www.queerradio.org

John Frame’s review comments

for selected films screening at the 2008 Brisbane Queer Film Festival

at the Brisbane Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street, New Farm

23^rd to 29^th May 2008

for the full program and booking info go to http://www.bqff.com.au/

“The Universe of Keith Haring”

3pm Saturday 24^th May 2008, Visy Theatre

Summary: a vital revelation of a uniquely talented compulsively driven artist

5/5 stars

This 90 minute documentary on the life of Keith Haring is thoroughly entertaining, moving and rewarding. It will screen on 24th May 2008 at the Brisbane Queer Film Festival in their smaller 200 seat venue, the Visy Theatre. However having just previewed a screener DVD I'm wishing it was at least in their bigger venue, because we see that plenty of Keith's work was on a very grand scale.

That fact is made all the more astonishing by the revelation that he never worked from sketches - we're witnessing the life and creations of true unblinking genius.

This is a gay relevant, but certainly not a gay-specific story. It's about an extraordinary man who realised the full potential of his ability to create and love and live. Through testimony from his friends and family we also know that Keith was not only a lovely but also very generous guy.

Keith Haring was so prolific that you really have to keep your eyes peeled for the multitude of his works included here. Anyone with a vocation for art will be inspired. Everyone else will be enthralled. We (and many future generations) will all celebrate his life.

Superbly edited and a fitting tribute.

“Shelter”

10pm Saturday 24^th May 2008, Powerhouse Theatre

Summary: lyrical, sweet and poignant

5/5 stars

I'm previewing a disc version for the Brisbane Queer Film Festival where Shelter screens on Saturday 24th May 2008. Even in this low res screener, Shelter shines as a film with huge heart, and one that's been made with equal care by the actors and all of the film-makers.

It's not at all like the angst-ridden abomination of a gay surf flick "Tan Lines". Surfing is simply a fact of life element in "Shelter" - it's not used or abused as a device.

"Shelter" is a beautifully edited, spectacular looking and luscious sounding film which is definitely character driven. Each of the main characters is carefully developed so that we quite soon decide that we really do care about Zach, his young nephew Cody and Zach's love interest, Shaun. We want things to work out for them.

We understand that Zach is in a bind - he's allowed himself to be the physical and emotional anchor for a progressively more dysfunctional family, but we know that he deserves much better life options. The writers and director of Shelter have done a fantastic job - not a look or word is wasted, and yet the whole pace of the film is very relaxed.

"Shelter" deserves every accolade that any individual or Festival might care to bestow.

Straight audiences must find "Shelter" to be equally rewarding. The film's theme is, after all, about love, honour and commitment. What could be more wholesome than that?

“ Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe”

3pm Sunday 25^th May 2008, Visy Theatre

Summary: insight into the art of talented curator/collector Sam Wagstaff.

4/5 stars

A documentary purporting to reveal, for historical accuracy and posterity, the achievements and broad influence of radical USA art curator and collector Sam Wagstaff. We’re given more than enough reason to respect and celebrate Sam Wagstaff in his own right as a strongly individual creative artist, but someone whose reputation could too easily be overshadowed by the people he was associated with – especially his long term lover, the notoriously risque photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

I especially enjoyed the section dealing with Sam Wagstaff’s obsession in travelling the globe to collect fine photographic works on a very broad scale – routinely setting new records at auction (and pissing people off in the process). We're told that, more than nearly all of his art world contemporaries, he saw photography as having unique intrinsic value. Eventually he sold his collection of “overvalued” photographs for five million dollars.

Robert Mapplethorpe’s long term friend and flatmate Patti Smith naturally became a very good friend of Sam Wagstaff. Patti gives us a confidant’s perspective on both men’s lives and passions.

This is interesting as a slice of queer cultural heritage but I anticipate that any student of art and photography will find this film to be extraordinarily entertaining.

The film is much more about Sam Wagstaff than it is about Robert Mapplethorpe (or their relationship), but the point is made that Sam inspired, supported and enabled Mapplethorpe to achieve decidedly more than 15 minutes of fame.

The audio editing could be the only weak technical point – for some strange reason (at least in the stereo screener DVD) the living testimonies are mixed extremely to the right channel and are very feint in comparison to the narration.

NB: What we’re seeing here at BQFF is 69 minutes long – and according to the listing at imdb.com it should be 77 minutes.

“ A Jihad For Love”

5pm Sunday 25^th May 2008, Visy Theatre

Summary: will significantly hasten a resolution for many in their struggle for love

5/5 stars

"A Jihad For Love" is in the same league as "Trembling Before G-d" and "In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick's Journey of Faith" as a fine documentary dealing with the reality of severe religion based oppression of homosexuals.

"Trembling Before G-d" dealt with Orthodox Judaism and "In Good Conscience" dealt with Vatican-dominated Catholicism. "Jihad For Love" combines some of the sentiments in both those films - especially in affirming that scriptures can and ought to be read compassionately and intelligently, rather than merely reciting archaic and dubious interpretations.

The filmmakers hold the appropriate premise - the self-evident truth that difference is normal, including difference in innate sexual preference. The job of this film is not to prove that homosexuality is a valid human trait, but to question why vigorous, often mortally violent, oppression persists against persons who only want to love and be loved in honesty and with equity.

Any informed parent ought to be aware that no matter what their religion or location in the world, their children stand exactly the same statistical likelihood of being born same sex attracted - and there's nothing they can do to change that fact. However parents can do their utmost to ensure that their family, community and legal system is prepared to accept and support all good loving people.

"A Jihad For Love" will follow the other two films in doing incalculable good in the world by stimulating active community debate and also by presenting some very powerful role models for same sex attracted Moslems and for their families, friends and religious leaders. I expect that it will significantly hasten a resolution for many in their struggle for love.

“Ha Buah” (The Bubble)

Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles

9pm Thursday 29^th May 2008, Powerhouse Theatre

Summary: a compelling epic Middle East romantic tragedy

5/5 stars

Directed and co-written by Eytan Fox the writer/director of the highly acclaimed 2002 mini feature “Yossi & Jagger” (2002). This comparative epic, at 1hr 53 minutes, is another fine romantic drama in which we must deal with tragedy as well as celebrate the beauty and joy in life. Westerners, especially urban gay men like myself, need to be moved outside our safety zone and be informed of the real life and death struggle elsewhere to be able to love with equity.

While “Yossi & Jagger” focused on a pair of gay lovers in the closeted confines of Israeli military service, “Ha Buah” is centred on a group of civilian friends, both straight and gay, who share a unit in the heart of Israel’s generally gay-tolerant, but not always gay-friendly, capital Tel Aviv.

“Ha Buah” opens with a dramatic border check point scene in which Noam (Ohad Knoller – Yossi from “Yossi & Jagger”) first meets handsome young Arab Ashraf (Yousef Sweid). Romance soon blooms – but in that political climate opportunities would have to be seized quickly or lost altogether.

From there we follow an intricate interplay among the members and lovers of the housemates and the unavoidable effect of Ashraf’s very conservative family. If you follow this film’s dialogue attentively enough then you will have no reason to be disappointed with the ending.

The soundtrack for “Ha Buah” is vibrant and the visuals are both beautiful and stark – i.e. real life in the Middle East.

The English subtitles are very easy to follow and you quickly relax and appreciate world cinema at its best.

Updated 21^st May 2008