Five Films for Freedom 2021
The Five films for freedom is a partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival. The British Council makes five LGBTIQ+ themed short films available online entirely free. You can watch each film for an 11-day period each year. This year it is from 17–28 March 2021. See trailer here.
Follow the hashtag on twitter for discussion #FiveFilmsForFreedom.
I sat and binged it in one sitting. Telling me about LGBTIQ+ films is like summoning me with the bat signal. I’m gonna sprint toward the link.
Pure is directed by Natalie Jasmine, and the entry from the United States. Celeste is a young Black girl in the midst of understanding her queerness, and partaking in a cotillion ball. The white lace in this film is such a metaphor for purity and it is everywhere. We meet Celeste as she is late for a dance rehearsal the day before cotillion. After she and her friend, the church pianist change clothes in the bathroom and go to a club-where Celeste performs spoken word about being conditioned to be straight from her hair to her heart. She speaks from her heart about her queerness and affirming herself. Jasmine weaves a simple love story and it’s not between Celeste and her love interests; it the one you ultimately have with yourself about acceptance and loving who you are. There is a very realistic portrayal of her sexual awakening that filters into her identity awakening. It is poignant, subtle and with just enough character to make you nod. That nod of approval you feel when you discover who you are. We need more coming-of-age films about Black girls, and Pure is the perfect introduction to more.
Victoria is directed by Daniel Toledo, and the entry from Spain. It chronicles the awkward reunion between a trans woman and her ex. Victoria’s ex drops by at her flower shop to discuss and upcoming meeting at their daughter’s school. While the subject of the conversation seems clear, it is not about the meeting. It is about Victoria and keeping her secret for as long as she did regarding her true self. There is love between this couple, you can see it in their tones and glances. But Victoria’s gender affirmation caused friction. But by the denouement we see that gender was not the problem, communication was. The double metaphor of a flower shop and a description at the end ties it up nicely into a very watchable bouquet.
Trans Happiness is real is directed by Quinton Baker, and the entry from the UK. It is an eight-minute documentary that buries itself deep in your soul. Luca is a transgender activist who takes to the streets of Oxford to fight anti-trans beliefs through graffiti. A TERF puts up stickers on a particular route, and Luca removes it and places graffiti and stickers to counter that. Not only in response to the anti-trans ones, but for anyone struggling with who they are. Trans Happiness is real sits with you long after it ends because it is hopeful and beautiful.
Bodies of Desire is directed by Varsha Panikar and Saad Nawab, and the entry from India. Bodies of Desire is a visual poetry film that uses Varsha’s poetry series of the same name. It captures intimate moments of passion, desire and love between four sets of lovers. It is sensuality defined. It is slow and heaving. A poetic display of love-making and desire captured in under four minutes.
Land of the Free is directed by Dawid Ullgren, and the entry from Sweden. David and few of his friends celebrate his 25th birthday with a swim at the beach. Two heterosexual couples walk past and laugh at them. It important to note that David’s friend is a brown man who reacts and gets upset and argues with the two white straight couples. David and his partner, also a brown man in the water observe it all. David tries to play it down by saying maybe Yosan is drunk and as “usual” over-dramatic. It sets the tone for Land of the free. Black and Brown queer bodies are constantly the ones fighting against homophobia. Land of the Free is a glaring portrayal of how white queer people separate themselves from Black and Brown queer folks, when presented with phobia. Silence is acquiescence, and has no place in a world so loud about its bigotry.
Visibility in film is important especially for LGBTQI+ themed cinema.
Catch all 5 short films here.