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Panorama

Chuck Chuck Baby

Northern Wales, a chicken packing factory, in the background are the inspiring tunes of Neil Diamond, Janis Ian, Minnie Riperton and others. Helen is in her late 30’s and spends most of her time either at the factory or taking care of her ex’s dying mother.
A surprising twist comes in the shape of Joan, her former neighbor who returns to the godforsaken town. The two women renew their friendship, Helen regains her joie-de-vivre as well as some hidden desires. The two begin a playful courtship – but will they have the courage to let go of the painful past and let their love win?
Oh, and did we mention that the whole thing is an uplifting, full of life, lesbian kind-of musical?

Please note: part of the movie takes place in a meatpacking factory. No animals were hurt during the filming.

Additional screening: 2.11, 21:00, with a Stand-up show by Talya Bartfeld before the screening.

Fragments of a Life Loved

For over thirty years, both in Rome and in Paris, Chloé Barreau filmed her relationships. When she’d enter a relationship she made sure to shape her memory with videos, stills and writing. But how do her exes remember her and their experience from the relationship with her? How close is their version to Chloé’s version?
“Fragments of a Life Loved” builds up a mosaic of a woman’s life, the film’s creator, based on interviews with those who loved her. Intimate memories and private materials are woven together to expose the universal sides of relationships and the way we experience love stories through the years’ perspective.

Haze

New film by the director Matthew Fifer. Like in his debut “Cicada”, Fifer gives us a complex, dark and sexy profile of a man in search for answers to his troubled past.
This time round Fifer doesn’t act, but leaves the stage to Cole Doman (“Mutt”) who plays Joe, an investigating journalist, who returns to his hometown after rehab.
Joe is struggling to find a steady job, and focuses on the big story that will put his career back on track: The mysterious death of eight gay men in the psychiatric hospital that now stands abandoned in his hometown.
At the same time Joe begins a new and thrilling affair with Luke (Brian J Smith, “Sense8”). But who is the new stranger that arrived in town at the same time as Joe? Does the death of Joe’s sister when they were kids have anything to do with the deaths of the men in the psychiatric hospital?

Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content and violence.

Dying Briefly

Sebastian joins an important dance company and meets Arsenio – a charming and experienced dancer. The two begin an intense affair and become a couple. The crisis arises with the arrival of a new and manipulative choreographer that shakes up the group dynamics. Now the couple have to compete with each other for the same role and yet stay true to themselves. Will their relationship (and the troupe) survive this competition?

Did you love “Black Swan” with Natalie Portman? Are you addicted to Netflix’s “Elite”? Juan Briseño’s debut film “Dying Briefly” manages to do the impossible and combine the two. The result is beautiful and thought provoking, dealing with issues of body image, bullying and self harm. Hypnotizing cinematography, sexy and talented actors and impressive choreography will sweep you away for 85 minutes.

Viewing is 18+ due to nudity, sexual content and violence (including sexual violence).

F.L.Y

Although it feels like a decade ago, it’s only been four years since we were all in COVID lockdown.
The comedy “F.L.Y” takes us back to that time with a lot of humour and music. Rafael had just moved to LA with big dreams of being the next big drag queen star, and finds himself stuck in lockdown with his ex Max, who’s now seeing someone new. The two must navigate between unresolved feelings, past traumas and a new and complicated reality. Even though there’s a pandemic going on this is still a comedy about two men who used to date, but in order to move on they must find a way to leave behind the vortex of jealousy, loaded family relations and their dealings with sexual and gender identity.
Trent Kendrick and Rafael Albarrán who wrote, directed and star in the leading roles, give the viewers an amused and sexy look on love, relationships and what it means to be a gay man in this current decade.

Unspoken

Jeremy Borison’s moving debut film provides a glimpse into the world of Noam, a religious high school student who comes from a very traditional Jewish-American family. Noam finds a love letter addressed to his grandfather by another man, written before the holocaust, and decides to look for the mystery man who wrote the letter and learn more about his grandfather as well as himself.
Charlie Korman is doing a wonderful job in the lead role. His best friend and love interest who helps him dig into his family secrets (that everyone seems adamant to hide) is played by Israeli actor Michael Zapesotsky (best known for his roles in TV series “Yellow Peppers” and “The Commander”).
“Unspoken” is a moving teen film that encompasses the past, present and the complex experience of being a religious teen in a conservative Jewish environment.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 2.11, 17:00

Turtles

Since Thom and Henri met 35 years ago, their love has never wavered. They live a seemingly perfect life in Brussels. When Henri retires from his job as a police officer, the extra hours together start to shake the foundations of their relationship. Henri’s days seem to stretch endlessly and Thom is starting to lose his patience. They slowly drift apart from each other until the house becomes a battlefield. Thom’s love for Henri remains strong and he refuses to give up on them. He will do anything to save their relationship and reignite their love, even if it means asking Henri for a divorce.

This is a third film by David Lambert at the TLVFest and now he brings to the big screen a story of an elderly couple who’s been living together for decades, long before it was socially accepted to be LGBT, long before there were gay marriages or queer couples could legally adopt. Now the couple faces a new dynamic in their lives when they are suddenly both senior citizens, who need to adjust to a different rhythm of life and basically rediscover each other.

Riley

Dakota Riley is a beloved football star of his local high school. His dominant father and teammates have a clear plan for him, but Riley, who wants to be loved by everyone, is having a hard time loving himself. He does anonymous hook-ups, suffers from anxiety and lives in constant fear of being outed in a conservative town and a football team that is all toxic masculinity.
“Riley” is a fascinating film of the journey of a young man trying to figure out who he is, what he wants from himself and what is the life path he should be taking. The story focuses on his conflicted emotions and denied desires, all the while navigating adolescence.
“Riley” was written and directed by Benjamin Howard, and it is the director’s first full length feature, after he’s made several award winning short films. Howard is definitely a refreshing discovery and will surely find his place in Hollywood in the next few years. Jake Holley gives a powerful and complex performance as Riley.

Blue Lights

In the grand tradition of “Perfect Strangers”, the dramedy “Blue Lights” takes place almost entirely during a dinner party with friends.
During a birthday celebration with seven close friends and family, secrets are exposed, emotions and conflicts awake after many years. This is a heartwarming comedic drama with a wonderful Argentinian cast that manages to shed light on the complexities and layers of being LGBTQ in a wide range of ages.
“Blue Lights” deals with subjects that are universal: love, loss, partnership, friendship and also the ability to forgive. This is a dramedy that is set to touch the viewers’ hearts, make them laugh and feel, and the film certainly delivers.

The Writer

American-Lithuanian Kostas and Russian-Lithuanian Dima meet anew in New York, decades after they served together in the Soviet army. They fell in love in the 80’s and Dima joined Kostas and moved to Lithuania. When Lithuania restored its independence, Kostas left to study in New York and left Dima behind. Kostas gained fame, when a book he wrote, based on their love story, became a bestseller and turned him into a sought after writer and lecturer. When they meet again, Dima, who in the meantime married and divorced a woman, wishes to exorcise their demons and rectify the story that is told in the book.
Through examining the art of conversation, director Romas Zabarauskas explores how history and geopolitical changes affect people’s private lives, such as relationships, friendships and love.

Romas Zabarauskas has been a TLVfest’s guest back in 2021, and this is his 5th film.

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