The Frameline LGBT Film Festival presented new films by young filmmakers on the opening weekend, some of which thematically deal with lesbian roommates - either lesbians who are secretly in love with their roommates, quickly become their lover's roommate or would like to be in their lover's room. Most of the films deal with new love - or falling out of love.
The roommate theme in film can be seen as a contemporary space for lesbians, epitomizing the movement from public activism to the private space in the increasingly de-politicized lesbian community. Lesbians have roommates often because they don't have money to rent or own their own apartment or home. Rooming together is a way of creating solidarity and support in a homophobic society. It is also a great way to meet a potential lover, and it beats internalizing homophobia by living alone. But even the lesbian relationship can be characterized by isolation and internalized homophobia, so roommates present a promising alternative.
Two features dealt with the roommate theme this weekend at Frameline. Jamie and Jessie are Not Together (USA 2011) by Wendy Jo Carlton stars actors Jessica London-Shields, Jax Jackson & Siena Harris. Jamie is planning to move to Brooklyn but roommate Jessie is secretly in love with her and tries to make her jealous by dating other women. The film screened June 18.
Hannah and the Hasbian by Aussie director Gordon Napier starring Emily O'Brien-Brown, Mahalia Brown & Matylda Buczko is a story about two women who quickly become lovers. Breigh soon decides she is a "hasbian" and wants to date men. This does not sit well with Hannah who analyzes the breakup at length with roommate Dinka. Hannah is also a roommate and moved in after the first date with Breigh. Straight Dinka is certainly unqualified to counsel anyone on the intricacies of living as a lesbian, and her raw humor convinces us - such as her "organ transplant" theory, where a hasbian must sleep with a man to decide if she wants to swap back organs with her ex; or her theory about "ex sex". For light, albeit unrealistic commentary on probably one of the most difficult passages for a lesbian to encounter, Napier serves up entertaining science fiction for the festival go-er.
The film slated for Sunday at the Castro Theatre (June 19) at 9pm will be screened in the presence of the director and cast.
Short films bear the industry mark for new work by lesbians where there has traditionally not been a lot of money available for this genre. The short program at Frameline is an index, albeit short, of the representation of lesbians each year. Out of hundreds of films, six films where selected to the Fun in Girls Shorts in a sold out crowd at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco on June 19.
In Saturday's Fun in Girls Shorts, excursions into the frivolous and wild took place. Only two films dealt with the problems of lesbian identity in society. In Flyers by Laura Terruso (USA 2011 3") a young woman, much to her surprise, finds herself eyeballed by everyone she passes holding a flyer that she is a lesbian. When she finally confronts a hooded sign holder to get to the bottom of the mystery, it turns out to be herself.
Nicholas Ybarra's Out of Bounds (USA 2010 18") is clearly the only film in the program with direct references to political activism about homophobia. Rose is about to start grad school and secretly meets with her girlfriend Samantha in her bedroom, tossing her off the bed to the floor when she hears someone coming. She is torn between pleasing her conservative mother and her partner. As Mom tries to fix up Rose with a date with a frat boy, Samantha pulls away. But eventually Rose stands up to her mother, facing grad school with no funds but a partner who believes in her independence and their relationship. The film transpires in the midst of some peripheral LGBT activism.
Slow Burn USA (Christine Chew, 2011 USA 18") has all the makings of something good but wind up blowing a lot of smoke. The short from Canada with excellent art direction is about a duel between two cowgirlswho will get to tattoo the new woman in town. For ammunition their guns are loaded with ink, instead of ingenuity.
Cyclicity (Jason Knade, USA 2011, 11") is a humorous short about the beginning and the end, and the beginning of a new relationship, using a Ferris wheel as metaphor. In Nice Shirts (Erik Gernand, USA 2011 5") two supposedly ex girlfriends rattle each other's tails with homemade kiss off t-shirts, trying to top each other with textual insults.
L.U.G.S. (Sarah Rotella, USA 2010, 14") is another roommate saga about two roomies who fall for other women and compare notes. Lust Life (Lynda Tarryk 2010 9") is a soon to be roommate situation where a young woman must come to terms with a girlfriend who just wants to be friends but shows no signs of moving out. Her thoughtful ex even tells her that what she misses most about the relationship is "everything". But not to worry - the scorned lover is soon on the trail of a neighborhood bartender.
Poker Face (Becky Lane USA 2011 14"), probably one of the most provocative films in the program, is about a woman who has undergone gender reassignment. She is reluctant to attend her father's funeral since no one knows about, even her buddies and best friend who is secretly in love with her.
The North American program of shorts from the U.S. and Canada included a film set in Paris. The filmmakers who were present at the Q & A after the program, revealed that the shorts were financed by private funding. This is standard for lesbian filmmaking, which exists on a shoestring budget. All films were slick productions using professional standards. Many of the guests were enchanted with San Francisco, the magnificent Castro Theatre, and the size of the audience. It is for many of the directors and actors a dream come true to be programmed at Frameline.
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