London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 2009
Sunday, March 29, highlights
Schedule and synopses from the LLGFF website
Born in 68
| Directed by: | Jacques Martineau, Olivier Ducastel |
| Cast: | Laetitia Casta, Yannick Renier, Yann Trégouët |
| Distributor: | Peccadillo Pictures |
| Country: | France |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Running time: | 170min |
Festival favourites Martineau and Ducastel return to the LLGFF with an epic drama covering life and sexual politics in France. Friends and lovers caught up in the excitement of May '68 at the Sorbonne eventually leave Paris for a communal life in the country. The collective seems at first like a fairytale of left wing hippydom. But principles are betrayed as members of the commune drift away to bourgeois careers. Laetitia Casta gives a great performance as the central figure, Catherine, loved by both Hervé and Yves, eventually left by everyone, she remains a gentle but determined matriarch. At almost three hours this film doesn't feel like its navigation through 40 years is rushed. It offers a lesson in the hopes and dreams of the generation of 68 and how we live now. Brian Robinson
The Secrets
| Directed by: | Avi Nesher |
| Cast: | Fanny Ardant, Ania Bukstein, Michal Shtamler |
| Country: | France-Israel |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Running time: | 120min |
In a repressive orthodox culture where women are forbidden to speak out, Naomi is a rare creature, an intelligent young woman who yearns to learn more about her faith and perhaps become a rabbi like her father. Postponing her arranged marriage so she can go study at a Jewish seminary for women, Naomi's devout faith and belief system is rocked when the Western influenced Michelle joins the school. The two young women quickly develop a friendship that turns into more as they meet the ailing Anouk (Fanny Ardant in a brilliant supporting role), who seeks absolution for her mysterious past. This is a beautifully made film of Naomi's journey into womanhood, the struggle she faces to be true to herself and her faith, and the threat her love for Michelle poses in the orthodox world. Emma Smart
The New World
| Directed by: | Étienne Dhaene |
| Cast: | Natalia Dontcheva, Vanessa Larré |
| Country: | France |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Running time: | 90min |
Lucie a school teacher who feels unable to come out at work wants a baby but her motorbike-riding girlfriend Marion is less keen, perhaps because her own mother can’t accept who she is. Love prevails in this funny quirky tale of lesbian motherhood in the French suburbs, and thanks to the support of their lesbian friends plus a helpful vial of sperm from longtime friend Hugo our happy couple get pregnant. But what happens when Hugo, wants to be more involved with the baby’s life than either woman expected? Emma Smart
"A Twist in the Latin Tale"
Refreshingly original tales of heartbreak, lust and love that convey the rich diversity of queer lives in Latin America.
Spying on the Man
Colombia-Argentina 2007. Dir Luis Monteaegre. 6min.
Lunch break brings an unusual ménage à trios in a men's toilet.
They Love Each Other
Dir Laura Astorga Carrera. 18min.
When two factory workers are mistaken for lesbians, they develop a close bond.
After Everything
Brazil 2008. Dir Rafael Saar. 12min.
A loving elderly couple must endure the difficulty of saying goodbye again.
The Last Wish
Argentina 2007. Dir Marco Berger. 10min.
A prisoner's last wish confounds his executioners.
Aristeu's Shoes (above)
Brazil 2008. Dir Luiz René Guerra. 17min.
One mother must confront the identity of her deceased transgender daughter.
Between Color and Razors
Brazil 2007. Dir Catarina Accioly, Iberé Carvalho. 15min.
When Antony meets bus conductor Esperança on his daily commute, their lives transform in unexpected ways.
London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 2009: DOLLS, THE DEVIL'S CLEAVAGE
London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 2009: Fred Halsted, THE NAKED CIVIL SERVANT
OTTO, OR UP WITH DEAD PEOPLE, THE LARAMIE PROJECT Offend