BROKEBACK, PARADISE, and Democracy

 

In Brief: In "Gay Cinema: The Story So Far," The Independent’s John Walsh discusses the impact of Brokeback Mountain, and reflects on the changing portrayals of gays in the movies. Actually, in English-language movies, since non-US, non-UK films with important gay characters - and there have been hundreds of those - are completely ignored.

Paradise Now (2005) directed by Hany Abu-Assad, starring Kais Nashef, Ali SulimanYnetnews reports that Golden Globe nominee Paradise Now, the story of two Palestinian suicide bombers, has flopped in Israel. "We didn’t know how the American audience would react to the film," says the film’s producer, Amir Harel. "And we are extremely pleased by the nomination. I would have hoped the Israeli audience would have received the movie like it was in the United States, but apparently Americans are more progressive." (One minor detail: The Golden Globe nominees were chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is composed of non-American journalists.)

Young (and innovative) filmmaker Alex Chan, 27, added English subtitles to his 13-minute computer-generated short about the recent French riots, The French Democracy, in order "to correct what was being said in the media, especially in the United States, who linked what was happening, the riots, to terrorism and put the blame on the Muslim community." Quote found in the San Jose Mercury News.

Hollywood Foreign Press Association 2005 Golden Globe Award nominations

List of the Broadcast Film Critics Association Critics’ Choice Awards 2005 nominees

New York Film Critics Circle 2005 winners

National Board of Review 2005 winners

New York Film Critics Online 2005 winners

Los Angeles Film Critics Association 2005 winners

Complete list of winners and nominees for the 2005 European Film Awards

Independent Spirit Awards 2005 Nominees

 

 

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