The drama tells the story of the decadent pleasure-palace disco, which was one of the world’s most coveted destinations until it fell apart as a result of an IRS investigation.
The festival’s only straight comedy is “20 Lies, 4 Parents and a Little Egg,” a Dutch story of two lesbians and their teenage son, that young man’s sperm donor father and that father’s oblivious male significant other.
Documentaries include “Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story,” which tells the story of a transgender former Navy SEAL and shows that transwomen in the military are not uncommon; “Back on Board: Greg Louganis,” which tells of the Olympic star’s triumphs, trials and tragedies; and “In the Turn,” the story of a Canadian transchild who is embraced by a roller derby team made up of lesbians and transwomen.
More information: outfilmct.org.
