In D. Smith’s ‘Kokomo City,’ a portrait of four black transgender sex workers in America, a trans filmmaker’s comfort level with the presence is evident as the protagonists openly recount their experiences.
In the dense forest, eight-year-old Coco is swimming in a lake with her great-grandmother Lourdes. As they wash up, Lourdes instructs Coco to scrub herself thoroughly. “A girl’s penis should be sparkling clean,” she declares. It is a positive moment for Coco, who is otherwise considered a boy by her family and is addressed in confusing ways. Now she’s found an unlikely ally in her great-grandmother, a gentle (perhaps quirky) beekeeper.
An illustration from ‘Twenty 20,000 Species’ by Spanish filmmaker Estíbaliz Urresola Solaguern.
The empathetic debut feature film of Spanish filmmaker Estíbaliz Urresola Solgure 20,000 species of beesWhich premiered at the recently concluded Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in 2023, is the latest in a growing canon of queer cinema that explores the complexities of gender identity.
Over the past few years, LGBTQIA+ films have made a leap from focusing on the heartbreaks of gay men and lesbian women – predominantly white protagonists – to narratives of transgender individuals, the dangers of masculinity and what queerness looks like outside the Global North. . , The first two major international film festivals of the year, Berlinale and Sundance, premiered a large number of films – 20,000 species, city of kokomo, Idiot, by the end of the nightAnd Orlando, my political biography – With transgender protagonists and actors.
Both 20,000 specieswhich portrays a trans kid in the Basque Country, and Idiot, a chronicle of a day in the life of a young trans man, observes the dissonance between self-identity and society’s gaze. Whereas Idiot Somewhat didactic and can be a beginner’s guide to understanding the blurred form of the gender binary, the film gives stage to the often neglected voice of a trans man (played by Leo Mehil, a trans actor and filmmaker).
question of authenticity
Transgender filmmakers and actors are leaning into the much-discussed question of authenticity in queer cinema, advocating for lived realities. D. Smith’s city of kokomoVuk Lungulov-Klotz Idiotand Paul B. preciado Orlando, my political biography Put trans filmmakers at the helm, paving the way for accurate representation and self-reflection.
Paul B. An illustration from Preciado’s ‘Orlando, My Political Biography’.
Preciado’s biography has been characterized as a letter to Virginia Woolf, which was published Orlando: A Biography in 1928, in which a poet changes from male to female and lives through the centuries. The filmmaker confides in Woolf that the world is slowly moving away from the gender binary, much like her novel almost a century ago.
In city of kokomo —a portrait of four black transgender sex workers in America—Smith negotiates the power dynamics between audience and protagonist by defying the traditional (often voyeuristic) documentary format and absolving its subjects of traditional narratives of victimhood. The level of comfort brought by the presence of a trans filmmaker is evident, as the protagonists mince no words in recounting their experiences with their male clients.
A scene from “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which won seven Oscars this year.
Although still largely an exception, queer people of color are increasingly being recognized at international film festivals and awards. exploring a Chinese American immigrant’s struggle to accept his lesbian daughter’s sexuality, everything together everywhere Won seven Oscars this year. Last year, saim sadiq joylandExecutive produced by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and featuring transgender actor Alina Khan, not only was it the first Pakistani film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, it also won the Queer Palm for Best LGBTQIA+ Film.
brawl at the crossroads
Eight-year-old Sofia Otero of ‘Twenty 20,000 Species’ with the Silver Bear for Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role at Berlinale 2023. , Photo Credit: Getty Images
Babatunde Apalowo’s First Feature At This Year’s Berlinale all the colors of the world are between black and whiteA Nigerian film about two closeted gay men exploring their sexuality in a country where homosexuality is criminalized won the Teddy Award for Best LGBTQIA+ Film at the festival. , Eight-year-old Sofia Otero took home the top acting award at the festival for portraying Coco 20,000 species,
Swedish-Persian film rivalwhich opened at the Berlinale, and Danish filmmaker Jonas Pohr Rasmussen’s flee, which was nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar last year, understands queerness through the lens of migration and asylum. These films highlight the intersection of sexuality and race, and how the two are deeply intertwined.
Jesse Eisenberg in “Manodrome,” directed by John Trengove.
LGBTQIA+ stories are moving beyond drama and taking over genres like noir thriller and science fiction. British film premiering at Berlinale, Ng Choon Ping and Sam H. Freeman fame plunges into London’s queer nightlife to uncover a revenge tale involving a secretive (ultra-macho) white gay man and a black drag queen. Capturing vivid images of a gay sauna, a drag performance venue, and revenge porn, the film doesn’t directly attempt to seduce an audience. Jesse Eisenberg-Starrer manodromewhich competed in the same festival, juxtaposes queer masculinity with a cult, attempts to create a dystopian science fiction vibe, but comes off as rather hollow.
In the Oscar-nominated “Tar,” Cate Blanchett portrays a lesbian maestro with conservative views and a sensual eye.
Gay filmmakers no longer hesitate to present LGBTQIA+ people as complex, and sometimes problematic, individuals. Oscar nominated GodownIn , Cate Blanchett captivatingly portrays a lesbian maestro with conservative views and a wry eye. The spirit of artistic narcissism is echoed in Ira Sachs’ latest play Way, which premiered at Sundance this year. In it, Franz Rogowski plays Tomas, a needy film director who blows away any chance for stability and love in his pursuit of thrills and attention. After breaking up with her longtime partner Martin, played by Ben Whishaw, they have passionate sex, captured via a stationary camera and natural lighting, literally.
Sex between queer characters is no longer an event or turning point in the story. The new crop of queer cinema is not limited to sexual orientation, but at the same time, is not separate from it, driving home the point that queerness does not exist in isolation.
The writer is a journalist based in Berlin as a German Chancellor’s Fellow.