Inside Out Film Festival: Shift Two

As promised toward the tail end of last night's post, here is the rundown of the Inside Out Film Festival chez Buddies in Bad Times on May 24th. Toronto is a blur of creative, innovative queer filmmakers, writers, actors, and other glitterati at the moment and donning the official volunteer t-shirt at these screenings is quite the trip. I've had the distinct privilege of viewing a stellar cross-section of classic queer cinema and the two films from Monday night fit firmly in this category.

So, let's get started, shall we?

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

The Watermelon Woman marked Cheryl Dunye's first feature debut on the film festival circuit of the late 90s even while it ignited fierce political debates on American soil for its queer content and government-aided funding. Dunye's film crosses the boundaries between traditional movie and documentary-influenced techniques thus creating a disorienting, delightful blur between the concepts of truth and fiction. The Watermelon Woman charts Cheryl's research of an unnamed, uncredited black actress from the golden era of 1930s Hollywood, a woman who adopted "mammy" roles under the title "The Watermelon Woman." As Cheryl delves further into the details of the actress's life and sexual identity, the hopeful filmmaker's life grows complicated after she falls for a rich, white girl (Guinivere Turner) which in turn stresses her relationship with best friend, Tamara.

Dunye occupies a vital place in LGBT film -- she is one of the few queer filmmakers to portray the lives of black, queer women and to explore interracial relationships and the threat of racism present in queer communities across North America. Despite the loaded issues she incorporates into her scripts, Dunye is able to find subtle humour and offers a loving, insider's critique of lesbian culture.

Viewers at the Buddies in Bad Times screening were treated to a private Q&A session with Cheryl Dunye herself once the film finished. She was engaging, intelligent, and sharp with her observations on her place in queer cinema and her message was one of encouragement to all the queers with cameras in the audience. Her overarching theme was one of action -- in the digital age, kids with cameras can chart their own experiences or create artistic visions on a thin dime. Rather than reserving her place with the glitterati, she wanted to inspire others to enter the medium and launch new debates of their own. Dunye also held her Canadian premiere of her new film, The Owls (2010), at the Isabel Bader Theatre later that evening. I would have loved to catch it, but there was another flick waiting for me at Buddies....

20 centímetros (2005)

Inside Out revisted their 2006 Closing Gala film, 20 centímetros, the vivid, colourful, and stunning gem from filmmaker Ramón Salazar. The Inside Out Festival Guide describes the film's cinematic appeal as a fusion of "Spanish camp, Hollywood musicals and neo-realism in a Technicolor wrapping" -- I can imagine no clearer description of such a wild and delightful film as this.

20 centímetros charts the life of Marieta (Mónica Cervera), a narcoleptic pre-op trans woman who works the streets of Madrid as a prostitute to earn the cash she needs for her operation. While she dreams of a stable future and the promise of a reliable income, Marieta's narcoleptic slips prevent her from holding down traditional work. Instead, her blackouts cast her into a world of elaborate, brightly-choreographed numbers set to the classics performed by Queen, Madonna, Dusty Springfiled, and Ani DiFranco among others.

After collapsing at a local market one morning, Marieta meets Raul (Pablo Puyol), a fruit stocker also known as El reponedor with "an ass like a perfect peach." Their first connection ignites into an intense physical relationship in which Raul celebrates those same 20 centimetres Marieta is so anxious to leave behind.

In the end, Marieta must decide what she desires most: a chance at love with a gentle, gorgeous man, or the chance to become the woman she dreams of.

Though the plot might sound dark and ominous at first glance, Salazar injects his film with energetic flamboyance and a hopping soundtrack for fans with a taste for musical movies and theatre flare. Even the skeptics will find the film both charming and colourful, a perfect wrap-up to an exciting long weekend.

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So there -- another volunteer shift down and more fun to follow. Oh, and P.S. -- I know I missed the beloved Tunes for Tuesdays segment this week. Trust me, I will more than make up for that gaffe next Tuesday. Stay tuned because there is something very, very special in the works.

'Til then, bonne nuit.