Lesbian 2023 Archives

Blue Jean

England 1988 – Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government is about to pass a law that will not allow gay men and women to work in the education system. Out of fear for her job, PE teacher Jean is forced to live a double life. Her personal life becomes even more complicated when her activist partner starts pressuring her to come out of the closet. When a new student in Jean’s school shows up unexpectedly in the local lesbian bar where Jean and her friends hang out, the meeting pushes Jean further towards the edge and challenges her life choices.

“Blue Jean” is a portrait of a woman who only wants to keep her life and identity private, while the social and political reality, that is so much bigger than her, will force her to make a stand. Rosy McEwen takes the screen by storm as Jean. Georgia Oakley’s debut film was already screened in over 50 festivals worldwide and has rightly won many awards.

Salty Water

Based on the experiences of director/screenwriter Henrika Kull, one of the more interesting queer filmmakers in Germany today (her film “Bliss” was screened at the TLVfest 2021). This time her movie is set in Israel.
In “Salty Water” Kull describes the sexual tension between Anna, a young woman visiting Israel from Germany and Nuri, an Israeli man that she had just met through a mutual friend. For the last decade, until she met Nuri, Anna’s partner had been a woman. Feelings begin to emerge between the two as they decide to take refuge in Nuri’s parents’ deserted house in the mountains between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv, in the middle of a military operation, when missiles are being launched at Tel-Aviv by the Hamas. The young couple spends two intense days by the pool protected by the ‘Iron Dome’, two days where feelings and secrets will be revealed.

Housekeeping for Beginners

Director Goran Stolevski (“You Won’t Be Alone”) had won a Special Mention award at the 2018 TLVFest for his wonderful short film “Would You Look at Her”. This time he brings us a moving, universal and different piece on motherhood and family.

Dita (Anamaria Marinca, “4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days”) never wanted to be a mother, but life forces her to raise her partner’s daughters – Mia, the youngest, is a trouble magnet and Vanessa is a rebellious teenager. In order to keep custody of the girls Dita must marry her gay roommate and get help from his young Roma boyfriend who found refuge in this unstable house. Now all those very different people will have to learn how to be a family together.
The film was shot in Cinéma vérité style and watching it feels very realistic, with an intense and dense atmosphere that tells the story just as much as the plot.

Macedonian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards

Fancy Dance

Following the disappearance of her sister, Jax – a woman with Native-American roots, kidnaps her niece from her white grandfather’s house, and together they embark on a journey to reach a traditional Native American dance ceremony where Jax’s missing sister used to dance.

The leading role is portrayed by Lily Goldstone, who is starring with Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s new film “Killers of the Flower Moon”. In “Fancy Dance” she plays a queer woman investigating the disappearance of her older sister while trying to convince the authorities to let her raise her niece according to their Native American culture rather than hand over the child to her estranged white father.

Erica Tremblay’s moving film incorporates several complex issues and manages to bring them to the silver screen in a very respectful and inspiring manner. She weaves into the family drama topics like queer identity, ethnic identity, women’s friendship and the fight for Native Americans rights in the U.S.A. This film also raises awareness of a very disturbing phenomenon – the disappearance of Native American women in the reservations.

Blue Flower

A set of three fascinating short films from all over the world. Though they were made with low budget, they have a distinctive cinematic styles and showcase unique love stories from Nepal, India and Myanmar.
Duration: 90 minutes

Stories and Ceremonies – Israeli Shorts 5

Duration: 75 minutes

Poly Shorts Mix

Multisexual, bisexual, pansexual, polyamorous – these topics even the LGBTQ cinema hasn’t really explored yet in depth.
Here are some very well made short films on the subject – two from the USA, two from Poland and one from Ireland.
Duration: 85 minutes

Lesbian International Mix

A collection of six films dealing with different perspectives on lesbian life. Young women and mature, women who just came out, women in a mid-life crisis. Short films about discovery, journey, the end and also one hamster.
This set includes films from USA, Ukraine, Poland, UK and Hungary.
Duration: 85 minutes

Queer Animation Shorts

Germany, Finland, USA, Croatia, Brazil, Taiwan and Israel are all going to be shown in the most colorful and versatile shorts collection of the TLVFest.
Queer history, everyday life, sex, love, trans and non-binary people and one octopus.
These are certainly not the animated films you’ll find in cinemas near you.
Duration: 80 minutes