SIFF offers notable LGBT film fare from across the globe
Reviews by Herb Krohn
SGN A&E Writer
May 24th marks the opening of the 33rd Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), the largest and most highly attended festival in the United States. Seattle’s love for film (Seattleites see more movies per capita than any other city in the nation) makes the city the most appropriate setting for new films to be seen, tested and celebrated by everyone - film fan and filmmaker alike.
Running a full 25 days, SIFF brings 227 narrative features, 61 documentary features, and 117 short films from 60 different countries, including 48 World Premieres 39 North American Premieres and 20 US Premieres. From May 24th through June 17th at various venues throughout the city, SIFF 2007 promises to again bring the best in world cinema from fiercely independent fare to studio-produced masterworks.
The Seattle Gay News reviewed several of the films of interest to a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender audience. We have provided reviews of films screening soon, a list of LGBT films screening in the upcoming weeks and our take on the some of the general interest films for your movie going pleasure.
For tickets or more information on the festival, including descriptions of films and events, please visit www.seattlefilm.org.
Freeheld: The Legacy of Laurel Hester
Rating: Outstanding
Documentary/US
Part of a presentation of shorts titled “Behind the Headlines”
Northwest Film Forum/Saturday May 26th, 2:00 pm
Tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 pm a collection of shorts will be showing at the Northwest Film Forum on 12th Ave at E. Pike St. as part of the annual Seattle International Film Festival. Included in this presentation is an awesome documentary film which goes to the root of the political issues around same sex relationships and legal protections.
Just last month in Washington state we were able to secure passage of a domestic partnership law that conveys only three of the four-hundred or so special rights that heterosexual married couple enjoy. One of the primary catalysts for the enactment of this law was the emotional testimony of Charlene Strong who was the longtime partner of Kate Fleming who died tragically in her own Madison Valley home when her basement recording studio was flooded during the winter storm. Putting a human face and publicizing the injustices that LGBT citizens often face when tragedy strikes a same sex relationship resulted in advancing our quest for equality politically here at the state level.
Freeheld: The Legacy of Laurel Hester is a similar tragedy that shook up the political powers in Ocean County, NJ in 2006. Hester was a 27 year career County Police officer who came through the ranks from a Patrol Officer to Detective and eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant. Hester, 49 lived with her domestic partner, Stacie Andree, 30, who worked as an auto mechanic, along with their dogs. Hester was diagnosed with stage three terminal brain cancer and wanted to extend her pension benefits to her partner so that Andree would be able to afford to keep the home they bought together several years earlier.
She asked the five members of County Board of Freeholders (the New Jersey political equivalent of a County Council) to extend county pension benefits to domestic partners per the specific authority granted to local governments by the State of New Jersey to enact DP pension benefits. The Freeholders in Ocean County refused repeatedly with excuses, including passing the buck by claiming that it was an issue for the State not the County, citing the increased costs to the county (while admitting that they did have the funds in the bank to pay for it), arguing that this issue had to be raised and resolved in contract negotiations with the unions, as well as one Freeholder who used the worn argument that it would undermine the institution of marriage.
This documentary holds back nothing, and launches into the subject matter from the start of the film, even in the opening credits. Veteran New York filmmaker Cynthia Wade learned of the story from an article she saw in local paper and rushed down to Ocean County to attend a Freeholders meeting. Befriending the couple, Wade was granted exclusive and unlimited access to document their lives as the tragic yet heroic story unfolded. The result is absolute political dynamite! The audience watches as Hester deteriorates from the invading cancer, yet pursues her dying wish to protect her loving caring life partner – “for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” Even as she bravely faces her own certain impending demise, she never once surrendered in her quest for equality, her dignity, nor her demand that the love she shared with her partner be treated equally under the law.
But what is even more fascinating is how the community, including her macho police co-workers came to her defense. Other New Jersey counties enacted laws granting the pension benefit to demonstrate to Ocean County Freeholders that it could and should be done. The story made it to the front page of the New York Times and a grassroots political campaign was launched to pressure the Freeholders to grant equal benefits. Yard signs demanding fair treatment of Hester and Andree sprung up all over the county, including on roads and storefronts. Freeholder meetings were packed with citizens demanding that Hester, who had brought so many criminals to justice in service to the county, be granted justice herself before she died. Critically ill, she is wheeled into an emergency meeting of the Freeholders, which was called at the intervention and urging of the Governor. Hester died just three weeks after securing pension benefits for her partner.
An absolutely amazing film, it demonstrates again what we learned here in Washington this past legislative session – showing the injustice of discrimination faced by same sex couples by personalizing it with real human faces and stories is the most effective tool for changing public opinion. The resulting pressure by the citizenry can be brought to bear and result in changing public policy to grant fairness and equal benefits to all committed couples.
One of only 12 documentaries to be selected to play at the Sundance Film Festival in February 2007, this stunning short personal profile of great human persistence won the prestigious Special Jury Prize for documentary films. It is scheduled to screen only once at 2007 SIFF. The strength of motion pictures to convey messages and persuade audiences is reflected in this empowering and forceful film. Don’t miss it!!
Death at a Funeral
Rating: Very Good
Genre: Comedy
United Kingdom
Lincoln Square Theatre (Bellevue) – Friday June 1st, 7:00 pm
Neptune Theatre – Tuesday May 29th, 7:00 pm
Father died, and the undertakers deliver a casket containing the wrong body to his home for the funeral, meanwhile niece, her fiancé and her brother -- a drug dealing nephew along with a whole assortment of assorted family members begin converging there for the funeral. As the house fills, the fiancée who is despised by the woman’s father, who is the brother of the deceased, is mistakenly given the illicit drugs placed into a vial marked as another medication. Hilarity ensues as a comedy of errors never ends. Who is the dwarf in attendance that no one knows, and why does he insist on talking privately with the deceased’ son. This is a black but very fun comedy with an interesting Gay subplot that becomes central to the theme. British humor is displayed with all its usual twists, turns, and non stop complications and scenarios. It’s a light fun comic SIFF entry.
Life and Times of Yva Las Vegass
Rating: Average
Genre: Documentary – Filmed in Seattle
USA
Egyptian: Monday May 28th, 9:15 pm
Yva Las Vegass is a local musician, born in Venezuela; she has become a local icon of Seattle street performers. This documentary profile is an interesting profile of an extremely talented and creative individual who lives life on the edge, and is an extremely difficult personality to get along with. An out Lesbian who has been 86’d from the only Lesbian bar in town, as well as the Comet, the Baltic Room, the Pike Place Market and who knows where else, Yva has some serious personal issues that have hindered her success. She was discovered by Chris Novoselic after Kurt Cobain’s death, and was signed to a multi year record contract. It ended after one album and a complete breakdown of communication between her and the other band members.
Yva is probably a musical genius with a very serious self destructive personality. One interesting scene has her trying to regain the right to perform at the Pike Place Market; finally she storms out of the meeting with the market official, and directing him to deal with her partner who is at the table. Then, a moment later, she is complaining that this official was “disrespectful” because he was dealing with her partner instead of her. Interviews with the subject as well as members of one of the bands she once performed with, along with other locals who know her paint a portrait of a personality with raw artistic talent of the highest caliber combined with an extreme self destructiveness and a warped sense of reality. So, from that perspective, the film does a excellent job of portraying the subject realistically while capturing the paradoxes of her existence, so the audience really gets a clear view of who Yva is and what she is about.
The drawback to this film are the obvious low budget production techniques including jumpiness, lack of use of even tripods to keep the camera steady, washed out backgrounds and color tones, the use of TV static snow footage, as well as the leader cuts of film (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) to transition between film segments, and poor or non existent lighting. This documentary also suffers from strange techniques that seem like an attempt by the filmmakers to be cute or creative, such as repeating footage of the subject making statements or speeding up the audio feed to cause the voices to sound like cartoons. These intentional production methods come across simply as low budget production mistakes to the audience and significantly detract from the subject matter.
A Walk Into the Sea
Rating: Average
Genre: Documentary
USA
Northwest Film Forum – Saturday May 26th, 6:30 pm
Northwest Film Forum – Sunday May 27th, 9:15 pm
This film is about Andy Warhol’s protégé and lover, Danny Williams, who was also a primary filmmaker and lighting technician working in Warhol’s factory and the developer of the unique lightshows at the Velvet Underground. Told through the eyes of Williams’s niece, this film explores his mysterious disappearance in 1966, his relationship with Warhol, as well as exposing Warhol’s magnetic personality, arrogance and exploitation of the creative talents of those who flocked to him. What overcomes the huge drawbacks of this poorly made film is the use of vintage footage of the Warhol cohorts shot by Williams in the 1960’s segmented together with recent interviews with the same individuals. Seeing the beauty, artistic potential and filmed performances of the subjects, then jumping 40 years into the future to see them as they are today along with the outcome of their lives is an amazing time warp. What 40 years of father time does to humans is fascinating and frightening. Although we never find out what really happened to Danny Williams, we do get a very clear picture of Warhol’s exploits and, even more interesting, is getting a peak at the individuals who played significant roles in creating the image of the pop icon.
This movie’s negative attributes include lack of focus, jumpiness, cuts, spots, and poor camera techniques. Yes, that is to be expected from experimental alternative filmmaking of the 60’s counterculture; however the archival footage Williams shot four decades ago is not at issue. The documentary filmmaker, William’s niece, obviously tries to replicate the cinemagraphic techniques of her uncle when she shot the contemporary color footage and recent interviews. It was clearly shot and produced with the intention of meshing seamlessly with the use of Williams archival black and white films. This creative attempt fails miserably, thus making this film somewhat difficult to watch or enjoy. By trying to copy her uncle’s 40 year old counterculture production methods, the film simply comes across to the viewer as a juvenile attempt to make a film at the high school level. Historically, it’s a fascinating film but, creatively, it’s awful.
SIFF FILMS OF LGBT INTEREST
SHOWING THIS UPCOMING WEEK
Dark Blue Almost Black
Spain
Lincoln Square Theatre - Saturday June 2nd, 1:30 pm
Egyptian - Tuesday June 5th, 9:30 pm
For the Bible Tells Me So
Rating: Excellent
Genre: Documentary
USA
Egyptian Theatre – Sunday June 3rd, 1:30 pm
SIFF Cinema – Monday June 4th, 6:45 pm
Glue
Argentina
Egyptian – Friday May 25, 4:30 pm
Harvard Exit – Monday May 28th, 9:45 pm
No Regret
South Korea
Harvard Exit - Friday June 1st, 9:15 pm
Egyptian – Monday June 4th, 4:00 pm
Out at the Wedding
USA
Egyptian - Saturday June 2nd, 6:00 pm
Harvard Exit – Sunday June 3rd, 4:00 pm
Outing Riley
USA
Harvard Exit – Wednesday May 30th, 5:00 pm
Harvard Exit – Thursday May 31st, 9:30 pm
Protagonist
USA
Pacific Place – Friday June 1st, 7:00 pm
Lincoln Square – Sunday June 3rd, 1:00 pm
The YacoubianBuilding
Egypt
Pacific Place – Saturday May 26th, 1:00 pm
Harvard Exit – Sunday May 28th, 6:30 pm
OTHER IDENTIFIED UPCOMING
SIFF FILMS OF LGBT INTEREST
41 Seconds, Germany
Black White + Gray, USA
Cthulhu, USA
Eternal Summer, Taiwan
Four Minutes, Germany
Grimm Love, Germany
La León, Argentina
One to Another, France
PolterGay, France
Red Without Blue, USA
Shelter Me, Italy
Spider Lilies, Taiwan
Stealth, Switzerland
Surveillance, United Kingdom
The Bubble, Israel
The Man of My Life, France
Yossi&Jagger, Israel
SIFF FILMS REVIEWED
OF GENERAL INTEREST
2 Days in Paris - Excellent
Aachi & Ssipak - Good
American Shopper - Good
The Art of Crying - Excellent
Battle of Wits - Very Good
Big Rig - Very Good
Black Irish - Average
The Champagne Spy - Very Good
Children of War - Below Average
Crazy Love - Outstanding
Dans Paris - Average
Eagle vs Shark - Poor
The Elephant and the Sea - Bomb
Falkenberg Farwell - Above Average
Frozen City - Good
Golden Door - Excellent
Guardians Son - Average
In the Shadow of the Moon - Outstanding
King of Kong - Excellent
La Vie En Rose - Outstanding
Life in Loops - Bomb
Manufactured Landscapes - Good
Moliere - Excellent
Mushishi - Above Average
Offscreen - Fair
Out of Time - Good
Paprika - Good
Rescue Dawn - Very Good
Rocket Science - Very Good
Running on Empty - Above Average
Sanctuary: Lisa Gerrard - Below Average
Severance - Above Average
The Singer - Good
The Bet Collector - Bomb
This Is England - Below Average
