Horseplay

It’s the Christmas holidays and Andy leaves town for a vacation with friends in a luxurious villa in the countryside. Spending time with a bunch of men is a new experience for him – there are moments of rest, friendship and teasing, but there are also games – macho games, boys games, where each one pushes his own personal boundaries.
Since his debut film “Plan B” (2009), Marco Berger became one of Latin America’s leading queer filmmakers. In his films he explores queer narratives, erotic fantasies, sexuality and gender. “Horseplay” keeps well with those themes and delivers a subservient and political film that describes masculinity in its most toxic and dangerous form.

Viewing is 18+ due to nudity, explicit sex scenes and violence.

Where Butterflies Don’t Fly

A surprising debut film by Roman Němec comes from the Czech Republic, a country that isn’t known for its thriving LGBTQ cinematic scene.
Daniel is a 19 years old student, he doesn’t get along with his parents, doesn’t have many friends and generally keeps his distance from other people. This is not surprising for a feminine gay youth in a very machoistic and convservative society. As graduation approaches, Daniel finds himself on a school camping trip, lead by the handsome teacher Adam – a gay man who is in a secret relationship with his partner David. Both Daniel and Adam live each in his own bubble, until they find themselves in mortal danger, when they get trapped in a huge cave system. Lost and cut off from the rest of the world, as time and food runs out, two men from different worlds and backgrounds form an unexpected connection, as they fight for their survival.

Screenings include Q&A with the director and the lead actor.

In association with the Czech Centre Tel Aviv

The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future

An Israeli premiere of one of the latest Sundance Festival most talked about films.
With sensual images and gentle narrative courage, “The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future” provides a rich cinematic vision that captures the humane and the inexplicable, equally.
Cecilia (Leonor Varela, “Blade 2”) is a tough surgeon and a single parent who refuses to accept her daughter’s trans identity. She receives a call that her elderly father Enrique (Alfredo Castro, “From Afar”, “The Prince”) believes he had seen her long dead mother Magdalena (Mía Maestro, “Mayan M.C.”, “The Strain” and the LGBT film “End of the Century”). Cecilia returns to the family farm to discover a series of disturbing occurrences amongst the farm animals.
In her debut film, director Francisca Alegría creates a ghost story, a family melodrama, a surreal fairytale, and ponders about the ‘here and now’, while refusing to commit her film to one specific genre. Undoubtedly, Francisca Alegría is one of present time most fascinating filmmakers.

Video movie review (no spoilers)

Additional screenings: Jerusalem Cinematheque 3.11, 18:00
3.11 , 20:30 , Rosh Pina Cinematheque

Rex Gildo: The Last Dance

One of Germany’s senior queer film directors, 79 years old Rosa von Praunheim, concocts a tragic and camp doco-drama that tells the story of Rex Gildo, who was at his prime German Elvis or German Cliff Richard.
Rex Gildo was one of the most successful German singers in the 60’s and 70’s, who was reduced to doing gigs at folk festivals and shopping malls in the 80’s and 90’s, as his popularity declined. While he continued to perform and was perceived as a sex symbol, he faked a marriage to a woman, though he was actually having a secret relationship with his male agent, and later had a string of affairs, including with his driver and PA.
Rosa von Praunheim tells the story of Rex Gildo, exploring the devastating pain of having to live in the closet, despite, and because of his enormous success.
The film includes interviews with actresses and singers who performed alongside Gildo and were presented by the tabloids as his lovers, such as the legendary Vera Tschecowa and Cornelia Froboess.

In association with Goethe Institut

Burning Days

Turkish director Emin Alper’s film is a smart and political thriller with heavy homo-erotic undercurrents (no sex or daring nudity, but the intentional sexual tension between the two protagonists is sky high).
Emre is a young prosecutor in the Turkish Ministry of Justice, sent to a small town suffering a terrible drought and an even more terrible corruption. He can’t imagine what a mess he’s getting himself into when he decides to start investigating the mayor, his dodgy son and the surrounding them businessmen.
This is Emin Alper’s (one of Turkey’s current leading directors) fourth film and he has created a precise Hollywood thriller in an early David Fincher style, but instead of blue and cool hues this film is painted in the yellow, brown and red of the waterless village, hot and sweaty and leaving you choking.
Adding to the dense atmosphere is the exhilarating cinematography of Christos Karamanis, the precise editing and the end that will leave the audience gasping.

Interview with the director and lead actor.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque 5.11.2022

Finlandia

The ‘Muxes’ are a unique group of people in Oaxaca state in Mexico. They are an example of a third gender, and proof that gender norms are a lot more fluid than what we might think.
“Finlandia” is a spectacular film about a community not many people know. Marta is a fashion designer who is assigned to explore this vibrant muxes community for ideas for a new fashion line of a high fashion company. She pretends to be a curious Spanish tourist and befriends the heads of the community, while hiding her real intentions. As the friendship between Marta and her new acquaintances becomes stronger, she begins to question the integrity of her assignment.
In his debut film, director Horacio Alcalà brings to the big screen the breathtaking views of the southern Mexican desert and combines artistic and visual cinema with a sweeping melodrama full of love for the Muxes community.

In association with the Embassy of Mexico

Becoming Charlie

Becoming Charlie” is a short web-series about a search for identity.
Discovering their non-binary identity takes not only Charlie, but everyone close to them out of their comfort zone, and shakes up some seemingly unshakeable truths.
Charlie, in their early 20’s, are still living with their mother Rowena, who has no control over her own life or finances, both she and Charlie move from one job to the next. It seems the only let out for Charlie is rap music. Charlie is working as a courier and realises more and more that everyone’s expectations of them don’t resonate with what they’re feeling. On top of that, there’s tension in the family – Rowena’s sister Fabia tries to collect some old overdue debts and causes a chain reaction.
Charlie finds themselves wondering more and more “Where do we belong?”

Courtesy of ZDF

In association with Goethe Institut

The Phantom of the Sauna


VOD screening is AVAILABLE ONLY IN ISRAEL.


.
להסבר על אופן הזמנת סרט לחצו כאן. בכל בקשה או שאלה ניתן לפנות למייל זה [email protected]


.


While searching for a job suitable for a young gay man who just arrived to Madrid, Javi enters a local sauna, where he meets the owner, her strange son and their horny clients.
Javi will soon discover the place is full of secrets, the biggest one being a man hiding in the bowels of the sauna where no one goes, and that he is destined to fall in love with – The Phantom of the Sauna.

This camp musical (with slight touches of horror) is a wonderfully trashy treat that brings to the silver screen an over the top gay romance. The one and only Antonia San Juan, who played Agrado in Pedro Almodovar’s masterpiece “All About My Mother”, is the sauna owner. Another sparkly guest appearance is by Supremme De Luxe, the Spanish version of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” host.
Prepare your glitter!

 

 

8 Years


Please be aware – the screening is NOT in Tel-Aviv Cinematheque.


.

Spanish dramatic comedy “8 Years” takes us to the breathtaking views of the Canary Islands and raises the question “How do you get over your true love? “.
Jose considers David to be the love of his life, but when David breaks up with him after eight years together, Jose is haunted by memories of their relationship. Those memories take him back to the place where the two met, and back to the past that wasn’t as ideal as he remembered.

Miguel Diosdado and Carlos Mestanza are wonderful as Jose and David, as well as guest appearances by the legendary Isabelle Torres (from the mini-series “Veneno”), in her last role before her death, and by the Netflix star Sergio Momo (“Elite”, “Welcome to Eden”, “The Neighbour”), who steals the show as a sexy mobster.

Viewing is 18+.

In association with 

Soy Nino

Bastian is a young trans boy from Chile who is facing a very difficult time – adolescence. It all becomes much harder when he has to devote most of his efforts into expressing his own individualism. His cousin, film director Lorena Zilleruelo, followed and filmed Bastian from the age of 12 until he was 18 years old, and witnessed his most intimate, moving and hard moments. This is also the journey of Bastian’s parents, who decide to support their son despite their own difficulties and eventually become activists for trans rights.
Despite the support he receives at home, Bastian has to face social and economical difficulties that might jeopardise his ambitions.
Bastian’s journey introduces us to a more trans tolerant Chile, thanks to a new and liberal generation.