INTRODUCTION
The Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in Kingston, Ontario. This festival aims to shine light on issues surrounding the LGBTQ 2+ community from all around the world. It is a platform to help raise awareness, in addition to start conversation about important issues, while simultaneously celebrating Kingston’s diversity. Our group was fortunate enough to see a variety of different movies, namely: The Garden Left Behind, Zen in the Ice Rift, Changing the game and Orpheus’ Song.
This experience differed from a typical movie viewing because of its unique setting. The film was shown at The Screening Room which is a small, intimate venue. This impacted all of our experiences because it was a very personal and comfortable environment. Since these films were exploring very sensitive issues we were given trigger warnings prior to the start to ensure our safety throughout the entire viewing.
We found the experience to be very positive because of the warm atmosphere. When we walked into the theatre we were greeted by employees who gave us small beads in order to rate our experience at the end. This showed that the theatre valued our input as they were actively seeking our feedback. Some of the films offered discussions and question periods at the end. These were facilitated by sponsors, directors or producers. This allowed the audience to ask questions in order to get a deeper understanding of the film as well as further discuss the important topics that were being presented. Interestingly, some of the speakers had gone through similar experiences as the characters or people featured in the films. This allowed us to hear authentic answers to any questions we had and clarify terms or confusion we had.
It was obvious The Reelout Festival focused on inclusivity. The speakers at the festival acknowledged indigenious land and informed the viewers about the history of the location. Although most of the films included at the festival were Canadian, some were international and in different languages. This allowed viewers to witness different perspectives on certain issues and be exposed to such eye-opening stories. This encouraged people from different demographics to attend the festival and learn about challenges they do not experience for themselves.
After attending the festival, we believe we have a better understanding of issues faced by the LGBTQ 2+ community. Featured on this blog are our critical analyses of the films we viewed.
Changing the Game- Kanza
The Garden Left Behind- Anna
Anna Eberlee
20158807
Gender, Race and Popular Culture
Critical Film Review
The Garden Left Behind is a LGBT drama film, directed by Flavio Alves that was initially released in the United States in March 2019. The film follows the relationship of Tina, a young Mexican trans women, and her grandmother Eliana as they to build a life for themselves as undocumented Mexican immigrants living in modern day New York City (The Garden Left Behind).
Through the duration of the film Tina is in the process of changing her gender and works as a cab driver to save money for the operation. Tina has difficulty being accepted as a transgender woman of race in America, however she wishes to stay as opposed to Eliana who dreams about going back to Mexico. Tina goes to the bodega frequently and talks to the man behind the counter, Chris. He seems curious about her as he longs for a new life but is too afraid to do anything about it. A group of boys come in often, steal things from the store and are hostile toward Tina. Shortly after they befriend Chris and start playing baseball together. She meets with a psychologist, Dr. Cleary, who gives her approval to continue with her wishes of completing surgery. Shortly after, she learns she is unable to receive such surgery due to pre-existing issues with her liver. Disappointed, Tina exchanges her leftover money to pesos to show she is in agreement to go back to Mexico.
After news that a member of the transgender community named Rosie has suffered a brutal beating by a police officer, Tina, as well as her friends emerge as advocates speaking out for what they believe. This serves as a pivotal point for her growth and acceptance as a transgender woman. On her way to the protest Tina is followed by a car of young men. She sees Chris from the corner store making fun of her with the boys as Chris gets out of the car and pulls out a baseball bat which he uses to beat her to death. The boys drive away immediately and mortified with what he has just done Chris hugs her as she is bleeding on the ground. After hearing the news, Eliana is at the police station where she is given the envelope of money found in Tina’s bag. She sees the money and plane ticket accompanied by a note and on her way home, at a loss for words she mourns the death of her granddaughter.
Tina is a transgender woman, meaning she is s a person whose gender identity does not match their assigned gender or sex. She wishes to change her biological sex, which refers to the reproductive organs she was born with. Through changing her body, she wishes to enhance her gender expression and appear as a conventional female as opposed to male. During her meetings with psychologists and doctors she is infatuated with the idea of having larger breasts and a softer voice, qualities that society uses to represent femininity. Through conversations with the psychologist she is being forced into the medical model which pathologizes trans people’s bodies. Pathologization subjects trans peoples’ decisions about identity and social role to medical control (Neurotrois). Once medicalized, it is no longer a feeling to be transgender but a diagnosis.
Not only is Tina a trans gender women but she is also a woman of colour. Analysing the discrimination, she faces through both of these lenses follows Kimberle Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality. Crenshaw argues that instead of seeing race and gender as mutually exclusive categories of experience, one must account for the cumulative effect of being a woman and black, or in Tina’s case trans and of color (Kaufman). Tina is discriminated against because of her race. Being an undocumented Mexican immigrant disadvantages her in society. She begins as a gypsy taxi driver, and eventually quits to become a bartender. She and her grandmother struggle to build a life in New York and receive sufficient funds. As a trans woman Tina receives many accounts of homophobia. This explains Crenshaw’s idea that intersectionality is a metaphor for understanding the ways that multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage compound themselves and create additional obstacles that are not understood within the conventional ways of thinking (Crenshaw 0:07). Her tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend forces her to lack confidence in who she is. Although her treats her right within the comfort of their own homes, he is too embarrassed for them to be seen together in public. He fears them being seen together because Tina doesn’t follow the concept of normativity nor is their relationship heteronormative. Due to his own struggles to accept his homosexuality, Tina suffers and feels as if she is othered from the rest of the population.
Another topic addressed in this film is violence against women and police brutality. The transgender community faces serious targets of violence which can also be known as hate crimes. In 2019, advocates tracked at least 26 deaths of at least transgender or gender non-conforming people in the U.S. due to fatal violence, the majority of whom were Black transgender women (Human Rights Campaign). During the final scene of the film, Tina is beaten to death. She faces a violent act because Chris was unable to acknowledge how he truly felt and was uncomfortable with the idea of being homosexual. Chris succumbed to cultural stereotypes of what the normal view of masculinity is. He wished to fit in with the crowd of boys and therefore played baseball and got into He was trying to prove himself as the article Being in Question discusses if you do not inhabit existing norms, it can be uncomfortable and you can constantly be questioning where you belong (Ahmed 116) . Tina was confident in who she was, but for Chris targeting her was the solution to his insecurities.
Therefore, in The Garden Left Behind Tina faced many accounts of discrimination due to her gender, race and cultural background. This beautiful film shows the challenges that members of the LGBTQ 2+ community ordinarily have to face. By using an intersectional analysis, the audience is able to add up all the ways Tina is oppressed but how despite the challenges she faces she still acts as a spokesperson advocating for transgender rights.
Word Count: 1047
References
Ahmed, Sara. Living a Feminist Life. Duke University Press, 2017. (Crossref),https://read.dukeupress.edu/books/book/1933/Living-a-Feminist-Life
Campaign, Human Rights. “Violence Against the Transgender Community in 2020.” Human Rights Campaign, https://www.hrc.org/resources/violence-against-the-trans-and-gender-non-conforming-community-in-2020/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2020.
Everyday Sociology Blog: Intersectionality for Beginners. https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2018/04/intersectionality-for-beginners.html#more. Accessed 12 Feb. 2020.
Gender Concepts | Neutrois.Com. http://neutrois.com/definitions/concepts/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2020.
Kimberlé Crenshaw: What Is Intersectionality?, National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), 22 June 2018, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViDtnfQ9FHc.
Orpheus’ Song- Lauree Saint-Elien
“Orpheus’ Song” is a 2019 romantic German film created and produced by Tor Iben. The film focuses on the battle between one’s inner self and opens up in Germany with Enis and Phillip in a gym, working out and later ends with the Enis triumphing over his own inner struggles in Greece . The film “Orpheus’ Song” features the two close friends, Enis and Phillip who start off as “gym “buddies” and later develop their friendship to a romantic one. The two won a trip to Greece and during their vacation, after a long hike, the pair get lost on an island. Their friendship takes a sharp turn and the film centers on the romance that sparks between the two.
The title of the film “Orpheus’ Song ” derives from Greek mythology. Orpheus was a poet, musician and a prophet in Geek mythology. He was taught the lyre along with a variety of other instruments, by Apollo. Orpheus was considered the best and was even able to make animals and trees dance. He was charismatic and had the ability to charm everyone. Personally, I believe that Iben titled this movie after Orpheus because similarly to Enis, Orpheus had to be taught how to accept his true self. Enis emulates this behaviour as his truth him being gay; however, he was never around the right people that allowed for this expression. Surrounding himself with Phillip allowed Enis to find his inner happiness, just as Orpheus found his inner purpose by surrounding himself with Apollo. Apollo gave Orpheus his first lyre,which gave him his first experience with a musical instrument causing him to realise something about himself.. Phillip gave Enis his first male kiss, that made him also discover a new part of his sexuality, that he had not recognized before.
It was difficult to identify the genre of the film at the beginning, though I later realised that it was a romantic film. Phillip always seemed attracted to Enis, but Enis put on the impression that he was straight. He would quickly decline Phillip’s sexual invitations and he even had a girlfriend, who he seemed in love with. Their friendship was strictly at the gym and fitness was the only conversation that the two shared. When Phillip invited Enis to his trip to Greece, their friendship grew closer and their feelings for one another developed. Phillip found it easy to admit to the sexual tension and attraction for Enis, although it was harder for Enis to live by his truth . Enis hated himself for the feelings he had for Phillip and even began to take it on him. Enis’ girlfriend, having suspected the attraction between the two gym pals questioned him about it, Enis denied it. He blamed Phillip and despised him for unlocking his feelings. The film implied that their relationship would take a friendship route until closer to the ending. I had the impression that Iben was queerbaiting the audience until the two finally expressed their emotions for one another. “Orpheus’ Song” hinted at same- sex relationships in the trailer and in the movie poster; however, nothing seemed to inforce homosexuality unti the ending. Iben, added erotic tension between Enis and Phillip and finally created a romantic relationship between the two friends later on.
I believe that this film would appeal to various demographics, particularly individuals who often stereotype people of the LGBTQ+ community. The film portrays the LGBTQ+ struggles such as coming out, and the influence of one’s surroundings. “Orpheus Song,” destigmatizes the preconceived notions that exist of the LGBTQ+ community. Gay men or women, do not have a certain “look,” just as straight individuals do not have a “straight look.” They can be anyone amongst us, the film depicts that gay’s could be “tall, bulky, gym boys”, the opposite of how society portrays them They are often labelled as “flamboyent and girly.” “Orpheus’ Song proves that one’s sexuality is not something which can be suppressed, but rather something that someone is born with. I would argue that this film was unlike other films, and went against the norm of how gay people act. This film would be great for an audience of people who were also struggling to come out of the closet. Through the character of Enis, the director demonstrated that the heart always wins in a battle of the heart vs the mind. Although, Enis did his best to reject Phillip, nothing could stop him from developing feelings. “Orpheus’ Song” shows that coming out of the closet has a better impact than staying inside of it. When Enis first came out of the closet, he was in denial, and was angry at the world, along with Philip. He was not his authentic self and it had an affect on his mental health. Near the end of the film, Enis took pride in his sexuality and came out of the closet. He was no longer frustrated and seemed more joyful.
In truth, I have mixed feelings about the film, although I did like the story, the film took a while to peak. It had a slow start, making it appear anti-climactic. The movie was truly comical, both of the two male characters loved to make jokes and knew how to lighten up a situation. There were a few times when the movie felt a bit drawn out, but the intriguing action scenes and impressive dialogue really held the audience’s attention and kept them on the edge of their seats. However, the timeline was a bit unclear at times, such as when the two men were lost in Greece. For a number of scenes, it was hard to tell whether it had been days or months that had passed on the island. Overall, I enjoyed the film and the message it projects to its audience, I think the director did a great job telling the story of Orpheus through Enis.
References
“Orpheus.” Google, Google, www.google.ca/amp/s/www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Orpheus/orpheus.html.amp.
“Orpheus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Jan.2020,en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus.
“Orpheus’ Song.” Reeling, reelingfilmfestival.org/2019/movies/orpheus-song/.
“Orpheus’ Song.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 25 Jan. 2020, m.imdb.com/title/tt10533570/.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Orpheus.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Feb. 2020, http://www.britannica.com/topic/Orpheus-Greek-mythology.
Zen in the Ice Rift- Audrey
The film ‘Zen In the Ice Rift’ is a 2018 film directed by Margherita Ferri, which focuses on the exploration and self-discovery of gender and sexual orientation. The film follows Maia Zenardi, or “Zen” a 16-year-old hockey star who faces a great deal of bullying for his sexual identity. Having been born as a female, though, identifying as a male, Zen’s peers target him, calling him a lesbian, or “half-female” suppressing his personal freedom to live his truth. All the while, a girlfriend of one of Zens teammates, Vanessa, has piqued an interest in him while questioning her own sexuality. As she hides in Zen’s family lodge to avoid facing what she believes, the unlikely pair begin to discover their many similarities and the “ice wall” surrounding Zen begins to break. The film follows the journey of self-discovery between Zen and Vanessa and the struggles they face along the way.
‘Zen In the Ice Rift’ depicts a general theme of forced heteronormativity surrounding sexual identity. The film displays this through the depiction of Zen’s peers and community, who are closed off to the expression of an individual beyond cisext genders and heterosexual preferences. Considering Zen is not a cisgender male, his teammates are homophobic towards him, constantly referring to him as “the-half female”, or Maia, which significantly damages his confidence and will to express himself. Additionally, the film displays heteronormative beliefs in more symbolic ways such as the gendered changerooms. Zen is shown repeatedly in the women’s change room alone while all his teammates are in the men’s change room. As Sally Raskoff explains in her article ‘Signs of Gender’, gendered washrooms emphasize that there are only two genders, a socially damaging construct. Although Zen never voices concern for it, the directors make use of his somber expressions and attentiveness to the sound of his teammates to express his desire to be in the change room where he feels he belongs. The film writers did a decent job including this theme, however, it could have been further emphasized through secondary characters. Vanessa and the other boys on the hockey team could have been used to represent the effects of heteronormativity, thus displaying it through different sexes, classes, races, and sexual orientations. By solely focusing on the emotions of Zen, the film writers displayed the concept in a one-sided way, leaving out the diverse range of effects that are experienced by individuals.
Furthermore, the film writers display intersectionality through Zen, who faces the oppression of two minority groups. Being a born woman, the oppressive society he lives in views him as a female rather than a male; thus considering him both female and transgender. Being considered female, he is doubted in his hockey by his peers who do not believe he belongs on the men’s team and placed under greater pressure to prove himself. Additionally, despite wishing to play for the national men’s team his coach recruits him for the women’s team, something which deters him from accepting the offer. Being a transgender individual, Zen is faced with bullying from his peers and additional doubt in his sport. The cumulative effect of the oppression he faces thoroughly demonstrates intersectionality throughout the film. As Audre Geraldine Lourde outlines in her article ‘Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference’ it is not the difference between individuals that separate us but the failure to acknowledge these differences; while Zen is a considered female, he faces this oppression as well as the oppression of being a transgender individual, thus resulting in a difference between his minority to that of a woman or a transgender individual alone, something which is failed to be recognized by his peers and leads to separation. Although the film does, in fact, do a good job portraying intersectionality through Zen, it fails to express intersectionality through other characters. One of the biggest critiques I have about this film is the lack of storyline surrounding secondary characters, which leads to this lack of intersectionality. There is the opportunity with Vanessa, or the other hockey players, however, there are no other notable minorities in a race, gender, class, etc, and none are hinted at, alluding to the lack of diversity in secondary characters.
Finally, it can be seen, through Zen’s peers, the writers portray toxic masculinity and the effects which it has on individuals. It is in this way that the film portrays the expectations of femininity and masculinity in society. It is evident through their cold fronts and disposition to prove themselves through fighting and emitting dominance that they experience this toxic masculinity, which in turn affects their peers. The toxic traits they possess lead to bullying towards individuals like Zen because of the fear and belief that their masculinity will suffer by supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, being a transgender man, Zen faces the same societal pressure to emit dominance and fight for power, this leads to him lashing out and attempting to fight back against the boys on the team. However as a born female, his mother and coach expect a level of femininity from him, thus they are harsher on him for displaying masculinity than the other boys on the team. By following the concepts of femininity they expect Zen to be much less aggressive and “softer”, willing to talk through problems and behave more sophisticated. Hegemonic masculinity and femininity are damaging for all individuals, however, it is enhanced for transgender individuals as they face different expectations of masculinity/femininity for themselves than others do, and the blurred line between these opposing dispositions can often lead to individuals feeling out of place. The film’s writers for ‘Zen in the Ice Rift’ portray these concepts in a subtle, yet definitive way to allow viewers to understand the feelings of the characters and their motivation behind their actions.
Overall, the film ‘Zen in the Ice Rift’ is a diverse film that includes themes of intersectionality, masculinity and femininity, and heteronormativity, making it an eye-opening piece of work for its viewers. The writers do a good job of including societal issues of sexual identity and sexual preference, however, they tend to leave out ideas of race, class, age, etc. The one-dimensional view of the storyline is beneficial for viewers in some ways, however, the writers miss out on the opportunities to include secondary storylines giving multiple perspectives.
Word Count: 1054
References
“Authorization Login.” Alexander Street Press Authorization,
bltc.alexanderstreet.com/cgi-bin/BLTC/hub.py?type=getdoc&docid=S8108-D012.
Everyday Sociology Blog, www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2017/03/signs-of-gender.html#more.
Everyday Sociology Blog, www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2018/04/intersectionality-for-beginners.html#more.
Ferri, Margherita, director. Zen in the Ice Rift. 2018
The Garden Left Behind- Sarah
Sarah Teitelbaum
20164403
Gender Race and Popular Culture
Critical Film Review
In the movie The Garden Left Behind by Flavio Alves, Tina is a Mexican, transgender woman who is saving for sex reassignment surgery. Her Grandmother, Eliana, is supportive but does not completely understand what Tina is going through. Tina works as a cab driver and Eliana stays home. Eliana longs to move back to Mexico. Tina’s boyfriend, Jason, seems embarrassed by her. He treats her well in private but not in public. Tina goes to a corner store often and Chris, the storekeeper seems infatuated with her. Some young boys come into the store, steal snacks and invite Chris out. They are frequently rude to Tina.
Tina finds out she cannot get surgery due to health concerns. She transfers her leftover money to pesos, showing that she has agreed to move back to Mexico. Her friends are there for her and hold protests for LGBTQ2+ equality. They encourage Tina to join in. Jason breaks up with her when she confronts him for ignoring her. She then starts walking to the protest when the boys approach. She turns around, looking upset and Chris gets out and beats her to death with a bat. He then hugs her on the ground. Eliana refers to her granddaughter as Tina for the first time at the police station after getting news that Tina passed away. They give her an envelope and she finds Tina’s money and two plane tickets to Mexico. She lays down on the bench and cries as the movie ends.
The movie is a positive representation of transgender people because although it shows people who do not support them, it also shows a supportive transgender community. It also shows the struggles that these people face daily. The actors and actresses that played the transgender people in the film are transgender themselves. Therefore, they give an authentic view of the hardships that they go through. Also, the audience is shocked and saddened when Tina is killed. This makes them think about equality in our society. By having a transphobic person be the one to take her life, Alves is using symbolism to get the watcher to feel for Tina and have Chris, the transphobe be the ‘bad guy’ and murderer. He uses this severe example to symbolize that people who are not accepting of other people are the ones who lose. Chris will now face repercussions for his actions and will never have a chance at love with Tina because she differs from the norm in America by her gender role, identity and race and is ultimately murdered by this cumulative intersectionality and normative views.
Gender roles are “Norms of behavior and attitudes in a given culture attributed to people on the basis of their sex to which people are expected to conform… many cultures and contexts regard gender roles in binary terms, expecting females and males to behave in accordance with socially constructed prescriptions which differentiate between them” (Habibe Burcu Baba). In their family, Tina plays the “male” role of the household and Eliana is the “female”. In America, men are typically the breadwinners. The US Census (20-1) states that “In 2000, 61 percent of women aged 16 and older were working or looking for work, compared with 74 percent of men.” Not only is Tina the source of income, she is also a cab driver, which is primarily a ‘men’s’ job (Berry 23). This is another example of Tina’s differing views on her role in society.
Although the audience does not know how much money Tina makes or what type of education she has, we know there are better occupations regarding salaries. Since Tina’s gender identity is female, it is harder for her to be hired by an employer than if she was male (Gerdeman). So, if Tina was looking for a better job it would be difficult for her to get one. This causes a lot of problems for women, and Tina was almost unable to have gender reconstruction surgery due to financial issues. The financial pressure caused arguing with her grandma and the overall mood of the film shifted.
Not only is Tina a woman, she is a transgender woman. This makes her even more susceptible to oppression because of normative views. An American normative view is ‘heterosexuality’ and male (Lorde 117). Jason, Chris and his friends support normative thinking. They do not respect Tina and look down upon her. Jason shows this by breaking up with Tina when she is about to transition. Eliana, on the other hand, looks past what is normative and supports Tina. Her role is important because it shows that people who did not grow up in this day and age can understand, it just may take some time.
The third layer of Tina’s intersectionality after being a female and transgender is her ethnicity. She lived in Mexico until she was six. This means she looks different and has different cultural practices. In Sara Ahmed’s (125) article, Being in Question, she says that fitting in has a lot to do with someone’s environment. Depending on if you fit in visually and mentally with the people around you, you may be questioned more or less. Tina is questioned often. She is approached by the young boys and is verbally abused. The way she handles it shows that she is used to it and is not greatly affected by it. At the end of the film when the boys approach, it is obvious that Tina was so sick of the oppression that she faces. I believe that Chris took Tina’s life because he was angry with himself for having feelings for someone of a different race and who did not conform to norms. He hated that she was not a ‘regular’ girl and could not handle liking somebody like that. We see this when he holds her after he murders her. The loving actions juxtapose his hate actions from right before which leads the viewer to come to this conclusion.
Tina’s interconnected expressions of herself through her role in society, her self-identification and her race lead to her murder. All of these lead to Tina’s intersectionality (Habibe Burcu Baba). Peter Kaufman writes in his article that the way to address the issue of intersectionality and stop people like Chris from doing what he did, or Jason from thinking the way he thought is to use a cumulative approach because intersectionality is cumulative. We need to address more than one issue to solve the whole problem of oppression due to intersectionality. We should never let what happened to Tina happen to anyone else in our world.
Word count: 1100
References:
Ahmed, Sara. “Being in Question.” Living a Feminist Life. Duke University Press, 2017. Web. 10 Feb. 2020. https://read.dukeupress.edu/books/chapter-pdf/577116/9780822373377-008.pdf
Berry, Kimberly. “She’s No Lady: The Experience and Expression of Gender among Halifax Women Taxi Drivers since World War II.” Urban History Review, Oct. 1998. Web. 10 Feb. 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43562186?seq=1
Gerdeman, Dina. “Why Employers Favor Men.” Business Research for Business Leaders. Harvard Business School, 11 Sept. 2017. Web. 10 Feb. 2020. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/why-employers-favor-men
“His and Her Demographics: Women and Men, 2000.” United States Census Bureau, 2000. Web. 10 Feb. 2020. https://www.census.gov/population/pop-profile/2000/chap20.pdf
Kaufman, Peter. “Intersectionality for Beginners.” Everyday Sociology Blog. 23 Apr. 2018. Web. 10 Feb. 2020. https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2018/04/intersectionality-for-beginners.html#more
Lorde, Audre. “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference” Black Though and Culture. 1984. Web. 10 Feb. 2020. https://bltc.alexanderstreet.com/cgi-bin/BLTC/hub.py?type=getdoc&docid=S8108-D012
Orpheus’ Song-Rihan Hai
Rihan Hai
20093563
Gender Race and Popular Culture
Critical Film Review
The film I watched is called “Orpheus Song” which is a German movie in 2019. The film is about two university students Philipp and Enis met in the gym. They worked out together and became good friends. One day, Philipp got a chance to have a trip to Greece, he invited Enis to go together. During their trip, they lost the direction in a small island, in the last they met a man called Hercules. He led them to a cave and told a lot of his magical experiences. Hercules then gave a pomegranate to them and said that some amazing things would happen after eating it. The two young men ate the pomegranate and drank the wine Hercules gave to them, and they soon fell asleep. With the music by Hercules and the drowsiness, something seemed to change. The two young men gradually developed affection for each other.
This is a queer movie describing the relationship between two young men. The two main characters in the film did not initially have a different sexual orientation or gender identity than most people. They are just ordinary partners who worked out together in the gym, talking about the progress they had made during fitness or during their studies, or just their ordinary and boring love life. They gradually discovered their feelings during an amazing trip to Greece. When they got lost, they help and encouraged each other. It is because of this mutual companionship that the relationship between the two young men becomes deeper and deeper. It is this kind of companionship and love that let them promote the deep affection in their hearts while sleeping under the pomegranate and music.
In my opinion, this movie has a clever design to describe the relationship and feelings between Philipp and Enis. First of all, this film uses the allusions of Adam and Eve to steal the forbidden fruit in ancient Greek mythology to obscurely describe the relationship between the two which is a way of queerbaiting. The only difference is that this “forbidden fruit” is in the homosexual category. As they were in ancient Greece, homoerotic lifestyles were widespread and tolerated in pre-Christian Rome. (Corriveau, 2011) Moreover, the environment and its influences are important in the movie. The scene of two people playing in the waterfall demonstrates this pure and natural feelings, giving the audience a strong implicit meaning about love between the two men. Rosalind Galt (professor of film studies at King’s College London) pointed out that the rural environment can reshape people’s gender identity, gender expression and nationality; therefore, its function, especially in foreign nature, will not only let people escape from the burden of gender binary recognition, but also has great potential to release the duality of “natural” patriarchy.(Bronski, 2006). In addition, In the film, the mysterious characters have played a leading role in the whole storyline and also promoted the emergence of homosexuality.
Take it a step further, in today’s society where everyone is caring for the LGBTQ2+ community, this film has indeed attracted wide public attention. Most LGBTQ2+ people are suffering from others’ discrimination and misunderstandings, struggling for their respect and self-pride. (Lindner, 2015) In today’s heterosexual normative social system, people are divided according to nationality, race, gender, social class and other aspects, which makes LGBTQ2+ people “unwelcome”; therefore, this type of films are very important in promoting same-sex culture. They can make people pay more attention to this group and not treat them with a discriminatory vision. Moreover, with the development of information age, media literacies like films can be deeper into the hearts of the people. Although now the queer culture is still not understood by the most people, this is no doubt a great way to promote respect and communication. In addition, the film also embodies the nobility of love. Everyone has the right to love, no matter who the other is. The gradual and natural appearance of the love between two people in the movie makes the audience feel the most precious feelings between people. This love that transcends social rules and gender restrictions is very admirable, and the courage of this love is also worthy of respect and appreciation.
Everything has pros and cons, so does this film. It also has something to improve. First of all, the character shaping, behavioral motivation changes suddenly and unrealistically. As B. Ruby Rich, the critic, journalist and scholar, argued that recent queer films do not make a connection between the context and the theme, and do not depict characters in context. (Lindner, 2015) Furthermore, the Greek hotel mature blonde line appears especially inexplicable, in fact, the Greek line should have a lot of significant places to play, but unfortunately the level of choreography and imagination are difficult to control, showing the relationship between the two It’s also difficult to pick up any ripples in the lens, which is a bit stiff. The plot is somewhat idiomatic. Although the scenes in the woods and waterfalls are somewhat aesthetic, they are still far-fetched; therefore, this movie also has something to be improved so that it can be more accepted by the public.
In conclusion, this movie portrays love and companionship between two young man through ancient Greek mythology and natural surroundings. The director used beautiful lens design and wonderful soundtrack to demonstrate the charm of every character in this film as well. Although the plot of the film and the details in the story need to more connected to the theme, it is still a beautiful movie celebrating homosexuality. This film can also make people know more about the LGBTQ2+ community. True love comes first, everyone has the right to love and be loved. No matter what nationality, gender, religious belief, and race a person are, he or she has the right to chase love, and people have the freedom to love who they love. This love cannot be discriminated against and trampled on by others; therefore, we should respect and understand homosexuality and do not hold a different view on the LGBTQ2+ community.
Word count: 1001
References
Bronski, Michael, et al. “Queer film and media pedagogy.” GLQ: A journal of lesbian and gay studies 12.1 (2006): 117-134.
Cobb, Neil. “Patrice Corriveau: Judging Homosexuals: A History of Gay Persecution in Quebec and France.” Feminist Legal Studies, Springer Netherlands, 8 Nov. 2012, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10691-012-9216-7.
Lindner, Katharina. Queer Film Culture: Queer Cinema and Film Festivals, 25 Feb. 2015, queerfilmculture.org/.
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