\begindata{text822, 0} X-Andrew-WideReply: netnews.soc.motss X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 0;andrew.cmu.edu;Network-Mail Received: via nntpserv with nntp; Tue, 2 Nov 1993 22:30:48 -0500 (EST) Path: andrew.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!portal!cup.portal.com!Minotaur From: Minotaur@cup.portal.com (A Frank Swilling) Newsgroups: soc.motss Subject: The GLBO-Centered Film List Message-ID: <94775@cup.portal.com> Date: Tue, 2 Nov 93 18:45:55 PST Organization: The Portal System (TM) Lines: 2809 The GLBO-Centered Film List compiled by Frank Swilling November 1993 Edition ***** GLBO-Centered U.S. Documentaries ***** Acting Up For Prisoners Eric Slade and Mic Sweney, Directors 1992 : 27 minutes : GLBO : Record of AIDS activists forcing US authorities to take action in a prison where HIV+ women were being abused. Alternative Conceptions Christina Sunley and Vicki Funari, Directors 1985 : 35 minutes : Lesbian : A look at artificial insemination for lesbians. American Fabulous Reno Dakota, Director 1990 : 103 minutes : Gay: A gay man named Jeffrey Strouth, who has since died of AIDS, sits in the back seat of an old car and tells boring stories about his life. Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community Robert Rosenberg, John Scagliotti, and Greta Schiller, Producers 1984 : 87 minutes : GLBO : Gay and lesbian culture before the Stonewall uprising. (Winner of 2 Emmys for best historical program and best research.) A Bigger Splash Jack Hazan, Director 1974 : 100 minutes : Gay : Four years with David Hockney and friends. A Celebration of Lesbian and Gay Life and Love Martha Wheelock, Producer 1990 : Gay/Lesbian : Music Video celebrating the ubiquity and strength of the gay and lesbian experience. Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr Evelyn Hooker Richard Schmiechen, Director 1992 : 75 minutes : GLBO : Using archive footage and interviews charts courageous life of the (straight) woman who established that homosexuality is not a mental disorder. Fascinating and heart-warming. Nominated for Best Documentary in 1993 Academy Awards. Choosing Children Debra Chasnoff and Kim Klausner, Directors 1985 : 45 minutes : Lesbian : A look at some of the issues surrounding lesbians who became parents after coming out. Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt 1991 : GLBO : Several random stories of people represented by squares on the AIDS memorial quilt. A Conversation with Brian McNaught on Being Gay [On Being Gay] Ron Robin, Director 1986 : 86 minutes : Gay : Activist, lecturer counselor, and author McNaught discusses being gay in a straight world. Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Marion Barling, Director 1975 : 28 minutes : Lesbian : The founders of "The Daughters of Bilitis" speak their minds. Dry Kisses Only 1990 : Lesbian : Lesbian subtexts of Hollywood movies are revealed through inventive editing, hilarious commentaries and interviews. The Families We Choose Cheryl Qamar and Lisa Pontoppidan, Directors 1985 : 37 minutes : Lesbian : Four lesbian families and other women talk about their lives. The Films of Barbara Hammer: Lesbian Sexuality Barbara Hammer, Director 1974-76 : 57 minutes : Lesbian : Compilation on videotape of short films by the prolific lesbian filmmaker, with moods varying from frankly erotic to warmly introspective. For Love and For Life: The 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights Joan E. Biren, Director 1988 : 60 minutes : GLBO : Coverage of the first March on Washington. Framing Lesbian Fashion Karen Everett, Director 1992 : 60 minutes : Lesbian : A look at the evolution of lesbian attire and identity, featuring interviews with Sally Gearhart, JoAnn Loulan, Arlene Stein, Kitty Tsui, and others. Gay for a Day/Costumes on Review Tom Palazzolo, Director 1976 : 45 minutes: GLBO : "Gay for a Day" looks at the 1976 Gay Pride Parade, and "Costumes on Review" is a funny look at a gay Halloween party. Gay Games II: Highlights Male Entertainment Network and Wolfe Video, Producers 1986 : 60 minutes : GLBO : You guessed it -- highlights of the second Gay Games. Gay Games II: Women's Physique Male Entertainment Network and Wolfe Video, Producers 1986 : 90 minutes : Lesbian : The women's bodybuilding competition. Gay, Proud, and Sober Jesus S. Trevino, Director 1978 : 21 minutes : GLBO : About alcoholism and its treatment in the gay community. Gay Voices, Gay Legends 1988 : 58 minutes : Gay : Famous and lesser known gay men talk about their lives. Gay Youth Pam Walton, Director 1992 : 46 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : The stories of two teens -- Bobby Griffith, who killed himself at the age of twenty, and Gina Gutierrez, a 17-year-old high school senior who received acceptance and support for her sexual identity. Greetings From Out Here Directed by Ellen Spiro 1992 : 60 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : Made-for-PBS video in which director Spiro goes on a road trip throughout the South, interviewing Gays and Lesbians she finds along the way. Greetings from Washington, D.C. Lucy Winer, Director 1981 : 28 minutes : GLBO : Coverage of the 1987 March on Washington. The Historic March on Washington: The Largest Gay Rights Demonstration Ever Carl David, Director 1987 : 58 minutes : GLBO : Coverage of the first March on Washington. Homo Promo 19?? : GLBO : A collection of trailers for GLBO films from the 30s to the 80s. Honored by the Moon Mona Smith, Director 1990 : 15 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : Documentary about homosexuality among Native Americans. If She Grows up Gay Karen Sloe, Director 1983 : 23 minutes : Lesbian : About the life of a 19-year-old black lesbian who talks her pregnancy and about raising her daughter with her new lover. In the Best Interests of the Children Elizabeth Stevens, Cathy Zheutlin, and Frances Reid, Directors 1977 : 53 minutes : Lesbian : Eight diverse lesbian mothers talk about parenting and child custody. Also gives the children's views. Juggling Gender: Politics, Sex and Identity Tami Gold, Director 1992 : 27 minutes : Lesbian : Savvy documentary about a bearded lesbian performance artist. Just Because of Who We Are Toni Dickerson, Director 1986 : 28 minutes : Lesbian : About physical and psychological violence and harassment directed against lesbians. Kim Arlyn Gajilan, Director 1988 : 27 minutes : Lesbian : About the coming out process of a young Puerto Rican lesbian in New York. Labor More Than Once Liz Mersky, Director 1983 : 52 minutes : Lesbian : About Marianne MacQueen, a lesbian mother who's trying to regain custody of her son. Last Call at Maud's Paris Poirier, Director 1992 : 45 minutes (approximately) : Lesbian : Billed as a "work-in-progress", this film focuses on the closing of the world's oldest lesbian bar in the world, Maud's in San Francisco. Tracking lesbian history from the WWII lesbian bar scene, to the birth of The Daughters of Bilitis, to the closing of Amelia's in 1991, Last Call at Maud's documents the lives and histories of some of the major figures in San Francisco's lesbian community. Lesbian Mothers Billie Carroll and Ellen Frank, Directors 1979 : 26 minutes : Lesbian : About the social stigma of lesbian motherhood. Lesbian Tongues 1989 : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Prominent lesbians talk about love, sex, and coming out. Lifetime Commitment: A Portrait of Karen Thompson Kiki Zeldes and Susan Bruce, Producers 1988 : 33 minutes : Lesbian : About the legal struggles between Ms. Thompson and her lover's family over visitation rights after her lover, Sharon Kowalski, is critically injured in a 1983 auto accident. Male Couples: How Relationships Develop Peter Frisch, Director 1985 : 90 minutes : Gay : Discussion of the stages of a male couple's relationship, using dramatized vignettes of a male couple's life. The Male Escorts of San Francisco Matthew Link, Director 1992 : 42 minutes : Gay : Thoughtful, unsensational, this tape answers almost all the questions you might ever have about male escorts. Meet Bradley Harrison Picklesimer 1987 : Gay Transvestite : Profile of a Kentucky drag queen. Nitrate Kisses Barbara Hammer, Director 1992 : 67 minutes : GLBO : Lesbian filmmaker Hammer's "experimental" (read: non-traditional filmic styles) film explores the history of lesbian and gay culture. Part oral history, part collage, part film montage, the film might sometimes get unwieldy, but it remains interesting throughout. No Need to Repent: The Ballad of Rev. Jan Griesinger 1989 : Lesbian : Reverend Jan Griesinger is an "out" minister in the United Church of Christ who has integrated her ministry, her politics and her personal life. The story of a courageous contemporary feminist, this film reveals some of the many levels of her activism. Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien Marlon Riggs, Director 1992 : 30 minutes : Gay : Through music, poetry, and (at times chilling) self-disclosure, five serio-positive black gay men speak of their individual confrontation with AIDS. Not All Parents are Straight Kevin White, Director 198? : 58 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : A look at parent-child relationships in several gay- or lesbian-parent households. Paris Is Burning Jennie Livingston, Director 1991 : 72 minutes : GLBO : A look at the drag balls of Harlem and interviews with some of the people who enter them, in which drag of every description is featured. Part of the USA: The Official National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights Video Estelle Dillon, Director 1987 : 30 minutes : GLBO : The only video endorsed by the organizers of the event. Pink Triangles: A Study of Prejudice against Lesbians and Gay Men 1982 : 34 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : Historical view of homophobia from the Nazi era through the present. Portrait of Jason 1967 : Gay : Interview with hustler Jason Holliday. Pride 1989 : Gay/Lesbian : ACT-UP New York's DIVA TV (Damned Interfering Video Activists) celebrates events of Lesbian and Gay Pride Weekend 1989. Pride and Prejudice Dorothy Engleman, Director 1992 : 30 minutes : Gay : A primer whose topics include homophobia, the closet, and coming out today -- nicely spliced together with visual jokes and in-the-know references. The Queen 1968 : Gay Transvestite : Outlandish documentary of the 1967 Drag Miss All American Beauty Queen Contest. Ray Navarro Memorial Tape Catherine Saalfield and Gregg Bordowitz, Directors 1990 : 30 minutes : Gay : A tribute to the AIDS activist and videomaker, who died while making a work about Latino gay male assimilation into white gay culture. Resident Alien 1990 : Gay : A look at the life of Quentin Crisp as an aging gay man living in New York City. Rights and Reactions: Lesbian and Gay Rights on Trial Phil Zwickler and Jane Lippman, Directors 1988 : 56 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : About the passage of the 1986 Gay and Lesbian Rights bill in New York. The Salt Mines 1990 : Gay Transvestite : A group of homeless, urban, Hispanic drag queen prostitutes on crack live in a junk yard in a secluded area alongside the Hudson River known as the Salt Mines. Powerful and grim. Sex Is... Marc Huestis, Director 1992 : 80 minutes : Gay: Radical, graphically illustrated dialogue on gay male sexuality, including -- but not limited to -- oral sex, anal sex, S&M, B&D, cross-dressing, masturbation, phone sex, home-video porn, nipple stimulation, smooching and fondling, slow dancing, and the finer points of eroticized, comdom-equipped "safer sex." She Don't Fade Cheryl Dunye, Director 1991 : 23 minutes : Lesbian : A self-reflexive look at the sexuality, love life, and friendships of a young urban black woman. Silent Pioneers Lucy Winer, Director 1984 : 43 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : Interviews and profiles of six gay and lesbian senior citizens. Also examines services available to gay seniors around the US. Silverlake Life: The View From Here Tom Joslin and Peter Friedman, Directors 1993 : Gay : Video diary of Tom Joslin and Mark Massi's life together, their love for and commitment to each other, and both their battles against AIDS. The Sluts and Goddesses Video Workshop, or How To Be A Sex Goddess In 101 Easy Steps Maria Beatty and Annie Sprinkle, Directors 1992 : 50 minutes : Lesbian : Learn how to have more sensual and sexual pleasure in your life. Follow along as Annie Sprinkle catalogs the joys of sex, along with her "Transformation Facilitators", which include Diviana Ingravallo, Jocelyn Taylor, and Carol [Scarlot Harlot] Leigh. Sonia Johnson: Going Farther Out of Our Minds 198? : 100 minutes : Lesbian : Author Sonia Johnson explores how women can leave patriarchy behind and begin living in a new world right now. Split: William to Chrysis: Portrait of a Drag Queen 1992 : 58 minutes : Transsexual Drag : Andrew Weeks and Ellen Fisher Turk, Directors Witty and tender portrait of a New York "chick with a dick", a companion of Salvador Dali, who recreated herself as various stars and danced and stripped from seedy joints to glamorous nightclubs. Storme: The Lady of the Jewel Box Michelle Parkerson, Director 1987 : 21 minutes : Female Transvestite Drag : Intimate profile of Storme DeLaverie, former emcee and male impersonator of the celebrated Jewel Box Revue -- America's first integrated female impersonation show. The Times of Harvey Milk Robert Epstein, Director 1984 : 88 minutes : Gay : The life and death -- by assassination -- of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk. Tiny and Ruby: Hell Divin' Women Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss, Directors 1988 : 30 minutes : Lesbian : Biography of jazz trumpeter Ernestine "Tiny" Davis and her lover/partner of over 40 years, drummer Ruby Lucas, aka Renee Phelan. Tongues Untied Marlon Riggs, Director 1989 : 55 minutes : Gay : Director Riggs uses poetry, rap, interviews and dramatic situations to express the oppression faced by black gay men in America today. Two Spirit People Lori Levy, Gretchen Vogel, and Michel Beauchemin, Directors 1991 : 23 minutes : GLBO : Charts Native American beliefs about sexual orientation and gender. Two Spirits T. Osa Hidalgo, Director 1993 : 27 minutes : GLBO : Lesbian and Gay Native Americans reflect on identity, gender, culture, and race. Voices of Life Patrick Wright, Director 1991 : 33 minutes : Gay : A clever deconstruction of conventional AIDS documentaries, which alerts us to how appearances can be deceiving. War on Lesbians Jane Cottis, Director 1992 : 35 minutes : Lesbian : Drawing on various pop culture conventions and referents, director Cottis poses as a gallery of characters and incorporates the subject of lesbianism into every imaginable area. We Are Family Dasal Banks, Director 1987 : 57 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : Examines daily life of parents and children in gay and lesbian families. Who Happen to Be Gay Dale Beldin and Mark Krenzien, Directors 1979 : 23 minutes : Gay : Six openly gay professional men talk about their lifestyle and its impact on them, their families, friends, and colleagues. Wild Life John C. Goss, Director 1985 : 40 minutes : Gay : Examines the social milieu of two 15-year-old Latinos in LA, mixing documentary-style interviews with vignettes about their fantasy lives. A Woman's Place is in the House Nancy W. Porter and Mickey Lemie, Directors 1976 : 28 minutes : Lesbian : Portrait of Elaine Noble, first woman and self-avowed lesbian elected to the Massachusetts legislature. World of Light: A Portrait of May Sarton Marita Simpson and Martha Wheelock, Directors 1979 : 30 minutes : Lesbian : Interviews with and readings from the works of 70-year-old author May Sarton. Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives -- Conversations with 16 Gay Men and Women Andrew Brown, Director 1977 : 45 or 130 minute versions available : Gay/Lesbian : Interviews with gays and lesbians from different backgrounds and discussions of how they deal with their sexuality and with society's attitude towards them. You Can Fight City Hall Vivian Schaefer, Director 1986 : 30 minutes : GLBO : Details the struggle of the Columbus, Ohio gay community to add the words "sexual orientation to existing job protection legislation. ***** GLBO-Centered Non-U.S. Documentaries ***** All Out Dancing in Dulais Lesbian and Gay Support the Miners Group, Directors 198? : UK : Gay/Lesbian : Recounts the formation of an unusual alliance between a group of young gays and lesbians from London and a group of miners from Wales during a Welsh miner's strike in 1984-85. Armisted Maupin is a Man I Dreamt Up Kate Meynell, Director 1992 : UK : 60 minutes : Gay : A Made-for-BBC look at San Francisco, and the man whose "Tales of the City" series have inspired thousands to move there. Army of Lovers, or Revolt of the Perverts Rosa von Praunheim, Director 1978 : West Germany : Gay : Highly subjective, heavy-handed view of the gay movement in America, telling its story through a series of interviews interspersed with newsreel footage, still photo montages, snippets of marches and rallies, and agitprop gay theatre. Bright Eyes Stuart Marshall, Director 1986 : UK : 85 minutes : GLBO : Made-for-British-TV 3-part video which examines the historical and social factors influencing current reactions to homosexuality and AIDS. Confession of a Pretty Lady Kris Clarke and Sarah Mortimer, Directors 1993 : UK : 70 minutes : Lesbian : Everything you ever wanted to know about Sandra Bernhard, from home movies to interviews with her mother, aunt, uncle, directors she's worked with, famous people who know her, and extensive footage taken from her movie and stage performances. Corps de Parole Suzanne Vertue, Director 1989 : Canada : 37 minutes : Lesbian : The life and times of French writer Michele Causse. Cover Comrades in Arms 1990 : UK : Gay/Lesbian : Six lesbians and gay men recall living, loving and serving in the British armed services in World War II. Daddy and the Muscle Academy Ilppo Pohjola, Director 1992 : Finland : 55 minutes : Gay : Combines interview material with Tom of Finland, and hundreds of his drawings, with testifying "Tom's men", from Drummer Daddies to fellow artists. This controversial film also includes some steamy invented sequences -- a sort of "journey to the center of Tom's psyche." Derek Jarman, Know What I Mean Laurens C. Postma, Director 1988 : UK : 52 minutes : Gay : An overview of the controversial artist's life and work. Desire Stuart Marshall, Director 1989 : UK : 90 minutes : Gay : A view of gay life in Germany before the Holocaust. Equinox: The Gay Gene Simon LeVay, Director 1992 : UK : GLBO : LeVay examines the scientific, political and social motives for and of his research on the pre-determination of sexual orientation in this film made for a scientific program slot on the BBC's Channel Four. Every Conceivable Position: Inside Gay Porn Clare Beavan, Director 1992 : UK : 50 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : A fresh and thoughtful look at the modern gay and lesbian porn industry, including behind-the-scenes interviews with stars, producers, and commentators. This documentary was commissioned by the BBC, who allowed the filmmakers to include clips, so long as genitals weren't visible. Eunuchs: India's Third Gender Michael Yorke, Director 1991 : UK : 40 minutes : Gay : A made-for-BBC look at some of the more than half a million eunuchs -- or hijiras -- in India today. This film captures the pleasures and contradictions of a living alternative to Western ideas about gender. Feed Them To The Cannibals Fiona Cunningham Reid, Director 1992 : Australia/UK : 67 minutes : GLBO : All about the annual Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia. Female Misbehavior Monica Treut, Director 1983-92 : Germany/USA : 80 minutes : Lesbian/Bisexual/Transsexual : Four short portraits of "misbehaving" females compiled: 'Bondage', about lesbian S&M-er, 'Annie', about ex-porn star Annie Sprinkle, 'Dr Paglia' and 'Max', about a female-to-male transsexual. Flesh & Paper 1990 : UK : Lesbian : The life and writings of the lesbian writer and poet Suniti Namjoshi, who is from an Indian royal family and resides in England. Includes interviews with her friends and with the young Indian women who take her as a role model. Flowing Hearts: Thailand Fights AIDS John Goss, Director 1992 : Thailand/USA : 32 minutes : GLBO : The White Line Dance Troupe uses Thai and modern dance to enact AIDS awareness. Thai gay/AIDS activists are interviewed. Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives Aerlyn Weissman and Lynne Fernie, Directors 1992 : Canada : 85 minutes : Lesbian : The history of lesbians in Canada during the era of lesbian pulp fiction like Anne Bannon's novels of the 50s and 60s is brought to life with humor, newsreel footage and Sapphic memorabilia. Women ranging in age from 40 to 70 share their experiences. Framed Youth Jeff Cole and others, Directors 1983 : UK : 50 minutes : GLBO : British teens confront straights in London about their views on homosexuality with amusing and revealing results. The Gay Rock and Roll Years Shauna Brown, Director 1991 : UK : 60 minutes : GLBO : A history of the gay/lesbian movement from 1954-1991 as seen from clips from the BBC archives and set to the rock'n roll music of those years. Handel und Wandel Katharina Geinitz, Director 1983 : West Germany : Lesbian : Loving docudrama about the filmmaker's girlfriend -- a vital, energetic lesbian. Improper Conduct [Mauvaise Conduite] Nestor Almendros and Orlando Jimenez-Leal, Directors 1984 : France : 112 minutes : Gay : Documents all persecution in Castro's Cuba, including that of gays. I Need a Man Like You ... To Make My Dreams Come True Kalli Paakspuu and Daria Stermac, Producers 1986 : Canada : 24 minutes : Lesbian : Variety : Inside a lesbian/feminist cabaret which lampoons sex roles and stereotypes. Includes performances by comedian Sheila Gostick, the singing group The Clichettes, and storyteller Helen Potter. In the Out Tray Albany Video, Director 198? : UK : 76 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : Examines the issue of lesbian and gay employment rights. A Kind of Family Andrew Koster, Director 1992 : Canada : Gay : A profile of the relationship and family life of a gay city counselor and his straight, street-kid, hustler, drug-abusing, HIV+ foster son. Lesbians Against the Right 1981 : Canada : 45 minutes : Lesbian : Addresses the attempts by the New Right to blame society's ills on gays, immigrants, and the women's movement. Looking for Langston Isaac Julien, Director 1988 : UK : 40 minutes : Gay : Documents the life and times of gay black poet Langston Hughes. The Making of "Monsters" 1991 : Canada : Gay : George Lukacs is a Marxist literary critic and has made films such as Star Wars, about American Imperialism in the space age. Berthold Brecht is a catfish and renowned playwright. They team up to film the musical "Monsters", about 4 Toronto schoolboys who killed a gay highschool teacher. Indescribable, absurd, and hilarious. Memoire de notre hystoire 1972-1987 Diane Heffernan and Suzanne Vertue, Directors 1987 : Canada : 184 minutes : Lesbian : Depicts lesbian history in Canada through the years 1972-1987 as seen by two lesbian feminists. Michael, A Gay Son Bruce Glawson, Director 1981 : Canada : 27 minutes : Gay : Explores the feelings and experiences of gays coming out to their families by following one man through the process. Minoru and Me Toichi Nakata, Director 1992 : UK : 45 minutes : Gay : A brutally honest real-life, as-it-happens drama of a man with cerebral palsy trying to come out to the filmmaker, his friend. As the filmmaker becomes increasing obsessed with portraying the physically challenged man as disabled and dependent, the man with cerebral palsy becomes increasingly disgusted and unable to state what he's traveled all the way from Japan to say. Montgomery Clift Claudio Masenza, Director 1985 : Italy : 90 minutes : Gay : Biography which deals extensively with the actor's homosexuality. My Living Room is a Theatre Claudia Prietzel, Director 1992 : Germany/UK : 48 minutes : Gay : A front room in Brixton is a venue for gay performers, and for the host, Ernst Fischer. On Her Baldness Wendy Rowland, Director 1991 : Canada : 30 minutes : Lesbian : Bold testament to women coming out as bald. Over Our Dead Bodies 1991 : UK : GLBO : Documentary examining the direct action gay movement, including ACT-UP, Queer Nation and OUTRAGE in the United States and the United Kingdom. A Place of Rage Pratibha Parmar, Director 1991 : UK : 52 minutes : Lesbian : Lesbian filmmaker Parmar directs this tribute and celebration of African-American women and their accomplishments. Positive 198? : West Germany/USA : Gay/Lesbian : A documentary about the rise of the AIDS activist movement in the US. The focus is on New York City. Footage of GMHC, ACT-UP etc. Prison for Women [P4W, Pan Canadian Prison for Women] Janis Cole, Director 1981 : Canada : 81 minutes : Lesbian : A film about a woman's prison in which lesbians, among others, are jailed. Rasen No Sobyou [Sketch of a Spiral (?)] Yasushi Kojima, Director 1991 : Japan : Gay : A group of gay men in Osaka prepares a theater play. Seams Karim Ainouz, Director 1993 : Brazil/USA : 30 minutes : GLBO : A personal account of Brazil's social and sexual constraints for women and gay men, seen through the eyes of the women in the director's family. Sharing the Secret John and Rose Kastner, Directors 1981 : Canada : 84 minutes : Gay : The lives and feelings of several gay men are explored as they go through their day-to-day lives. Silence = Death 198? : West Germany/USA : Gay/Lesbian : A documentary about several New York-based performance artists, including Diamanda Galas, David Wojnarowicz, and Emilio Cubeiro, whose work discusses issues related to AIDS. Susana Susana Munoz (Some sources list Susana Blaustein), Director 1980 : Argentina/USA : 25 minutes : Lesbian : Autobiographical sketch of a young Argentine lesbian who has to deal with her family's disapproval as well as her emerging lesbian identity. Thank God I'm a Lesbian Laurie Colbert and Dominique Cardona, Directors 1992 : Canada : 60 minutes : Lesbian : Refreshing challenge to myths and demons as diverse dykes talk about lesbian identity. Issues range from coming out, racism, feminism, and bisexuality to S&M and outing. Includes Sarah Schulman, Nicole Brossard, Dionne Brand, Julia Creet and Lee Pui Ming. That's Masculinity Marc Munden, Director 1991 : UK : 40 minutes : Gay : Campy and erotic answers to the ever pervasive questions about sex and gender. Trojans 1990 : UK : Gay : A look at nineteenth century Greek poet Constantine Cavafy, whose work is loaded with homoeroticism and motifs from Greek history. The film reflects the same heady ambience using sexy Derek Jarmanesque super-8 visuals and the poet's work on the soundtrack. Veronica 4 Rose Melanie Chait, Director 1985 : UK : 45 minutes : Lesbian : Made-for-British-TV documentary about teenage lesbians growing up in several diverse English cities. We've Been Framed Cheryl Farthing, Director 1991 : UK : 25 minutes : Lesbian : Lesbians talk about the best, worst, and first lesbian film they've seen. What Shall We Do Without Death Elfi Mikesch, Director 1980 : West Germany : 105 minutes : Lesbian : A female couple who have vowed to spend the rest of their lives together are the focus of this film about a retirement home in Hamburg. Whoever Says the Truth Shall Die Philo Bregstein, Director 1981 : Netherlands : 60 minutes : Gay : Made-for-Dutch-TV film about the life and murder of filmmaker/poet Pier Paolo Pasolini. Witches, Dykes, Faggots, and Poofters Digby Duncan, Director 1979 : Australia : 45 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : Documents the oppression of gays and lesbians throughout history, focusing on Sydney and New South Wales. A Woman of My Platoon Marilyn Burgess, Director 1989 : Canada : 20 minutes : Lesbian : Juxtaposes the experiences of lesbians serving in the Canadian armed services during WWII against a modern debate in the Canadian parliament concerning a bill which would prevent discrimination against lesbians and gays in the armed services. ***** Gay-Centered U.S. Films ***** Abuse Athur J. Bressan, Junior, Director 1983 : Gay : Drama : A young boy, abused at home, finds love with a gay filmmaker. Agora Robert and Donald Kinney, Directors 1992 : 73 minutes : GLBO : Drama : An agoraphobic gay man meets a gay couple and a lesbian couple in midwest hotel. Parallels between GLB repression and his phobia are drawn in this complex, meditative melodrama. All About Alice Ray Harrison, Director 1974 : 80 minutes : Gay Transvestite : Drama : Drag reworking of 'All About Eve', starring Warren Fremming as Frieda, who plots to steal a Broadway star's career and muscle-bound boyfriend. As Is Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Director 1986 : 86 minutes : Gay : Drama : A man who has contracted AIDS from a lover who then abandoned him moves in with his caring ex-lover. The Boys in the Band William Friedkin, Director 1970 : 118 minutes : Gay : Drama : The first Hollywood movie to feature male homosexuality, in which a straight man is the accidental guest at a birthday party with one of each of the major gay male subgroups except for leather. Buddies : 1985 : Gay : Drama : A gay activist who has AIDS starts out hating the yuppie volunteer who comes to take care of him out of a sense of duty, but their brief relationship is both poignant and intense. The Christine Jorgensen Story 1970 : Transsexual : Biography : The world's most famous male-to-female sex change story. Citizen Cohn 1992 : Gay : Biographical Drama : Made-for-HBO movie about infamous lawyer Roy Cohn, a Jew who prosecuted the Rosenbergs, a queer-hating homosexual who was the prime shaker behind Senator Joe McCarthy's anti-communist & homosexual witch-hunt in the 1950's. Includes such delightful scenes as Cohn being entertained after dinner at J. Edgar Hoover's home by Hoover's true love -- Deputy FBI Director Clyde Tolson -- at the piano, and a restaurant scene with Cohn eating from the plate of one the other most influential right-wing closet-cases of the day: renowned chicken-hawk Francis Cardinal Spellman. Consenting Adult Gilbert Cates, Director 1985 : 100 minutes : Gay : Drama : Made-for-TV movie about a teenage boy who comes out to his parents. Mom eventually comes around, but Dad would rather die, and does. Cruising William Friedkin, Director 1980 : 106 minutes : Gay : Drama : Extremely negative film about gay murders and the undercover cop trying to solve them, but who turns into a killer faggot himself from exposure to the New York leather scene. The Dead Boys' Club Mark Christopher, Director 1992 : 25 minutes : Gay : Comedy : Toby's cousin gives him a pair of shoes previously owned by the cousin's deceased lover. When Toby wears the shoes, he's transported to the 70s pre-AIDS world of disco, hot guys, and glitter balls, juxtaposing the generational differences that AIDS has wrought. A Different Story Paul Aaron, Director 1978 : 107 minutes : Gay/Lesbian : Drama : A gay man and a lesbian are thrown together by circumstances, come to feel great affection for one another, fall in love, get married, and have a baby. The Disco Years Robert Lee King, Director 1992 : 30 minutes : Gay : Drama : Set in the times of pet rocks, gas lines, and macrame, a high school student's sexual passions are stirred in his gym class. Dog Day Afternoon Sidney Lumet, Director 1975 : 130 minutes : Gay : Drama : A gay man robs a bank to pay for his male lover's sex-change operation. Based on a true story. Doing Time on Maple Drive 1992 : Gay : Drama : A teenager comes to grips with his gay identity and tries to come out to the rest of his dysfunctional suburban family in this made-for-TV movie. Drum Steve Carver, Director 1976 : Gay : Drama : A white plantation owner and his gay pal rape black men. An Early Frost John Erman, Director 1985 : 100 minutes : Gay : Drama : Made-for-TV movie about a family having to deal with their son's AIDS. Fortune and Men's Eyes Harvey Hart, Director 1971 : 102 minutes : Gay : Drama : A tough, tragic story involving violence, sex roles, and epic bitchiness in a men's prison. Fun Down There Roger Stigliano, Director 1988 : 89 minutes : Gay : Drama : The life and loves of a guy who leaves his home in upstate New York for Manhattan. The Genesis Children Anthony Aikman, Director 1972 : 84 minutes : USA/Italy : Gay : Drama : A joyous celebration of innocent youths on a journey of self-discovery. Controversial even today because of its uninhibited naturist sentiments. Harold and Hiroshi Ed Askinazi, Director 1989 : 40 minutes : Gay : Drama : College romance set in pre-Pearl Harbor America. Horror Vacuii Rosa von Praunheim, Director 1984 : Gay : Drama : A gay man tries to save his lover from a religious cult. I'll Love You Forever... Tonight Edgar Michael Bravo, Director 1993 : Gay : An aimless, painfully slow film by first-time director Bravo which concerns the life of a young gay photographer in Los Angeles and the romantic machinations of his small circle of friends. All talk and no action. The Living End Gregg Araki, Director 1991 : 85 mniutes : Gay : Drama : Two fatalistic L.A. boys -- one an impulsive, on-the-edge psycho cutie, the other a lover of Godard movies who listens to The Smiths a lot -- discover they're HIV positive and set off on an unplanned, unhinged cross-country spree of violence and abandon. Longtime Companion Norman Rene, Director 1990 : 96 minutes : Gay : Drama : In 1970s New York, a bunch of gay friends are having wonderful lives, until one by one, most of them start getting sick with AIDS. Making Love Arthur Hiller, Director 1982 : 112 minutes : Bisexual/Gay : Drama : A handsome young doctor leaves his beautiful young wife for a handsome young writer. Mala Noche Gus van Sant, Director 1985 : 78 minutes : Gay : Drama : A well-adjusted young gay grocery clerk falls in love with a 16-year-old Mexican illegal alien who doesn't return his feelings. M. Butterfly David Cronenberg, Director 1993 : 101 minutes : Gay Transvestite: Biographical Drama : This film is based on the real-life story of a French diplomat who fell in love with a mysterious opera singer in 1960's China. He became a spy out of love for her, and was devastated to learn, after he had been caught and brought up on charges, that his "female" lover was a man. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Paul Schrader, Director 1985 : 121 minutes : Gay : Biography : An unusual dramatic film done in three unique visual styles, shifting from a quasi-documentary view of Mishima, Japan's finest post-war author, to black-and-white flashbacks and excerpts from his novels. Mountains of the Moon Bob Rafelson, Director 1990 : 135 minutes : Gay : Biographical Drama : Epic about explorers Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke and their 1857 expedition to discover the source of the Nile. The film makes it quite clear that Speke is homosexual, and, in fact, quite taken with Burton. This storyline is not the main thrust of the film, however. My Own Private Idaho Gus van Sant, Director 1991 : Gay : Drama : A narcoleptic hustler looking for some love in his life and a bisexual hustler who'd do anything to outrage his father go on a search for their own identities. Nocturne Mark T. Harris, Director 1989 : 100 minutes : Gay : Drama : A contemplative coming of age story about Martin, a shy pianist new to New York, who meets the handsome Gino. Martin thinks he's found his match, but Gino only wants a casual sexual liaison. As Martin slides into obsession he is forced to deal with a terrible secret from his past. Norman, Is That You George Schlatter, Director 1976 : 92 minutes : Gay : Comedy : A butch gay black youth is in love with a nelly white youth, and the black youth's parents are both about to have a heart attack over it. Our Sons 1992 : Gay : Drama : Made-for-TV movie about the mothers of two gay sons who are lovers; one of the sons is dying of AIDS. Parting Glances Bill Sherwood, Director 1986 : 90 minutes : Gay : Drama : Lovers find their relationship is falling apart because one is getting ready to take a job in Africa; the other has to also cope with his ex-lover and dear friend, who has contracted the AIDS virus. Partners James Burrows, Director 1982 : 98 minutes : Gay : Comedy : Insulting, homophobic, and crude story of a straight cop posing as a gay man along with a real gay man in order to solve some murders in the gay community. Pink Narcissus 1970 : 70 minutes : Gay : Drama : Caballeros and bike boys, striptease and tearoom sex. This film delves beneath the surface of gay sex fantasies. Poison Todd Haynes, Director 1991 : 85 minutes : Gay : Drama : A trio of stories based on the writings of Jean Genet, which explore patricide committed by a young boy, the influence of horror films on American society, and sex in a men's prison. Rock Hudson's Home Movies Mark Rappaport, Director 1992 : 62 minutes : Gay : Comedy : A Rock Hudson look-alike impersonates the star as he takes us through an array of cleverly-edited clips of Hudson's films and confesses to all the homosexual connotations in this comic pseudo-documentary. Sergeant Matlovich vs. U.S. Air Force Paul Leaf, Director 1978 : 104 minutes : Gay : Drama : Made-for-TV movie about Matlovich's fight to stay in the Air Force despite his revealed homosexuality. Some of My Best Friends Are... [The Bar] Mervyn Nelson, Director 1971 : 109 minutes : Gay : Drama : One night in the life of a pre-Stonewall bar in Greenwich Village. Summer Kiss 1987 : 48 minutes : Gay : Drama : Falling in love story about two young men who go to the same school, meet on a Provincetown Ferry, and begin to build a relationship. Recalls much of the universal pain, confusion, and embarrassing foolishness of first love. Swoon Tom Kalin, Director 1991 : 92 minutes : Gay : Drama : A reexamination of the infamous Leopold and Loeb murder case, focusing on their homosexuality and its relevance to their crime. That Certain Summer Lamont Johnson, Director 1972 : 73 minutes: Gay : Drama : Made-for-TV movie about a father trying to re-establish a relationship with his son after leaving the boy's mother for another man. Thundercrack Curt McDowell, Director 1976 : 150 minutes : GLBO : Comedy : A bizarre black comedy wherein the visitors to an "old dark house" are terrorized by a bunch of perverts who sexually assault them. Tidy Endings Gavin Miller, Director 1988 : 60 minutes : Gay : Drama : Made-for-TV movie about the aftermath of a man dying of AIDS: his male lover and his ex-wife have to come to legal and emotional terms. Torch Song Trilogy Paul Bogart, Director 1988 : 121 minutes : Gay/Gay Transvestite : Comedy/Drama : Harvey Fierstein wrote and stars as a professional drag queen looking for love and respect all through the '70s in New York. Vaudeville Ira Sachs, Director 1990 : 55 minutes : GLBO : Drama : Comic portrayal of a third-rate theatrical troup and their love-hate relationships. A Very Natural Thing Christopher Larkin, Director 1974 : 80 minutes : Gay : Drama : This film tries to explore gay male relationships first from the point of view of trying to maintain a monogamous relationship and when that fails, from the POV of having a lot of empty, meaningless sex. Victor, Victoria Blake Edwards, Director 1982 : 133 minutes : Gay : Comedy : Female to male cross-dressing is featured in this farce about a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman in 1920s Paris, but there is also some campy male-to-female cross-dressing. What Really Happened To Baby Jane Ray Harrison, Director 1963 : 50 minutes : Gay : Drama : Remake of the legendary movie as a 'silent'. ***** Gay-Centered Non-U.S. Films ***** The Affairs of Love [Las Cosas del Querer] Jaime Chavarri, Director 1990 : Spain : 100 minutes : Gay : Drama : The life of a gay man in the 1940s and the power of music are the intertwined themes of this film which follows the lives of three vaudeville performers; a gay man, a straight man, and a straight woman. Amazing Grace Amos Gutman, Director 1992 : Israel : 95 minutes : Gay : Drama : Dysfunctional families and brief shared moments of love and hope in the face of everyday life, set in gay mileux of Tel Aviv. 17 year-old attracted to handsome visitor who is HIV+. Best Feature of 1992 Jerusalem Film Festival. Among Men Wieland Speck, Director 1980-91 : Germany : 80 minutes : Gay : Drama : Five shorts compiled. 'David Montgomery and I', 'The Sound of Fast Relief', 'Chez nous', 'Room 303', and 'November'. Angel [Angelos] George Katakouzinos, Director 1982 : Greece : 126 minutes : Gay : Biographical Drama : This violent but moving account of a handsome young gay man accused of murder is based on a true story and contains explicit love scenes. Another Country Marek Kanievska, Director 1984 : UK : 90 minutes : Gay : Biographical Drama : Romanticized version of the Guy Burgess and Donald MacLean story, in which homosexual love among upper-crust English schoolboys causes them to grow up to be notorious traitors to their country. Apartment Zero Martin Donovan and David Koepp, Directors 1989 : UK/Argentina : 122 minutes (film), 114 minutes (video) : Gay/Bisexual : Drama : Politics, murder, and sexual repression ignite the screen when a gay cinema owner picks a mysterious stranger to be his roommate in Buenos Aires. Lots of sexual tensions develop between the two, but the plot centers around the mystery of recent news headlines and the new tenant's relationship to them. Bad News Bachelors 1990 : Australia : 26 minutes : Gay : Comedy/Drama : A gay man and his straight female friend trade stories (in flashbacks) of their romantic misadventures. Cheerful. Behind Glass Ab van Ieperen, Director 1981 : Netherlands : 70 minutes : Gay : Drama : Two lovers from different backgrounds fight about class, money, education, and sex. Being at Home with Claude Jean Beaudin, Director 1991 : Canada : 85 minutes : Gay : Drama : A student and a handsome street hustler fall in love, and one is murdered by the other. The relationship between the two young men unfolds during the murderer's confession. Based on play by Rene-Daniel Dubois. Shockingly violent yet erotic opening sex scene. The Best Way [La Meilleure Facon de Marcher, The Best Way to Walk] Claude Miller, Director 1976 : France : 85 minutes : Gay(?) Transvestite : Drama : A butch athletic coach scorns the advances of the drama teacher, whom he catches experimenting with transvestism, but an eventual confrontation causes the jock to look at his own notions of "correct" sexuality. Beyond Gravity Garth Maxwell, Director 1988 : New Zealand : 48 minutes : Gay : Drama : Flamboyant rebel Johnny meets shy glass technician Richard in this offbeat love story. Black and White [Noir et Blanc] Claire Devers, Director 1986 : France : 80 minutes : Gay : Drama : A shy accountant gradually enters into a bizarre sadomasochistic relationship with a black masseur. The Blue Hour [Die Blaue Stunde] Marcel Gisler, Director 1992 : Germany/Switzerland : 88 minutes : Gay/Bisexual : A male hustler and the girl next door fall in love. Blue Jeans 1982 : France : Gay : Drama : A young boy suffers from an unrequited love for an older teen. La Cage Aux Folles [Birds of a Feather] Edouard Molinaro, Director 1979 : France : 110 minutes : Gay/Gay Transvestite : Comedy : Renato's son is bringing his fiance's conservative parents home to meet the family : Renato (his gay father), and Albin (Renato's lover), an aging female impersonator who raised the boy as "her" son. La Cage Aux Folles II Edouard Molinaro, Director 1981 : France : 101 minutes : Gay/Gay Transvestite : Comedy : Renato sets out to prove to Albin that he still has sex appeal, and they accidentally get involved in espionage. La Cage Aux Folles III George Lautner, Director 1986 : France : 87 minutes : Gay/Gay Transvestite : Comedy : Comedy : Albin has to get married and father a son within 18 months if he is to inherit a family fortune and save his and Renato's nightclub. Caravaggio Derek Jarman, Director 1986 : UK : 93 minutes : Gay : Biographical Drama : Life and times of the famous Renaissance painter. Caught Looking Constantine Giannaris, Director 1991 : UK : 35 minutes : Gay : Comedy : A new virtual reality home computer game soon becomes a sex toy for use in gay men's stereotypical sexual fantasies. The Clinic David Stevens, Director 1985 : Australia : 93 minutes : Gay : Comedy : A gay doctor at an Australian VD clinic has to cope with a lot of wild goings on. Colonel Redl Istvan Szabo, Director 1985 : Hungary/West Germany/Austria : 144 minutes : Gay : Drama : The head of the Austrian imperial secret service gets outed as a homosexual and a spy. Coming Out 1989 : East Germany : Gay : Drama : The story of a young schoolteacher who is confronted with his sexuality after a chance encounter with an old friend. Compromised Immunity 1985 : UK : Gay : Drama : A filmed version of one of the earliest stage dramas about AIDS, this is an English "Normal Heart"; about the developing friendship between Britain's first AIDS patient -- a gay man -- and a straight orderly in a typical London hospital. The Consequence Wolfgang Petersen, Director 1977 : West Germany : Gay : Drama : The world is unkind to two gay lovers. The Crying Game Neil Jordan, Director 1992 : UK : Gay Transvestite : Drama : Well, now that you know the film's "big surprise", what is there left to say except that this film's main strength is not the little shock of finding out about you-know-who, but the fine performances of everyone involved, especially Stephen Rea as an IRA assassin with no heart for the job. Director Jordan won an Oscar for his screenplay, and it was nominated for 5 other Oscars, including Best Actor [Stephen Rea] and Best Supporting Actor [Jaye Davidson]. Death in Venice [Morte a Venezia] Luchino Visconti, Director 1971 : Italy : 130 minutes : Gay : Drama : In turn-of-the-twentieth-century Venice, an aging artist falls obsessively in love with a beautiful young boy but is never able to tell him, and ends up dead of cholera. The Deputy [El Diputado, Confessions of a Congressman] Eloy de la Iglesia, Director 1983 : Spain : 110 minutes : Gay : Drama : A rising young gay politician is the target of blackmail, and gets romantically involved with the hustler his enemies send to do the job. Different from the Others [Anders als die Anderen] Richard Oswald, Director 1919 : Germany : Gay : Drama : A silent film about a concert violinist being blackmailed because of his sexual orientation. Dona Herlinda and Her Son [Dona Herlinda y Su Hijo] Jaime Hermosillo, Director 1985 : Mexico : 90 minutes : Gay/Bisexual : Comedy : A doctor has a male lover, but to please his mother, he marries a woman, and everyone ends up living happily together under one roof. Drifting Amos Gutman, Director 1982 : Israel : 80 minutes : Gay : Drama : An aspiring Israeli filmmaker works in his grandmother's store while dreaming of making gay films. Dubbel Leven [Double Lives] 1978 : West Germany : 47 minutes : Transvestite : Drama : Events in the life of a young man, told mostly in flashback, as he and those around him slowly discover that he really wants to become a woman. Edward II Derek Jarman, Director 1992 : UK : Gay : Historical Drama : Jarman retells the story of Edward II and his despised low-born lover using Christopher Marlowe's language, sparse sets, and modern dress and imagery. Encore [Once More] 1987 : France : Gay : Drama/Musical : A gay husband and father comes out in mid-life and is caught between his passion for men and his family relationships. Ernesto Salvatore Samperi, Director 1983 : Italy : 95 minutes : Gay : Drama : A middle-class Italian Jewish teenager has an affair with a dock worker and then falls in love with a fellow violin student. A Fairy for Dessert [Eine Tunte Zum Dessert] Dagmar Beiersdorf, Director 1992 : Germany : 84 minutes : Gay/Transvestite : Drama : Earthy, very funny, low-budget celebration of adopted families and colorful characters. Farewell, My Concubine Chen Kaiage, Director 1992 : China : 154 minutes : Gay/Bisexual : Historical Drama : The story of two Peking Opera superstars who meet as young boys, and who, for the next 50 years, are linked by their stage roles. Gorgeous and operatic in its grand sweep of lives played out against vast social upheavals. Film [Fill 'em] Sky Gilbert, Director 1991 : Canada : 45 minutes : Gay : Drama : A male hustler and his roommate live a Warholesque diary. The Flavor of Corn Gianni da Campo, Director 1986 : Italy : 89 minutes : Gay : Drama : Gentle, compassionate story of a handsome young high-school teacher, who, in spite of his best (and explicitly shown) attempts at a heterosexual relationship, helplessly drifts into an intense and emotionally devastating relationship with a 12-year-old male student. For A Lost Soldier Roeland Kerbosch, Director 1992 : The Netherlands : 90 minutes : Gay : Drama: Contemporary choreographer Jeroen recalls his adolescence and first erotic friendships. Sent away as a boy during WWII to a small fishing village, young Jeroen develops a strong friendship with another new boy. Then comes liberation, and with the arrival of the Allies, Jeroen finds a new friend in the person of a handsome Canadian soldier named Walt. Forbidden Passion: Oscar Wilde Henry Herbert, Director 1976 : UK : 120 minutes : Gay : Biography : The whole tragic story of the famous wit's life and ruinous love affair with Lord Alfred Douglas. Forever Mary Marco Risi, Director 1991 : Italy : 100 minutes : Gay Transvestite : Drama : A young gay reform school student teaches a straight teacher something about dignity. The Fourth Man [De Vierde Man] Paul Verhoeven, Director 1983 : Netherlands : 102 minutes : Bisexual : Drama : A bisexual novelist finds out that the thrice-widowed hairdresser who seduces him is engaged to a fourth man, and together the men discover her deadly secret. Fox and His Friends Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Director 1975 : West Germany : 123 mniutes : Gay : Drama : A working class gay man is victimized for both his sexual and social status. Friends Forever Stefan Christian Henszelman, Director 1986 : Denmark : 95 minutes : Gay : Drama : A charming, exuberant story of friendship and sexuality between three 16-year-old schoolboys. It's sexy, funny, and guiltless. A Hard God 1980 : Australia : 82 minutes : Gay : Drama : A depressing made-for-Australian-TV movie wherein a working class Catholic family in Sydney endure tough times and misery in the 1940s. In the middle of it all, the 16-year-old son tries to cope with falling in love with a male friend. The Heart Exposed Jean-Yves Laforce, Director 1986 : Canada : 106 minutes : Gay : Drama : A middle-aged teacher starts a relationship with an actor fifteen years younger who also has a young son. The Hours and the Times Christopher Munch, Director 1992 : UK : 58 minutes : Gay : Biographical Drama : This is more or less a fantasy dealing with Beatle manager Brian Epstein's unrequited love for John Lennon, centering on a weekend they spent together in Barcelona. I Am My Own Woman [Ich bin meine eigene Frau] Rosa von Praunheim, Director 1992 : Germany : 90 minutes : Gay Transvestite : Biographical Drama : True life story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, the best known transvestite in East Germany; a symbol of bravery and idealism for today's German lesbians and gays. It is Not the Homosexual Who is Perverse but the Society in Which He Lives Rosa von Praunheim, Director 1971 : West Germany : Gay : Drama : A gay man in the process of coming out examines all the options. Political, dogmatic, and anti-bourgois, this film assails media-created romantic illusions, capitalist principles, and sexist role playing. I Want What I Want John Dexter, Director 1971 : UK : 105 minutes : Transsexual : Drama : A tender (but unfortunately and melodramatically directed by Dexter as a vehicle for his wife, Anne Haywood, who never convinces) portrayal of problems faced by a young male to female transsexual at the end of the 1960s. Kira Kira Hikaru [To Shine (?)] 1992 : Japan : Gay : Drama : An emotionally fragile woman who has problems with alcohol tries to cope with her gay husband and his young male lover. Kiss of the Spider Woman Hector Babenco, Director 1985 : Brazil/US : 119 minutes : Gay Transvestite : Drama : A gay prisoner falls in love with the revolutionary he's supposed to be spying on for the prison authorities. The Lady in Waiting 1992 UK/USA : Gay Male Transvestite : Drama : Prim English spinster housekeeper Miss Scarlet, played by Virginia McKenna, and outrageous Black drag-queen Miss Peaches, played by Rodney Hudson, are flung together in a lift during the 1977 black-out and settle their differences. Nominated for Best Short Live Action Film in 1993 Academy Awards. The Last of England Derek Jarman, Director 1987 : UK : Gay : Drama : A post-nuclear fantasy about England with many bootboys and other luscious types. Law of Desire [Ley del Deseo] Pedro Almodovar, Director 1987 : Spain : 100 minutes : Gay/Transsexual : Comedy/Drama : Screwball tragicomedy centering on a gay film director, his transsexual brother (now a sister, who is played by a born-female actress), and two of his young lovers. The Leather Boys Sidney J. Furie, Director 1964 : UK : 107 minutes : Bisexual/Gay : Drama : Against his better judgment, a gay man marries a girl who is bored with her life. The marriage falls apart and the gay man goes to bed with a buddy whom he doesn't know is also gay. Complications ensue. Legal Memory 1992 : Canada : Gay : Docudrama : Plodding but still interesting docudrama about the last man hanged in British Columbia, for the 1958 murder of his sailor boyfriend. The Lost Language of Cranes Nigel Finch, Director 1992 : UK : 87 minutes : Gay : Drama : A properly reserved middle-class British family is thrown into turmoil when the son announces he's gay. Mother doesn't want to know about it, and Father starts coming apart because he's been hiding his gay double-life for years, and the guilt and self-loathing finally catch up to him. Adapted from David Leavitt's novel about an American family. Macho Dancer Lino Brora, Director 1988 : The Philippines : Bisexual/Gay : Drama : Drama about the lives of boy prostitutes in Manila. A Man Like Eva [Ein Mann wie Eva] Radu Gabrea, Director 1983 : West Germany : 92 minutes : Gay Transvestite : Biographical Drama : During the shooting of a Fassbinder movie, gender-bending star Eva ditches an ex-lover, marries the leading lady, and seduces the leading man. Maurice James Ivory, Director 1987 : UK : 140 minutes : Gay : Drama : Two upper-crust English boys are drawn to one another, but one insists on keeping the relationship platonic, while the other one wants someone he can go to bed with. Mikael [Chained] Carl Dreyer, Director 1924 : Germany : 74 minutes : Gay : Drama : Zoret, an aging artist, grieves over the loss of his young male model, Mikael, to Princess Zamikoff. Silent film. Mikel's Death [La Muerte De Mikel] 198? : Spain : Gay : Drama : A married basque activist discovers his latent homosexuality, and his friends and relatives desert him. The Music Lovers Ken Russell, Director 1970 : UK : 123 minutes : Gay : Biographical Drama : Gay Russian composer Peter Tschaikovsky feels compelled to marry Nina after an affair with Vladimir. My Beautiful Launderette Stephen Frears, Director 1985 : UK : 98 minutes: Gay : Drama : Race, social class, and sex are some of the issues that need to be dealt with when a British street punk and a young Pakistani entrepreneur fall in love. The Naked Civil Servant: The Autobiography of Quentin Crisp Jack Gold, Director 1975 : UK : 80 minutes : Gay : Biography : Quentin Crisp is *way* ahead of his time when he outs himself in a era where ostracism and intolerance were rampant. Nighthawks Ron Peck and Paul Hallam, Directors 1979 : UK : 113 minutes : Gay : Drama : Realistic, gritty story about the day-to-day life of a gay school teacher who is eventually outed by his class. Grim. Night Out Lawrence Johnston, Director 1989 : Australia : Gay : Drama : When Steve leaves town for a few days, his lover Tony decides to cruise the beach one night, and is brutalized by a gang of thugs The event triggers an examination of the couple's supposedly wonderful relationship. Nijinsky Herbert Ross, Director 1980 : UK : 129 minutes : Gay : Drama : Focuses on the famous ballet dancer's disintegrating sanity as his love affair with impressario Sergei Diaghilev becomes an exercise in manipulation on both their parts. North of Vortex Constantine Giannaris, Director 1991 : UK : 55 minutes : Bisexual : Drama : A studied black and white road movie about a bisexual poet, two hitchhikers, and the American landscape. Okoge Takehiro Nakajima, Director 1992 : Japan : 120 minutes : Gay/Bisexual : Comedy : A young straight woman loves hanging out with gay men and lets two lovers use her apartment for their trysts, to the chagrin of her nosy neighbors. Highly erotic sex scenes. Outrageous! Richard Brenner, Director 1977 : Canada : 98 minutes : Transvestite Drag: Comedy/Drama : A gay hairdresser has an interesting relationship with a schizophrenic girl on his way to stardom as a drag queen who does impressions of all the usual gay icons. The Outsiders [aka The Outcasts] Yu Kan-Ping, Director 1986 : Taiwan : 102 minutes : Gay : Drama : An older photographer tries to make a home for a group of gay teens who've been abandoned by their families because of their sexual orientation. Pink Ulysses 1989 : The Netherlands : Gay : Drama : The inner struggle of "pink Ulysses" is entwined with a loose adaption of The Odyssey in this sensual film featuring footage from a 1950s bodybuilding show, Eisenstein, and a TV version of "Sleeping Beauty" by the Dutch National Ballet. Prick Up Your Ears Stephen Frears, Director 1987 : UK : 108 minutes : Gay : Biographical Drama : The life and death of playwright Joe Orton, who was murdered by his lover at the height of his fame. Privates on Parade Michael Blakemore, Director 1982 : UK : Gay Transvestite : Comedy : The bitterly satirical adventures of a theatrical troop of drag queens during wartime. Querelle Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Director 1982 : 106 minutes : West Germany/France : Gay : Querelle is a devastatingly handsome gay sailor who is also a cold-hearted killer. The Rainbow Serpent Philippe Vallois, Director 1987 : France : 90 minutes : Gay : Comedy/Musical : Investigating a bodybuilder suspected of murder, a rookie cop is propelled into the erotic world of gyms and G-strings. A strange relationship develops between the cop and the suspect. Relax Christopher Newby, Director 1991 : UK : 25 minutes : Gay : A remarkably electric, imaginative, and intense short film in which Steve, a young gay man, explores his feelings leading up to the result of an HIV test. The Rocky Horror Picture Show Jim Sharman, Director 1975 : UK : 100 minutes : Bisexual Transvestite : Horror/Comedy/Musical : An innocent young couple take refuge in the castle of Dr. Frank 'n' Furter, that sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania. Salome's Last Dance Ken Russell, Director 1988 : UK : Gay : Drama : A typical Russell extravaganza, wherein Oscar Wilde is invited to a bordello to view a wildly decadent version of his banned play "Salome". Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom Pier Paolo Pasolini, Director 1975 : Italy : 117 minutes : Gay S&M : Drama : Pasolini's last film before his murder is powerfully anti-Fascist. During WWII, a group of powerful Fascists play S&M games with a group of young people, culminating in murder. Salut Victor Anne Claire Poirier, Director 1988 : Canada : 83 minutes : Gay : Drama : Two elderly gay men who are complete opposites befriend one another in an old age home. Sebastian [Sebastiane] Derek Jarman, Director 1977 : UK : 90 minutes : Gay : Biographical Drama : The story of St. Sebastian, who was sent to be outreaches of the Roman Empire after objecting to the murder of a young Christian page. There he carries on an affair with his commanding officer, whereupon he is brutally murdered by his jealous fellow soldiers. The Sergeant John Flynn, Director 1968 : France/USA : 107 minutes : Gay : Drama : A deeply repressed Sergeant Major falls in love with a company clerk, and is unable to deal with his homosexual desires. A Song of Love [Un Chant D'Amour] 1950 : France : 26 minutes : Gay : Drama : Jean Genet's only film; a notorious fantasy set in a French prison. Staircase Stanley Donen, Director 1969 : UK : 96 minutes : Gay : Drama : Rex Harrison and Richard Burton are a couple of gay barbers trying to adjust to the onset of old age, but the two actors are little more than a pair of walking stereotypes. The Summer of Miss Forbes 1988 : Spain : 86 minutes : Gay : Drama : A made-for-Spanish-TV movie about a frustrated and slightly unhinged teutonic governess with a passion for Greek Tragedies and alcohol who is hired to mind two children at a beach house for six weeks. She becomes obsessed with Achilles, a beach boy reminiscent of a Greek God, adopted by the family; then goes bananas when she eventually discovers that he is gay. Not for those who like happy endings. Summer Vacation 1999 [1999 NO NATSU YASUMI] Shusuke Kaneko, Director 1988 : Japan : 90 minutes : Gay : Drama : In a school in Hokkaido, three boys have to stay during summer vacation. The summer before also three boys stayed and one of them died. One of the remaining boys was in love with the one who died. A guy who looks like the dead boy appears. All the characters are played by female actors. Sunday, Bloody Sunday John Schlesinger, Director 1971 : UK : 110 minutes : Bisexual/Gay : Drama : A bisexual man carries on an affair with a woman and man at the same time, and claims to love them both. Tall Dark Stranger 1987 : UK : Gay : Drama : Starts off as a salty tale of casual sex and cross-purposes, and settles down into the classic tale of a new boy in town, which is London in this case. Taxi zum Klo [Taxi to the Toilet] Frank Ripploh, Director 1981 : West Germany : 92 minutes : Gay : Autobiographical Drama : Escapades of a gay man who wants as much sex as he can get, while his lover just wants them both to stay home. Taxi to Cairo Frank Ripploh, Director 1987 : West Germany : 90 minutes : Gay : Comedy : Our hero stages a marriage to a woman to remain in his mother's will, but he and his bride fall in love with the same man. Tell Me No Lies Neil Hunter, Director 1992 : UK : 28 minutes : GLBO : Comedy : The complications of coming out, as experienced by a group of university students. The Terence Davies Trilogy Terence Davies, Director 1976-1984 : UK : 101 minutes : Gay : Autobiographical Drama : Director Davies tells the story of his life as a character named Robert Tucker in three films. Part One (Childhood) focuses on scenes from his childhood: bullying at school, a violent, sick father, early sexual fantasies. Part Two (Madonna and Child) is a portrait of Tucker in middle age, trapped between his public and private personae. In Part Three (Death and Transfiguration), Tucker revisits his life with a new and less tortured perspective. He seems to accept his sexuality, which is transfigured by the love between his mother and himself. This Special Friendship [Les Amities Particuliers] Jean Delannoy, Director 1964 : France : 105 minutes : Gay : Drama : A relationship between an older boy and a younger boy at a strict Catholic boy's school ends in disaster when the priests voice their disapproval with increasingly heavy-handed tactics. Together Alone 1991 : Canada : Gay : Drama : Brian and Bryan talk after sex, about honesty, safety, sexuality, fidelity, power, companionship and more. Too Outrageous 1987 : Canada : Gay Transvestite : Comedy/Drama : Sequel to "Outrageous!". To Play or To Die [Spelen of Sterven] Frank Krom, Director 1990 : Netherlands : 50 minutes : Gay : Drama : An introverted schoolboy, bullied by his handsome schoolmates, invites the ringleader home with plans of revenge, but the other boy gets the upper hand. The Trials of Oscar Wilde Ken Hughes, Director 1960 : UK : 123 minutes : Gay : Drama : Based on the court transcripts of the show trial of the celebrated author. Stars Peter Finch, John Fraser, Lionel Jefferies and James Mason. Produced after 1957 Wolfenden Report shifted homosexuality from the unmentionable to a subject of enthusiastic debate. Two of Us Roger Tonge, Director 1986 : UK : 60 minutes : Gay : Drama : Made-for-British-TV show about two working class teens who become lovers. Urinal John Greyson, Director 1988 : Canada : 100 minutes : Gay : Comedy/Drama : Surrealistic portrayal of famous gay artists from the past reassembled to discuss various aspects of public washroom sex. Via Appia 1992 : Germany : Gay : Drama : A Lufthansa steward goes to Rio de Janeiro, trying to find a hustler named Mario who purposefully infected him with the AIDS virus during a one-night stand and left behind the message, "Welcome to the AIDS club." Victim! Basil Dearden, Director 1961 : UK : 96 minutes : Gay : Drama : A respected barrister gets involved with a lonely young drifter and is forced to confront his own homosexuality. A Virus Knows No Morals Rosa von Praunheim, Director 1986 : West Germany : Gay : Comedy : A gay bathhouse owner finds AIDS a drag on business in this funny, campy satire on society's attitudes toward homosexuals and AIDS. You Are Not Alone [Du Er Ikke Alene] Nielson and Johansen, Directors 1982 : Denmark : 91 minutes : Gay : Drama : Coming of age love story about two adolescent boys in a boys' school. The Wedding Banquet Ang Lee, Director 1993 : Taiwan : 112 minutes : Gay : Comedy : A Taiwanese immigrant who lives happily with his male lover agrees to marry a Chinese woman to appease his tradition-bound parents. A ribald comedy of manners and traditions in transition, with some very good performances and well-written characters. Westler: East of the Wall Wieland Speck, Director 1986 : Germany : 94 minutes : Gay : Drama : A West Berlin boy falls in love with an East Berlin boy on a day trip. The border guards start getting suspicious when the West Berliner starts making frequent trips, and the boys plan an escape for the East Berliner. We Think The World of You Colin Gregg, Director 1988 : UK : 94 minutes : Gay/Bisexual : Drama : In the 1950s, an uptight Londoner is pushed around by his bisexual lover's family and wife. We Were One Man [Nous Etions un Seul Homme] Philippe Vallois, Director 1978 : France : 90 minutes : Gay : Drama : In occupied France during WWII, an escaped mental patient nurses a wounded German soldier back to health and they have a highly erotic love affair. What The Butler Saw 198? : UK : Male and Female Bisexual : Comedy/Drama : BBC production of the Joe Orton play. Where the Sun Beats Down 1989 : Portugal : Gay : Drama : A haunting film of a young man determined to break the sexual and class taboos of his culture, modern day Portugal. Nuno returns from the city to his sister's farm where a relationship develops between him and Alberto, a young farm worker, which threatens the stability of Nuno's snobbish family. Wittgenstein Derek Jarman, Director 1992 : UK : 75 minutes : Gay : Drama : Fictional life of the philosopher who changed the meaning of truth and logic. Highly stylized, stunning, yet sparse and witty, with Jarmanesque queer iconographic detail. Wonderland [aka The Fruit Machine] Philip Saville, Director 1988 : UK : 103 minutes : Gay : Drama : The surrealistic adventures of two gay working class teens. The Wounded Man [L'Homme Blesse] Patrice Chereau, Director 1985 : France : 90 minutes : Gay : Drama : A teenage boy stops an attack in a toilet, gets passionately kissed by the attacker, finds he is drawn to homosexual sex, and becomes infatuated with a sociopathic hustler. Winner of the French Cesar for Best Direction. ***** Lesbian-Centered U.S. Films ***** Because the Dawn Amy Goldstein, Director 1988 : 40 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : An alluring, upbeat, modern day vampire musical comedy set to swing tunes. Sax-playing Vampire Marie seduces sports photographer Ariel from behind the camera. Becoming Colette Danny Huston, Director 1992 : 97 minutes : Bisexual : Drama : In the process of becoming a writer, the young Sidonie Colette endures the coldness of her philandering husband and eventually enters into a menage a trois with him and his mistress. Born in Flames Lizzie Borden, Director 1983 : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : After a socialist revolution goes sour, a diverse group of women unite to spread the truth about the government. A Certain Grace Sandra Nettelbeck, Director 1992 : 40 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Zelda and Alice are working together on a photography project, and as their relationship develops, Zelda's boyfriend starts to think the women are spending too much time together. The Children's Hour William Wyler, Director 1962 : 107 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : The lives of two young women running a school are ruined -- with one driven to suicide -- by the prejudices of the town against lesbians. Based on Lillian Hellman's Broadway hit, which was probably itself based, in turn, on a real situation in Scotland many years earlier. Claire of the Moon 1992 : Lesbian : Drama : Claire, an irreverent humorist given to one-night stands with men, discovers the emotional fulfillment she has been seeking when she and a controversial, openly lesbian psychologist are thrown together at a picturesque beachside writer's retreat. Comedy in Six Unnatural Acts Jan Oxenberg, Director 1975 : 26 minutes : Lesbian : Comedy: Casts a satirical eye on the myths surrounding lesbians by humorously depicting stereotypes in six vignettes: Wallflower, Role-Playing, Seduction, Non-Monogamy, Child Molester, and Stompin' Dyke. Damned if You Don't Su Friedrich, Director 1987 : 43 minutes : Lesbian : Drama Experimental, avant-garde film portraying a young nun's struggle against her sexual desires, which have been aroused by a stranger from outside the convent. Desert Hearts Donna Deitch, Director 1985 : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : An English professor goes to Reno to get a divorce, and falls in love with a young woman who works at a dude ranch. Desperate Living John Waters, Director 1977 : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Waters's most outrageous movie ever, in which a housewife and her maid enter the fictitious kingdom of Mortville after the woman kills her husband. Enough blood, guts, camp acting and camp dialogue to make it a cult favorite. The Fox Mark Rydell, Director 1968 : 110 minutes : Lesbian/Bisexual : Drama : Two women running a remote chicken farm in Canada are lovers until a man comes along; then one of them discovers her latent heterosexuality, and the other ends up dead. Illusions 1982 : Lesbian : Drama : A black woman who passed as white in Hollywood during the 1940s has a relationship with a black woman singer who provides the voice for a white movie star. Infidel Catherine Saalfield, Director 1989 : 45 minutes : Lesbian : Drama Experimental film about a black lesbian designer, Arroe, dealing with such issues as racism in the fashion industry and the formulation of a positive self-image. In The Glitter Palace Robert Butler, Director 1977 : 106 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : The first made-for-TV movie in which the lesbians are allowed to walk off happily into the sunset, but with the slightly negative thread of blackmail. The fears of lesbian mothers, and some of the problems of lesbians in the 1950s are explored along the way in a contemporary movie filmed in LA. With the Gay Media Task Force credited for advice. Lesbionage Joyce Compton, Director 1988 : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Two detectives who are also lovers investigate a blackmail plot against a lesbian congresswoman. Lianna John Sayles, Director 1983 : 110 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A young mother falls in love with her psychology professor and slowly comes to terms with her sexuality and independence. Long Awaited Pleasure 1987 : Lesbian : Comedy/Drama : Two lesbians leave their emotional baggage behind and start over. Love Game 1990 : Lesbian : Comedy : A famous lesbian tennis player meets a girl she wants to get to know. My Father is Coming Monica Treut, Director 1991, USA/Germany : Lesbian/Bisexual/Gay : Comedy : A bisexual woman living in New York has to prepare for her father's sudden arrival from Germany with the help of her gay male friend. Out of Our Time Back Porch Productions, Director(s) 1989 : 70 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : This film contrasts the personal choices, experiences, and desires of a contemporary lesbian couple named Valeri and Marilyn with those of Valeri's grandmother in the 1930s. Personal Best Robert Towne, Director 1982 : 124 minutes : Lesbian/Bisexual : Drama : Two female jocks training for the Olympics fall in love and have an affair, but at least for one, lesbianism is just a phase she's going through. A Question of Love Jerry Thorpe, Director 1978 : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A made-for-TV movie about a lesbian mother's fight for custody of her son. Her homophobic ex-husband drags her through the mud and the courts. Separate Skin Deirdre Fishel, Director 1987 : 26 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Using flashbacks, Emily, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, contrasts her childhood dreams and doubts with the realities of her adult relationships. She Likes Girls 1992 : 34 minutes : Lesbian : Comedy : A few days in the life of a young New York Lesbian (without a cliche in sight!) She Must Be Seeing Things Sheila McLaughlin, Director 1987 : 90 minutes : Lesbian/Bisexual : Drama : A lawyer and a filmmaker are lovers, and while the lawyer has a jealous fit over the filmmaker's diaries, which describe her past exploits with male lovers, the movie juxtaposes scenes from the filmmaker's film, which is about a nun fighting sexual repression in a 17th century convent. Three of Hearts 1993 : Lesbian/Bisexual : Drama : A female couple split up, and one of the women hires a male escort to seduce her ex-lover and break her heart, so as to drive the ex-lover back into the arms of the still-in-love former lover. Two in Twenty: A Lesbian Soap Opera Laurel Chiten, Cheryl Qamar, and Rachel McCollum, Directors 1988 : 270 minutes : Lesbian : Comedy : A 5-part lesbian soap opera which focuses on the day-to-day problems of two lesbian households. Includes satirical lesbian/feminist commercials and outtakes. Vegas in Space Phillip R. Ford, Director 1991 : 85 minutes : Lesbian : Musical Comedy : The four-man crew of the U.S.S. Intercourse races on a secret mission to the planet Clitoris, a 23rd-century all-female pleasure planet where men are forbidden to touch down. Ordered by the Empress of Earth to swallow gender-reversal pills, the spacemen swap their sexes to go undercover as 20th-century showgirls and are propelled into a dizzying caper to capture the perpetrator of a heinous crime that has hurled the orbiting resort on its path to doom. Waiting for the Moon Jill Godmillow, Director 1983 : 87 mniutes : Lesbian : Biography : Beautifully filmed but emotionally uninvolving exploration of the relationship between Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Waking Up: A Love Story Greta Schiller, Director 1988 : 60 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A young woman gets a taste of lesbian love and soon becomes the town's number one lesbian. The War Widow Harvey Perr, Director 1976 : Lesbian : Drama : Made-for-TV movie about a woman who falls in love with another woman while her husband is off fighting WWI. When he returns, she has to decide whether or not to leave him and her child to be with her lover. Without You I'm Nothing John Boskovich, Director 1990 : 99 minutes : Lesbian : Comedy : Film adaptation of Sandra Bernhard's one-woman stage show. Among the pieces: a lesbian version of "Me and Mrs. Jones", a Patti Smith send-up, and lots of lesbian shower action. ***** Lesbian-Centered Non-U.S. Films ***** Anna und Elisabeth Frank Wysbar, Director 1933 : Germany : Lesbian : Drama : A peasant girl's touch heals the paralysis of the lady of the manor, and the lady soon discovers that she can't live without the girl. Anna und Edith Gerrit Neuhaus, Director 1975 : West Germany : Lesbian : Drama : Made-for-German-TV movie about two clerical workers who fall in love while trying to get better working conditions. Anne Trister Lea Pool, Director 1986 : Canada : 115 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : An Israeli artist goes to Montreal, stays with a psychologist friend, and falls in love with her. Another Way [Egymasra Nezve] Karoly Makk, Director 1982 : Hungary : 109 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Two journalists fall in love against the backdrop of the 1956 Hungarian uprising. Bad Girls [Les Biches] Claude Chabrol, Director 1968 : France: : 99 minutes : Lesbian/Bisexual : Drama : A young woman (Jacqueline Sassard) who is picked up by a stylish Parisian woman (Stephane Audran) and taken away for the summer gets her own back after being spurned for another. This is the 'Lesbianism as best avoided' school of voyeur cinema, but unique in its time. The Banker [La Banquiere] Francis Girod, Director 1980 : France : Lesbian : Drama : The rise and fall of a masculine self-made bank president in the 1920s in Paris. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant [Die Bitteren Tranen der Petra von Kant] Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Director 1972 : West Germany : 124 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A decadent fashion designer plays the dominant role in a sado-masochistic relationship with one of her employees, but she meets someone who turns the tables on her. By Design Claude Jutra, Director 1981 : Canada : 88 minutes : Lesbian : Comedy : A lesbian couple who decide to have a baby "the old-fashioned way" encounter humorous obstacles. Can't You Take a Joke? 1989 : Australia : Lesbian : Comedy : A woman cartoonist, with the help of pet character Lady Dick, sets about recovering her mysterious female client's lost sense of humor. Celine and Julie Go Boating [Celine et Julie Vont en Bateau] Jaques Rivette, Director 1974 : France : 192 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A magician and a librarian meet in Montmartre. Daughters of Darkness [La Rouge aux Levres, Blud an den Lippen, Bloed and de Lippen] Harry Kumel, Director 1970 : Belgium/West Germany/France : 87 minutes : Lesbian/Bisexual : Horror : Campy cult lesbian horror film which features a lesbian vampire as its most sympathetic character and makes heterosexuality seem abnormal. Depart to Arrive [Weggehen um Anzukommen] Alexandra von Grote, Director 1981 : West Germany : Lesbian : Drama : The story of the separation of a photographer and a journalist from the photographer's point of view. Domestic Bliss Joy Chamberlain, Director 1984 : UK : 52 minutes : Lesbian : Comedy : Made-for-British-TV soap opera about a lesbian couple and their chaotic adventures. Entre Nous [Between Us, Coup de Foudre] Diane Kurys, Director 1983 : France : 110 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : In 1950s Lyons, France, two married women meet, develop a friendship, and leave their husbands for one another. Entre Tinieblas [Dark Habits] Pedro Almodovar, Director 1983 : Spain : 95 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : In a convent in Madrid, the Mother Superior has fallen in love with the female singer Yolanda. A hard-eged, intentionally offensive religious satire, not as original or as funny as Almodovar's later films. Erika's Passions [Erikas Leidenschaften] Ula Stockl, Director 1978 : West Germany : Lesbian : Drama : A butch lesbian and her femme lover are accidentally locked in a room together after a long separation and are forced to confront each other's differences and complaints. Extramuros 1985 : Spain : Lesbian : Drama : A dark story of love and ambition behind convent walls. Sister Angela decides to fake stigmata to save her convent from ruin; her devoted lover reluctantly agrees. But Angela's scam brings them unexpected fame as well as new enemies who could destroy their relationship. The Farewell [Jaahyvaiset] Tuija-Maija Niskanen 1982 : Finland/Sweden : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : In the 1930s, a young Finnish woman defies her tyrannical father to have a relationship with a young German woman. Flaming Ears Angela Hans Scheirl, Dietmar Schipek, & Ursula Purrer, Directors 1992 : Austria : 84 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A fragmented and bizarre tale of lust, jealousy, and revenge among three lesbians in the far, far future. Technically innovative, staking out a new lesbian aesthetic for the 90s. La Fuga Paolo Spinola, Director 1967 : Italy : Lesbian : Drama : A well-to-do wife finds fulfillment with a lesbian interior decorator. Full Moon in New York 1989 : Hong Kong : Lesbian : Drama : Three Chinese women immigrants in New York -- one from mainland China, one a Taiwanese actress, and one a successful entrepreneur and restaurateur from Hong Kong -- try to cope with their new surroundings. The film can be taken as a symbol of the struggles of the three Chinas to come together. The Getting of Wisdom Bruce Beresford, Director 1977 : Australia : 100 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A gifted young pianist becomes inseparable with a classmate in an oppressive finishing school in turn-of-the-century Melbourne, Australia. Girls in Uniform [Madchen in Uniform] Leontine Sagan, Director 1931 : Germany : 89 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Considered by many to be the first radical lesbian-feminist film, in which a student at a repressive authoritarian Prussian boarding school finds comfort only in the companionship of a sympathetic teacher. It was remade in 1958 in English. See the original German version. The Gold Diggers Sally Potter, Director 1983 : UK : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : An actress and a mysterious woman on horseback come together while the actress searches for social roots. In This House of Brede George Schaefer, Director 1975 : UK : 100 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A young nun gets a crush on older one who wants to reciprocate but cannot. I've Heard The Mermaids Singing Patricia Rozema, Director 1987 : Canada : 81 minutes : Bisexual : Comedy : An "organizationally-impaired person Friday falls in love with her boss, the sophisticated curator of an art gallery. I, You, He, She [Je, Tu, Il, Elle] Chantal Akerman, Director 1974 : Belgium : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Conflict-ridden relationship between a woman and her lover and a strange man. Features an 18-minute love scene between the two women. Johanna, D'Arc of Mongolia Ulrike Ottinger, Director 1988 : West Germany : 35 minutes : Lesbian : Adventure : Our heroine is invited on a trip by an affluent older woman. They travel to Mongolia where they are kidnaped by Mongolian Amazons, and the adventure begins. Just Passing Through Judy Rymer, Director 1985 : New Zealand : 50 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : While scouting locations for a documentary on Maori myth and legend, two filmmakers meet Rhea, a Maori woman, who takes them on a mystical quest. The Killing of Sister George Robert Aldrich, Director 1968 : USA/UK : 153 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : An aging lesbian actress loses everything, including her young lover, when the character she plays on a BBC soap opera gets killed off. Note that although this film was produced jointly by the US and the UK, it takes place in London -- and features a famous British lesbian bar -- and almost everyone in the cast is British. The Life that We Dreamt [Het Leven dat we Droomden] Robbe de Hert, Director 1981 : Belgium : Lesbian : Drama : Two women fall in love with the same man, but soon discover that they love each other. Madame X -- Eine Absolut Herrscherin Ulrike Ottinger, Director 1977 : West Germany : Lesbian : Drama : Women cannot resist the pirate Madame X, and board her ship in quest of gold, love, and adventure. Mano Destra Cleo Ueblemann, Director 1985-86 : West Germany : 53 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A relentless physiological experience of cinematic bondage and sensory manipulation. A European lesbian cult classic, *this* is S&M cinema. The Mark of Lilith Bruna Fionda, Polly Gladwin, and Isiling Mack-Nataf, Producers 1986 : UK : 32 minutes : Lesbian : Drama Lillia, a white vampire, meets Zena, a black lesbian, at a horror movie, and the two embark on a bizarre relationship. The Minders Judy Rymer, Director 1985 : New Zealand : 50 minutes : Lesbian : Science Fiction : An extraterrestrial paradise is ruled by a magnanimous intergalactic female populace that keeps watch over the Earth and intercedes through telepathic mindlink to offer insight, solace, encouragement, or inspiration whenever an Earthling is in need. Miss A and Miss M 1987 : UK : 60 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A young girl slowly becomes aware of the true nature of the relationship between two school teachers. Night Visions Marusia Bociurkiw, Director 1989 : Canada : 60 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Racism and homophobia are explored in two overlapping stories, one about a Native American single mother fighting social welfare authorities and her white ex-husband for custody of her daughter, the other about a lesbian photographer whose erotic photographs have been seized by the police. Nocturne Joy Chamberlain, Director 1990 : UK : Lesbian : Drama : A woman returns home for her mother's funeral and meets memories which are the key both to her self-repression and her desire. Novembermoon [Novembermond] Alexandra von Grote, Director 1984 : West Germany : 106 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : During WWII in France, a Frenchwoman hides her lover, a German Jew, from the Nazis. Olivia [Pit of Loneliness] Jacqueline Audry, Director 1950 : France : 100 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : In the latter half of the 1800s, an English schoolgirl falls deeply in love with one of her headmistresses in the French boarding school she attends. On Guard Digby Duncan and Susan Lambert, producers 1983 : Australia : 51 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : An aerobics instructor, a disillusioned nurse and two other lesbians conspire to sabotage a reproductive engineering facility and alert the media to a Brave New World bioproduction line. A heist movie which incorporates frank portrayal of the characters' domestic and sexual, personal and political struggles. Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit Beeban Kidron, Director 1989 : UK : 144 minutes, theatrical version; 3x120 minute episodes, mini-series version : Lesbian : Drama : Coming of age story about an iron-willed young woman who's been raised in a strict evangelical environment, and whose lesbianism scandalizes her equally iron-willed adoptive mother, and pretty much the rest of the church, too. Made by the BBC from the semi-autobigraphical -- and often very funny -- first novel by Jeannette Winterson. Pandora's Box G. W. Pabst, Director 1928 : Germany : 110 minutes: Bisexual/Lesbian : Silent screen classic about a girl whose loose morals take her from promiscuity to whoredom to a fatal encounter with Jack the Ripper. Along the way, she has a torrid affair with a lesbian countess and the countess's stepson. Pepi, Luci, Bom (and Other Girls in the Heap) Pedro Almodovar, Director 1980 : Spain : Lesbian : Drama : An angry lesbian declares war on the Madrid police. Portrait of a Marriage Stephen Whittaker, Director 1990 : UK : Lesbian/Bisexual : 4x50 minute episodes : Biographical Drama : A made-for-TV period drama series featuring the relationships among Violet Keppel and Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson (played by Cathryn Harrison, Janet McTeer and David Haigh). Sumptuously made by the BBC and co-produced by WGBH. Based on the book by Vita and her son, Nigel Nicolson. Prisoners of Cell Block H 197?-198? : Australia : Lesbian : Soap Opera: A long-running series which has attained cult status, set in a women's prison, with several long-standing lesbian characters. Richard's Things Anthony Harvey, Director 1980 : UK : 104 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Made-for-British-TV movie about a dead businessman's widow and mistress, who go from open hostility to falling in love with each other. Salmonberries 1991 : Canada : Lesbian : Drama : A woman searches for meaning in her life and makes contact with another woman in the bleak North. Seduction: The Cruel Woman [Verfuhrung: die grausame Frau] 1985 : West Germany : Bisexual/Lesbian : Drama : Wanda is a gallery owner in Hamburg specializing in S/M art. Being a dominatrix isn't easy for her when she insists that all is performance, but her clients and would-be lovers want a "real" relationship. Simone Christine Ehm, Director 1984 : France : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : Simone, a mysterious stranger, enters the life of Francoise, a suicidal woman, and the two explore their fantasies. Ten Cents a Dance [Parallax] Midi Onodera, Director 1986 : Canada : 30 minutes : Lesbian/Gay : Drama : Experimental film exploring contemporary forms of sexuality and communication between a lesbian couple, a gay male couple, and a straight couple. Therese and Isabelle Radley Metzger, Director 1968 : USA/West Germany/France : Lesbian : Drama : A woman reminisces about a love affair she had with a girl in boarding school. To Forget Venice [Dimenticare Venezia] Franco Brusati, Director 1979 : Italy : 105 minutes : Lesbian/Gay : Drama : In 1920s Italy, Anna and Claudia live in the country with Anna's Aunt Marta. Anna and Claudia have become bored with each other, but one day Aunt Marta's brother Nicky shows up with his young lover Picchio, and things start to change. Twice a Woman George Sluizer, Director 1985 : UK : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A man becomes obsessed with the young female lover of his ex-wife. The Twin Bracelets Yu-Shan Huang, Director 1990 : Hong Kong/Taiwan : 100 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A young woman in an oppressive Chinese fishing village seeks love and escape in the arms of her childhood girlfriend against a backdrop of customs and mores that treat women as property with no human rights. Vera 1987 : Brazil : Lesbian : Drama : A young woman believes she is a man trapped in a woman's body in this intense investigation of sex roles. The Virgin Machine Monica Treut, Director 1988 : West Germany : 91 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : A naive German journalist searches for love in San Francisco's lesbian underground. Wild Flowers Robert Smith, Director 1989 : UK : Lesbian : Drama : Two women discover love for each other in a fairly repressed corner of Scotland. A Woman in Transit [La Femme de l'Hotel] 1984 : Canada : Lesbian : Drama : A director and her leading lady search for someone to play the central figure in their movie and find her in the hotel where they're all staying. A Woman Like Eve [Een Vrouw als Eva] Nouchka van Brakel, Director 1979 : Netherlands : 90 minutes : Lesbian : Drama : On vacation in France, a married Dutch woman falls in love with a French lesbian. When she attempts to divorce her husband, a bitter custody battle ensues. ***** Directory of GLBO Film and Video Distributors ***** Back Porch Productions Cambridge Documentary Films 113 E. Whiteman St. P.O. Box 385 Yellow Springs, OH 45387 Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 354-3677 Charis Video Cinema Guild P.O. Box 797 1697 Broadway, Suite 802 Brooklyn, NY 11231 New York, NY 10019 (718) 855-4458 (212) 246-5522 (Many Lesbian Videos) Cinevista Direct Cinema Ltd. 353 W. 39th St. P.O. Box 69799 New York, NY 10018 Los Angeles, CA 90069 (212) 947-4373 (213) 652-8000 Exportfilm Bischoof & Co. Facets Multimedia, Inc. Isabellastrasse 20 1517 West Fullerton Ave. D-8000 Munich 40, West Germany Chicago, IL 60614 (800) 331-6297, (312) 281-9075 in IL Filmmakers Library First Run Features 124 East 40th, #901 New York, NY 10025 (212) 355-6545 (800) 229-8575 Frameline Insider Video Club P.O. Box 14792 P.O. Box 93399 San Francisco, CA 94114 Hollywood, CA 90093 (415) 861-5245 (800) 634-2242 International Film Exchange Ishtar Films (West Coast) 201 W. 52nd St. 6253 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 623 New York, NY 10019 Hollywood, CA 90028 (212) 582-4318 (213) 461-1560 Ishtar Films (East Coast) Kartes Video Communications P.O. Box 51 P.O. Box 68881, 7225 Woodland Dr. Patterson, NY 12563 Indianapolis, IN 46278 (914) 878-3561 (800) 582-2000, (317) 297-1888 Ladyslipper Lambda Rising P.O. Box 3130 1625 Connecticut Ave., NW Durham, NC 27705 Washington, DC 20009-1013 (919) 683-1570 (202) 462-6969 Maya Vision Moonforce Media 43 New Oxford St. P.O. Box 2934 London, WC1 A1BH, England Washington, DC 20012 ATTN: Joan Biren (202) 526-0049 Moonlight Productions New Yorker Films 2243 Old Middlefield Way 16 W. 61st St. Mountain View, CA 94043 New York, NY 10023 (415) 948-0199 (212) 247-6110 Polyglot Productions Pop Video 136 Brattle St. P.O. Box 60862 Cambridge, MA 02138 Washington, DC 20039 (617) 491-3541 (202) 726-1650 La Reseau Vide-Elle Tapestry Productions 4013 Rue des Erables 924 Broadway Montreal, Quebec H2K 3V7, Canada New York, NY 10010 (514) 525-8456 (212) 677-6007 Third World Newsreel Water Bearer Films 335 W. 38th St., 5th Floor 205 West End Avenue, Suite 24H New York, NY 10018 New York, New York 10023 Winds of Change Productions Wolfe Video 12 Grove Ave. P.O. Box 64 Toronto, Ontario M6J 3B6, Canada New Almaden, CA 95042 (408) 268-6782 Womankind Books, Inc. Women in Focus 5 Kivy St. 849 Beatty St. Huntington Station, NY 11746 Vancouver, BC V6B 2M6 Canada (800) 648-5333, (516) 427-1289 (604) 682-5848 Women Make Movies, Inc. Yoyo Film, Video & Theatre Prods. 225 Lafayette St., #212 108 Grove Park New York, NY 10012 London SE5, England (212) 925-0606 Please note that I have arbitrarily established a 30-minute minimum length requirement for films to be included on this list. This is because I view this list primarily as an entertainment resource, and feel that if you're looking for a couple of films to watch with your loved one(s) on a weekend, you're going to be more more interested in feature-length films than you are in experimental short subjects. There are literally hundreds of film shorts from 1 minute in length to 29 minutes in length which do not appear on this list, although if a film is, say, 25 minutes long it just might find its way onto the list. Many, if not all, of the distributors above will provide you with a catalog of their films, including film shorts. For more information regarding these and other GLBO-centered materials, notably books, periodicals, music, and some film shorts, get yourself a copy of this outstanding reference book: Gay and Lesbian Library Service edited by Cal Gough and Ellen Greenblatt MacFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers Many thanks to Ellen Greenblatt for giving me access to the film lists from this excellent resource book. Another book I used to compile this list is "The Celluloid Closet" by Vito Russo. Russo's book is mostly about Hollywood's mistreatment of gay characters in films, but by the last chapter, films featuring accurate, sensitive, or at least interesting portrayals start showing up with more regularity. Thanks for the contributions from Sim David Aberson, Diane Bailey, Hector Bellmann, Ron Buckmire, Mary Cardenas, Thomas Carlin, Vince Cavasin, David Peter Coster, Jeff Dauber, John DeSantis, Mike Drayton, James Drew, Michael Dunn, Ken Dykes, David Edelsohn, Michelle Elliott, Beth Freeman, William Tsun-Yuk Hsu, Curtis Johnson, Tracey McCartney, Robert A. J. Marshall, Bret Marquis, Valerie Mead, Steve Misek, Jorge Morales, Manuel Pece, Tim Pierce, Roy Radow, Jeff Shaumeyer, Glenn Slayden, Mike Shepherd, Tane' Tachyon, Max Meredith Vasilatos, Ian Watters, and David Wyatt. Thanks for e-mailing any GLBO-centered films that you don't find on this list, folks, but please try to provide as much information about them as you can, including a capsule plot summary, and don't forget to sign your name to your letters so that I can acknowledge your contribution. Frank Swilling Minotaur@cup.portal.com \enddata{text822, 0}