Lesbian 2024 Archives - Page 2 of 4

Susana and Nélida met in their youth in a convent, fell in love and abandoned their calling. The two built a home together, adopted 3yo Erika, and lived a happy life on the family farm. But in 2006 the two were charged with murder and were sentenced to 20 years in prison, in what became a sensational media event, combining nuns, lesbians, jealousy, rivalry, prejudice, politics, corruption and parenthood. Many things happened since then – Nelida came out as a trans man, and is now Daniel, Erika is 24yo and visits her parents in prison, while they still plead innocence.
Director Agustin Toscano who has been following the couple since 2019, is bending the rules of documentary cinema and brings to the screen a humane drama of a family behind bars. He combines documentary filmmaking with professional acting and adds original musical pieces, and most importantly – he does not judge his subjects in any way.
This is an original and forceful piece of cinema.

Gondola

In the mountains of west Georgia, a rural community relies on a pair of cable cars that connect two sides of a steep valley. Iva returns to her home village following the death of a relative and takes up a job operating one of the cable car gondolas. She forms a long distance friendship with Nina, the operator of the other gondola. In time, those aerial meetings turn to naughty flirting between the two young women and then deepen into love.
This strange romance is wordless, but has a very unique and original cinematic vision from writer/director Veit Helmer. It is a delightful piece, very visually pleasing, full of fun and charming cinematic ideas. 82 minutes with no dialogue but with a lot of love for the art of cinema as well as its two wonderful heroines. In “Gondola” love truly floats between heaven and earth, and it is simply a film of pure fun.

In association with the Embassy of Germany

Battle of the Sexes

Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in this recreation of the legendary 1973 tennis match that pitted Billie Jean King against Bobby Riggs.

Scripted by Academy Award winner Simon Beaufoy (“Slumdog Millionaire”) and directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (“Little Miss Sunshine”), “Battle of the Sexes” is a rousing depiction of a historical moment.

King (Stone) is a champion athlete and an outspoken feminist in her professional life, but her personal life is a struggle. Her marriage is failing. Her closeted sexuality feels like a distraction. Outraged that the National Tennis League won’t allow equal pay for men and women, King founds her own tour with Gladys Heldman (Sarah Silverman) as manager. Riggs (Carell) is decades removed from his last championship. Facing dwindling finances and desperate to win back his ex-wife, he proposes a publicity-snaring challenge.

The film reminds us just how much blatant sexism pervaded the so-called sexual revolution. But it also shows the great strides made by trailblazers like King.

Bursting with colorful period production design and costumes, “Battle of the Sexes” is as fleet and fun as it is politically acute, and Stone and Carell make hugely enjoyable adversaries.

The movie is also available on Disney Plus

The Favourite

Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion.

The movie is also available on Disney Plus

“Ella” & “Coffee Grapefruit Cacao

The screening of “Ella” will be preceded by short movie “Coffee Grapefruit Cacao” and “Stuck”, an Israeli short.

In the classic manner of “Sliding Doors”, please welcome the contemporary lesbian version.
Ella wakes up to a frightening number of unanswered calls and a very urgent message from her agent. She’s on a crucial crossroad – an audition that will determine her future. She has to race against the clock to make it on time to the audition, when every decision she makes has its own unique pros and cons, each road provides a different path with different potential to touch hearts, mend family ties, find unexpected romance, succeed or fail in the audition. Which way will lead Ella to her true self?
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Festivals:
Yellowstone International Film Festival 2024
Chéries-Chéris LGBTQI Film Festival 2024
Merlinka International Queer Film Festival 2024
Out On Film – Atlanta’s LGBTQ Film Festival 2024

In association with the Embassy of France

Emilia Pérez

The new and much talked about musical crime drama by director Jacques Audiard (“Rust and Bone”, “A Prophet” “The Beat That My Heart Skipped”) which premiered at the last Cannes Film Festival to standing ovations. This film earned its amazing cast a joint award and the Judges Choice main award. This is the film that introduced to the world one of the best cinematic newcomers of recent years – transgender actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who takes over the screen and the viewers hearts with an unforgettable performance.

Zoe Saldaña (“Avatar”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”) is Rita, a frustrated lawyer who works for a big and corrupt company. One day she gets a chance to change her life – a one-on-one meeting with the head of one of the cruelest cartels in Mexico. To her immense surprise the man asks her to help him realize his dream – to undergo a gender affirming procedure and start a new life as a woman under the name of Emilia Pérez.
Other cast members include one of todays’ biggest stars as the cartel head’s wife, Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”) and the Israeli actor Mark Ivanir.
This is a film that you will not forget.

In association with the Embassy of France

Summer Qamp

“Summer Qamp” is a documentary following a group of young LGBTQ people in an idyllic summer camp by a lake in Alberta, Canada, where the young campers enjoy the traditional camp experience, but in a safe and accepting environment.
Camp fYrefly is stationed deep in a green forest and is a summer refuge for teens on the LGBTQ spectrum, far from a hostile environment, in a place where they can give fly to their queerness and their gender identity.
The film invites the viewers to meet the guides as well as the young campers, all of whom are willing to share the challenges they face and what had led them to this particular camp in remarkable and moving honesty.

In association with the Embassy of Canada

What a Feeling

Marie Theres, a successful doctor has some very special plans for her 20th anniversary with her husband Alexander, but he has a completely different idea. He’s about to break up with her that very evening. Alexander wants to be happier, freer and doesn’t want Marie Theres in his life anymore. As a result of this very unpleasant turn, Marie Theres will do what every logical woman might do when everything in her life goes completely wrong: she goes drinking in a lesbian bar. There she meets Fa, who lives in order to enjoy life and prefers non committal relationships. After a night of heavy drinking Fa took Marie Theres home, but Marie Theres cannot remember if they’ve done “anything”.
Two women in their 40s, seemingly completely unrelated to each other, but new feelings make them rethink, is this love? The result is a heartwarming comedy that will make you believe again in love.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 1.11, 18:30

In association with the Austrian Cultural Forum

Lesvia

Since the 70’s lesbians from all over the world have been drawn to the island of Lesbos, the birthplace of the famous ancient Greek poet Sappho. They find refuge on the wild beaches that are void of tourists, next to small traditional fishermen villages. The women create their own environment that does not align with the conservative mind set of the nearby villagers and brings forth tensions. Some lesbians decide to relocate to the village and start a new community, hotels and businesses that cater to the lesbian crowd, which makes the locals feel like their home had been invaded and turned upside down.
Filmmaker Tzeli Hadjidimitriou, a Lesbos native and a lesbian herself, directed an immersive experience about 40 years of love, community, conflict and gentrification.

1.11 – An introduction by Dr. Amal Ziv