Films

Stirred up by the loss of his friend and a new relationship, an elderly gay man finally starts to embrace who he is.

Florian Herbst is happiest when his dad isn’t at home. Then he can dance around the house with his mum, wear crazy costumes and forget all his troubles.

What does a hot, silver-haired teacher do after class? He makes his usual excursion into the forest to hunt for another sexy man, of course. What does he do when he encounters a student of his in the forest, watching him with lusty eyes? He invites him to bed, of course. And what does the student do when the teacher refuses to see him again after a torrid night of sexual lessons? Well, that’s the terrifying part. The story of Carlos the teacher and Toni the student brings to mind another suspenseful thriller, "Stranger by the Lake."

Sarasi is a young woman of a certain age ripe for arranged marriage, but she has eyes on her childhood friend Chamath. They befriend an outsider named Nalin who has come to work in the village. The two men’s relationship quickly develops to closeted love. Needing to find a husband soon but not getting an answer out of Chamath, Sarasi turns her focus toward Nalin. At the same time, Chamath wants a stable relationship with Nalin, but Nalin has his dreams to pursue. “Frangipani” is the first feature film of Sri Lanka to depict a gay relationship in the country where same-sex intercourse is punishable by law.

In this compelling documentary, five HIV-positive gay men spend a week preparing for their first solo parachute jump. The camaraderie inspired by the rigorous training and team-building exercises encourages the men to share their feelings about being seropositive: their reactions to finding out, their thoughts about ongoing treatments, and the ways they negotiate relationships with men who are not positive. "Alive!" reminds us all of the value of life and of living it to the fullest.

What is extraordinary is that Kim Jho Gwang-soo and Dave Kim's wedding is the first of its kind in a country that does not recognize same-sex marriages. Romantically involved since 2004, they document the plans for their wedding and the big event itself. Just like every other couple, they are overwhelmed with the guest list, decisions on the proper outfits, and rehearsals for the song and dance routine. But, unlike their heterosexual counterparts, they must face plenty of opposition from the conservatives protesting the wedding. This documentary is an engaging diary on coming out, loving openly, and living proudly.