THOUGHT provoking films from Europe grace the “Euro Pink Night” at the Pink Festival (Philippine International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival) at the Gateway Cinema on June 2.
In the historical documentary The Secret Club (Den hemmelige klubben),
Norweigian director Kenneth Elvebakk scoured Scandinavia to root out
the origins of “Norwegian Gay Society DNF-48”, a secret
club for homosexuals established in Oslo in 1950, when homosexuality
was a criminal offence in Norway. We also meet men from Sweden and Denmark.
With humour and a touch of sadness, a group of older homosexual men recall titillating episodes from their youth, as well as the negative reactions from society. Arne Heli (78) is both a father and a grandfather, but also one of the pioneers of the homosexual movement in Norway. Hans Marius Trøseid (68) chose to live the rest of his life in celibacy, while Ulf Tveten (68) decided to marry a woman.
The Secret Club won the Mix Brazil Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Audience Award for Best Documentary.
Another Pink Euro entry Hoi Maya by Claudia Lorenz dissects the hesitation behind so many unfulfilled lesbian love affairs. Two 70-year old ladies Maya and Charlotte meet unexpectedly at a hairdresser’s and they pretend not to know each other. Maya recognizes Charlotte. Charlotte recognizes Maya. Memories of their joint youth are awakened, suppressed feelings haunt them as they sort out their past lives passing off as heterosexuals.
The short film garnered quite a number of prizes, including Prix Canal
Plus, 27th International Women's Film Festival, Créteil (France)
2005; Prix UIP Berlin, 55th Berlinale International Filmfestival Berlin
2005; Panorama Audience Award, 55th Berlinale International Filmfestival
Berlin 2005; Pro Senectute Preis 2004, Switzerland; Audience Award,
Queersicht Berne (Switzerland) 2004 and Egli Film Audience Award 2004,
Zurich (Switzerland).
A light short film from Finland Pallo (The Ball) uses a whimsical metaphor of a football game on how kids in South Africa look at condoms.
The Pink Festival unreels from June 1 to 7 at the Gateway, the newest mall to rise in Cubao, Quezon City. On its third edition this year, the event joins the world’s observance of annual Gay Pride Month of June.
The human rights celebration is presented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Mowelfund Film Institute, with the support of the Finland Embassy, the Swiss Embassy, Philippine NGO Support Program (PHANSuP), Women's Educational Media, Norweigian Film Institute, University of the Philippines Film Institute and AIDS Society of the Philippines.
Reservations and Season's Passes will soon be made available. Corporate
sponsorships and provincial bookings are now being accepted. For more
information, call: Mowelfund Film Institute at 410 4567; 727 1915 local
203; or 3673109.
Posted May 15, 2005