Wonderfully Made ~ LGBTQ+R(eligion)

Yuval David and his partner Mark McDermott’s debut full length documentary describes the difficulties of many Catholic LGBTQ people in light of the official church’s stand on homosexuality. The film focuses on the Catholic church in particular, since it’s one of the largest religious organizations in the world and has very strong views against the LGBTQ community.
The film includes interviews with leading supporters of Catholic LGBTQ members, amongst them a pioneer lesbian nun, an openly gay priest, former USA ambassador to the Vatican and other leaders and influential activists.
At the same time, the film documents an art project that creates an unprecedented photographic iconography, presenting LGBTQ members from different ethnic backgrounds, sexual preferences and genders, all undergoing auditions to play Jesus Christ. The actors’ journey takes the audience on a voyage of search and change through the power of art.

Interviewees: fmr. Ambassador Miguel Díaz, Marianne Duddy-Burke, Sister Jeannine Gramick, Natalia Imperatori-Lee, Father James Martin, Father Bryan Massingale, Xorje Olivares, Cathy Renna, Jason Steidl, Stanley “J.R.” Zerkowski
Actors/Models: Glori Dei Filippone, Justin Flo, Omi Ford, Matthew Menendez, Tristan Shuler, Regan Teller, Kyle Glen Ullsperger, Maxwell Vice, Kamaria Monee Williams, S.J, Sister Jeannine Grammick.
Additional interviewees: Lindsay Adler, Brendan Cannon, Amy Gossels, Ross Murray

Q&A after the screenings with Director Yuval David, Producer Mark McDermott, and composer Ariel Blumenthal.

Party after the screening at – SCHNITT BREWING COMPANY – Haarbaa 12 St

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Joyland

Docile and unemployed Heider Rana (Ali Junejo) is married to a working woman Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq). On the face of it he has a happy marital and comfortable home life, the couple live under the same roof as the rest of the Rana tribe.
After his father pressures him to find a job Heider gets one, as a backup dancer for Biba (Alina Khan), a trans woman who is part of a colorful entertainment show called ‘Joyland’. Through Biba, Heider begins to slowly open up and discover a new way of living. While Heider is living the dream, Mumtaz is beginning to feel frustrated by the pressure of the conservative society that expects her to stay at home and serve the family’s patriarch.
Joyland” is a bitter-sweet story of repression and the wish for self-fulfillment.

 

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

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

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.

The Oleanders

Paola, Betty and Eva are three trans women in the 60’s who’ve known each other for over 40 years. The three started as sex workers in Athens in their youth. In the film “The Oleanders” they revisit their old turf – the streets where they used to work, hang out, get harassed or arrested by the police, fight for their rights, enjoy life and find love. The three are having an unapologetic, humoristic and empowering discussion on the queer history of Athens and beyond.
The Oleanders” was directed by social activist and filmmaker Paola Revenioti, who is also one of the three protagonists. Get ready for a hysterical and historical 65 minutes that manages to entertain, move and empower.

Screening in cooperation with The Gila Project for Trans Empowerment

Into My Name

Four friends – Leonardo, Raffaele, Andrea and Nicolo take a look back on their childhood and youth. They share their experiences and memories, even when they failed to live up to society’s norms. Each of their gender biographies is different and yet there are similarities. This helps them understand one another better and feel less alone.
In front of the camera they talk about love, partnership, choosing their name, hormone treatment, surgery decisions and dealing with the bureaucracy of those long and complex processes. In a very binary world, and especially in a conservative country such as Italy, the decision to determine your own gender is a subversive act.
Into My Name” provides its protagonists with a safe space to describe their personal journey to their chosen selves. This film is a sensitive description of the hardships they’ve had to overcome in their way to fulfill the social, physical and legal change they yearn for.

Q&A with the director and producer after the screenings.

In association with the Italian Cultural Institute

Mama Bears

Director Daresha Kyi has created a moving and intimate documentary of how a mother’s love can change the world.
Mama Bears” is the story of women who let almost every aspect of their lives be completely remodeled by love. Even though they grew up in an Evangelistic fundamentalist Christian communities, the “Mama Bears” group members are willing to risk the loss of family, friends and their religious community in order to keep their children safe, even if by doing so they challenge their own entire belief system and tear apart their own whole world view of politics, religion, faith and love.
The result is a gripping social documentary about the battle against LGBTQ-phobia these brave women lead.

Additional screening: Rosh Pina Cinematheque 29.10, 18:00

Dodo

Dodo” is the new film by Greek master Panos H. Koutras, who brought us queer groundbreaking Greek films such as “Strella” (2009 TLVFest opening film) and “Xenia” (that screened during the 2015 TLVFest).
This time Koutras delivers a surprising melodrama, full of twists and highly entertaining. Dodo is the name of a bird that had been extinct for over 300 years. One night the bird mysteriously appears in a fancy villa of a down on its luck Athenian family. In two days they will celebrate the wedding of their daughter – a wedding that is critical to saving the family’s bleak financial situation. The presence of the long extinct bird rattles the family, the villa’s staff and others who cross its path.
Imagine the early 80’s great soap operas “Dallas” and “Dynasty” meet an extinct Dodo, throw into the mix queer characters and lots of plot twists and you get the very entertaining melodrama “Dodo”.

Additional screenings:
28.10, 19:45
Haifa Cinematheque
4.11, 21:00
Cinematheque Herzliya