Duration: 80 minutes
Strange Way of Life (Almodóvar) and 3 Israeli films
International Gay Shorts
A set of six short films that give different perspectives on gay life, all in different genres – realistic, sexy, horror, crime and one surprising comedy.
The films in this mix come from USA, Germany, France and a Swiss/Colombian production.
Duration: 90 minutes
Night in the Arava – Israeli Shorts 3
Duration: 85 minutes
Dancing On The Road – Israeli Shorts 4
Duration: 100 minutes
Love Letter to a Garden – Israeli Shorts 7
Duration: 70 minutes
TLVFest Honorary Award to Gila Almagor & “Tied Hands”
The film tells the story of a sensitive and complex relationship between a mother and her ailing son. Like in Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale “The Loveliest Rose in the World” where a prince must search for a rose to save his mother, who is dying in bed, “Tied Hands” sees a reversal of roles as a desperate mother goes out to find marijuana, to ease her son’s pain. In her turbulent journey in the streets of Tel-Aviv, old truths from her past come back to life and threaten to break down a wall of denials behind which she’s been hiding all her life.
Chasing Amy
Following Sav Rodgers’ wonderful documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy”, we had to screen Kevin Smith’s classic from 1997 (even though it didn’t age that well).
Is this film a lesbian fantasy of a straight man, or does it actually capture the nuances of a pansexual/bisexual identity better than many other films made even today?
A once in a lifetime performance by Joey Lauren Adams as the lesbian comic artist Ben Affleck’s character falls in love with (and she falls in love back). The film brings up questions about female sexuality and fluidity of sexual orientation that were ahead of their time back then and are still relevant today.
We highly recommend watching Sav Rodgers’ “Chasing Chasing Amy” which gives Smith’s classic film added layers and context.
Reaching for the Moon
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Free entry with Cinematheque membership
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A screening for the film’s 10th anniversary
The year is 1951 and the poet Elisabeth Bishop is looking for inspiration. She leaves her New York home and travels to sunny Rio de Janeiro to visit her old school friend Mary Morse. Elisabeth, with her closed off personality and conservative upbringing, is finding it hard to get used to the Brazilian sensuality, and especially to Marys’ partner – architect Lota de Macedo Soares (who will later design the famous Flamingo Park in Rio). Lota’s cold welcome to Elisabeth soon melts and she tries to convince Elisabeth to move in with her and Mary to their large mansion. Mary is reluctant but Lota wants both women to herself.
Elisabeth Bishop’s emotional poems are the heart of the film that follows an important chapter in the life of Pulitzer award winner. The film showcases wonderful performances by the Australian actress Miranda Otto as Elisabeth and Brazilian telenovelas star Gloria Pires as Lota. Special mention goes to the elegant and on point periodic reconstruction.
The film is based on a book by Carmen L. Oliveira.
In association with the Embassy of Brazil
The Wedding Banquet
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Free entry with Cinematheque membership
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A screening for the film’s 30’s anniversary
Wai-Tung, a 30’s something Chinese immigrant from Taiwan had achieved the American dream – he has a Green Card, his real estate business is flourishing, his bank account is full, and most importantly, his love life is blooming. The problem is that his parents want grandchildren and are pushing for him to get married, while Wei-Tung lives with the love of his life – Simon, a charming young New Yorker who already mastered the secrets of Chinese cooking. Simon has a solution – in one of the apartments Wei-Tung is renting lives Wei-Wei, a poor artist with no Green Card, so a fictional marriage could solve both their problems. In theory it’s a foolproof plan, until Wei-Tung’s parents arrive from Taiwan in order to throw their son a huge wedding banquet.
“The Wedding Banquet”, Ang Lee’s second film, won the Golden Bear award at the Berlinale of 1993.
35mm screening.
On the Go
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The screening will be preceded by the short movie “In My Own Image”.
Imagine “Easy Rider” meets early Greg Araki films such as “Totally F***ed Up” and “The Living End” and pour over some hot and sassy Spanish passion and you’ll end up with the anarchistic creation by directors/screenwriters María Gisèle Royo and Julia de Castro, starring Omar Ayuso (“Elite”) in a very daring role.
37-year-old Milagros is a young carefree woman in her last years of fertility, while 24-year-old Jonathan, her best friend, is obsessively looking for comfort on Grindr in order to overcome his separation anxiety. Milagros is looking for sperm, Jonathan just wants to run away after burning down a club. The two embark on a roadtrip where they will meet a mermaid, one night stands and criminals, all while listening to great music.
This is a film about contemporary young men and women who think they live in the age of free choice with unlimited options, but the truth is – the beginning of the 21 century freedom is nothing but an illusion.
The film was shot entirely on a 16mm camera.
Viewing is 18+ due to nudity and explicit sexual content.
In association with the Embassy of Spain
In My Own Image
Director, Script & Producer: Giuseppe Bucci
With: Mariano Gallo, Eva Grimaldi, Salvatore Langella
Italy, 2023, 12 min, Italian with English subtitles
Francesco fails to feel sorry for the death of his father, a homophobic and bigoted man mainly due to his religious upbringing. The son has never confessed his homosexuality to his father and, desperate, he makes a very strong gesture to shout his homosexuality to God, the Vatican and his father.
