Mambaonline takes a look at some of the highlights of the 16th Out In Africa Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, taking place in Joburg and Cape Town this September. This page will be updated in the coming week with more reviews, so do check back.

APOSTLES OF CIVILISED VICE
Dir: Zackie Achmat • South Africa • 1999 • 104min

Before he was world-renowned as head of the TAC and a respected AIDS-activist, Zackie Achmat, as it turns out, was a film director. And now, Out In Africa is re-screening his 1999 documentary, Apostles of Civilised Vice. In it, Achmat shines a light on the history of South African gays and lesbians – from Dr. James Barry all the way through to Simon Nkoli and Judge Edwin Cameron. He re-enacts historical scenes and uses archival footage where he can, to proudly display how queer culture has played a part in South Africa’s history. This film should be seen by all South Africans, not just those who are out and proud. For the first time it contextualises all those who came before us and in so doing ensures we have a more gay-friendly history – even if it won’t appear in any history books anytime soon.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

BOYSTOWN (Chuecatown)
Dir: Juan Flahn • Spain • 2007 • 93min

This fun Spanish offering by director Juan Flahn stands out for a number of reasons, one being its lead couple: two adorable, attractive bears who are in dramatic contrast to the typical chiselled buff gay movie character we’re so used to. In fact, the one Adonis-type character in the film is a killer estate agent who is attempting to convert older apartments in Madrid’s gay district into chic gentrified homes. It’s a fitting and clever analogy for our gay pop culture which pressures us to believe that gay men should be mindless gym-honed clones obsessed with designer living. There’s also a bitter mother in law intent on separated the happy couple and an ageing detective on the case who seems to be losing her mind just as her sidekick son edges his way out of the closet. The film is light-hearted, well acted and filled with that uniquely Spanish quirkiness so famously represented by Pedro Almodóvar. Boystown gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and left a smile on my face. It’s one of the festival’s highlights.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

CHRIS AND DON – A LOVE STORY
Dirs: Guido Santi & Tina Mascara • USA • 2007 • 90min

Chris and Don – A Love Story, is a fantastic documentary that candidly recounts the relationship of world-renowned writer, Christopher Isherwood (the movie, Cabaret was based on his book Goodbye to Berlin) and now-famous artist Don Bachardy. The film begins in the 1950’s, when Isherwood, who was in his late 40’s, meets Bachardy who was just 18. Although they were worlds apart in terms of age, upbringing and experience, they remained committed to each other for over 34 years, until Isherwood died in 1986 from prostate cancer. Chris and Don – A Love Story is mesmerising as the relationship between the two men is explored through interviews, archival footage and home movies. For better or for worse, they were there for each other with Bachardy nursing and exclusively painting Isherwood throughout the course of the disease until he died. If you feel hopeless in the belief that true love doesn’t exist – watch Chris and Don – A Love Story.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

THE CURIOSITY OF CHANCE
Dir: Russell P. Marleau • Belgium / USA • 2006 • 98min

The Curiosity of Chance is most disappointing because it seems to have so much going for it but fails to live up to its potential. It’s not often we get to see a move in the high school comedy genre featuring a gay lead, which is what the film offers. Sixteen-year Chance Marquis, attempts to find acceptance at his new high school but is instead bullied and relegated to the category of school misfit. Together with his two oddball friends and one increasingly friendly and hot football jock he comes to terms with his identity and his role in school and his military family. Sadly, The Curiosity of Chance generally fails on a number of levels. Because it’s set in an international high school in Europe most of the actors have heavy accents. This jars with the American lead (Tad Hilgenbrink) and, most importantly, not being English first language speakers seems to affect their comic timing. In fact, throughout the film, the attempted wit almost always fails to really elicit any laughter or a broad smile. Without effective humour, the film teeters on the edge of the expected high school movie clichés (barring some fun appearances by a gaggle of fabulous drag queens that is). Everyone is committed to their part, the film is competently made, features a great 80’s soundtrack and there is clearly much good will invested in the endeavour. It’s a pity it merely mildly amuses instead of truly delighting.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

DIRTY LAUNDRY
Dir: Maurice Jamal • USA • 2006 • 100min

I’m a huge fan of Loretta Devine. Whether it’s as the acerbic secretary on Eli Stone or the acerbic wife on Grey’s Anatomy she is fabulous. Which is why I was so looking forward to seeing the divine Ms Devine in Dirty Laundry. I wish I hadn’t. Dirty Laundry revolves around Sheldon (Rockmond Dunbar, “C-Note” in Prison Break) a high-flying, gay New York journalist who returns home to Georgia after he discovers he has a 10-year old son, Gabriel. Once there, he not only has to confront his past, but also deal with his family, consisting of his (acerbic) opinionated mother, Evelyn (Devine), still-at-home sister, her daughter and his brother. In almost no time at all, old arguments start up again between Sheldon and his family members. And with the surprise arrival of Sheldon’s white boyfriend from New York, Sheldon is forced to come clean about his life and his lifestyle. The acting in Dirty Laundry is average to say the least with less-than-perfect performances coming from the whole cast. Even Devine, who spends most of the movie lapsing, almost out of desperation, into a stereotype of herself - which is not only frustrating, but annoying as well. Dunbar tries his best to portray his character’s inner conflict, but he unfortunately doesn’t have the range to pull this off. And against Devine he just crumples. What starts off as an interesting premise, Dirty Laundry quickly purees itself into a mess of corny clichés, tacky script-writing, bad acting and average direction. Don’t bother.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

HOLLYWOOD JE T’AIME
Dir: Jason Bushman • USA • 2009 • 95min

When Parisian Jerome (Eric Debets) is dumped by his boyfriend he impulsively decides to embark on a trip to Hollywood to launch his dream career as a movie star. Innocent to the ways of the real world in Los Angeles and the absurd cruelties of the film industry he bumbles his way into a small role in a commercial. Along the way he befriends a love-struck Trans hooker, an ageing bingo hall drag queen, and an HIV positive marijuana dealer. While some American critics have called Debets performance “un-engaging” and “inexpressive” I found him to be charming and very attractive in a Euro-geek kind of way. His gentle and understated performance is the calm centre to the eccentricities and quirks of the characters that surround him. Hollywood Je T’aime is an engaging and at times poignant take on Hollywood life outside of the glamorous environments we’ve all seen on screen. It depicts, with humour and wit, the toll it takes on those burdened with unfulfilled dreams and failed ambitions. I loved it.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

NOAH’S ARC – JUMPING THE BROOM
Dir: Patrik-Ian Polk • USA • 2008 • 101min

I’m embarrassed to admit that I have never watched more than one episode of Noah’s Arc, the hit US cable television series (think Sex and City, but with black gay men). This despite interviewing the show’s hunky star, Darryl Stephens, a few years back. So it was with some hesitation that I sat down to watch the new spin-off feature film version. Any concerns that I might not enjoy the film because I’d missed out on earlier events were quickly dispelled. The film works well as a standalone feature and one quickly warms to the cast of characters and the storyline. In this, their first big screen adventure, the boys are off to Martha’s Vineyard for Noah and Wade’s wedding. Soon, relationships and friendships are put to the test as secrets, hidden agendas and occasional bed-hopping come to the fore. While occasionally oddly stilted with at times awkward performances, Jumping the Broom still proves to be a very engaging and entertaining film with some truly great moments. It also successfully continues to break new ground in its representation of gay black men. A must-see at the festival.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

THE SATYR OF SPRINGBOK HEIGHTS
Dir: Robert Silke • South Africa • 2009 • 58min

What a surprise to find this South African treasure amongst my pile of movies this year, and a really outstanding one at that. The satry of Springbok Heights, a mythical creature of half man and half goat roams the corridors of this fictitious building based on an actual art nouveau apartment block called Holyrood in Cape Town. He seems to be everything and anything the dysfunctional, troubled, always OTT residents of Springbok Heights need him to be. But the story doesn’t totally revolve around the movie’s namesake. The homeowners of this truly magnificent building are the ‘meat’ in this mockumentary. Shot in doccie-style, writer, director, architect and current “Springbok Heights” resident Robert Silke interviews and films real-life journalists, architects and historians on the curvy, unusual design and structure intertwining the lives and loves of the inhabitants as well as a few crazy street people. If you’re into architecture and human behaviour, you’ll more than likely find yourself doing what I did – Googling! I wanted to find out more about the characters and what had happened to all those people. Nothing should stop you from seeing this home-grown gem. the actors – all South African – are mostly gay and completely believable, the building’s history and design will simply blow your socks off, and the story will keep you glued to your seat. Book for this one, it’ll be a popular choice.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

SHANK
Dir: Simon Pearce • UK • 2008 • 89min

Shank is a debut feature by 21 year old filmmaker Simon Pearce and has been hyped as “breathing new life into British independent, alternative cinema." I'm not sold on that assessment, but this sometimes brutal film does break new ground by depicting gay characters within the violent working class British gang culture. In Shank, Cal must choose between the camaraderie of his fellow gang-members or his feelings for a French exchange student. Neither the young actors, nor their older counterparts, impress much with their performances and the film is burdened by some cringe worthy lines of dialogue. Even so, the story generally holds together, despite some glaring inconsistencies, and it's a genuinely gripping watch at times. The film has a sensual and fairly explicit love scene that is well handled; although slightly uncomfortable thanks to the youth of the actors. Shank is ultimately let down by its performers who are simply out of their depth. Pearce does show promise however.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

SPINNIN’ - 6 BILLION DIFFERENT PEOPLE (6.000 millones de Personas Diferentes)
Dir: Eusebio Pastrana • Spain • 2007 • 110min

I can understand why the organisers of the festival chose this award-winning feel-good Spanish offering as their opening night film, but I’m not convinced that Spinnin’ will be much of a crowd pleaser. It’s an interesting enough film, but at 110 minutes the measured pace and unconventional storytelling structure may bore those less fascinated by “arty” films. It tells the tale, in a roundabout way, of Garate and Omar and their quest to have a child, with all the associated travails, joy and interactions with their friends and family. Once again the Spanish excel at their representation of gays and lesbians, presenting us with interesting and attractive characters outside of the Hollywood stereotype. Nevertheless, despite some very heartfelt performances and a generous and warm energy to the film, Spinnin’ can become self indulgent and a few scenes border on art-school pretension. It’s definitely one to watch if you stick it out. Just be prepared for a long shift in the cinema.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

WHAT LOVE MEANS (Sa raison d'être)
Dir: Renaud Bertrand • France • 2008 • 180min

What Love Means is a beautifully acted and directed French movie set against the rise of the AIDS epidemic in France from the early 80’s to the present. The movie tells the story of straight carpenter, the beautiful and blond Bruno (Nicolas Gob), his girlfriend (pregnant by another man), Natalie (Valérie Donzelli) and her gay brother, Nicolas (Michaël Cohen). As the story progresses, they become affected by the HI-Virus and their already complicated relationships become even more-so, drawing in other members of their family, as well as their friends and lovers. For those of us that were around when HIV/AIDS was first diagnosed, we are taken back to that time when all that existed was bigotry, misinformation and paranoia. To put it in context, imagine the reaction to the H1N1 virus at the moment, and then throw in the words, “gay” and “sex” and you’re pretty close to understanding what was happening around the world at that time. Superbly acted, with a real heart at the centre, What Love Means explores exactly that – definitely my pick for the Festival.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

XXY
Dir: Lucía Puenzo • Argentina / France / Spain • 2007 • 86min

XXY, which was recently unbanned in South Africa following a prolong battle between Out in Africa and the Film and Publications Board, is a beautifully shot and acted movie that sensitively deals with the very provocative issues of what defines gender and sexual orientation. Alex, a 15-year old hermaphrodite has been isolated and protected by her parents in a small fishing village on the coast of Uruguay. At birth her parents decided to not operate on their child and wait rather for her to choose her gender. Raised on corticoids, she was reared as a girl with both sexual organs still intact. As Alex approaches puberty, her parents invite a plastic surgeon and his family to come and stay with them and assist with coming to a decision about whether gender-reassignment is necessary. While the parents agonise over what the right thing to do is, Alex becomes pre-occupied with the surgeon’s closeted son, Alvaro. In light of the recent controversy surrounding our very own Caster Semenya, the screening of this internationally award-winning movie could not be more timeous.

• Overall rating out of five:
• Flesh factor out of five:

The 16th annual Out In Africa Gay & Lesbian Film Festival takes place in Johannesburg (Nu Metro Montecasino) from 3 to 13 September and in Cape Town (Nu Metro V&A Waterfront) from 10 to 20 September. It features 17 international feature films and nine South African productions, five of which are world premieres. Visit www.oia.co.za for a full schedule of screenings.