BFI Flare 2017: Shadow & Act

K A O S

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B F I  F L A R E

L o n d o n  L G B T  F i l m  F e s t i v a l  2 0 1 7

Reluctantly Queer

Shadow and Act is another series of shorts, curated by the adorable Jay Bernard, "that compel you to know yourself, live freely and speak the truth to power."

Reluctantly Queer (director: Akosua Adoma Owusu) is described as "a beautiful letter about migration, identity and love from a young Ghanaian man [Kwame Edwin Otu] to his family." It is: beautiful, and incredibly poignant. Watch the trailer.

Hattie Goes Cruising

Hattie Goes Cruising (director: Konstantin Bock) is an absolute joy. It follows "an ageing African-American couple give a how-to on cruising and what it was like being young, queer and pretty in 1970s and 1980s New York." Well, who could possibly resist? The titular Hattie is a hoot, and I'd gladly spend hours listening to his stories. Twenty minutes, and I feel like we barely touched the sides Always leave them wanting more...

Still Burning is a joyful love letter to the ballroom scene, directed by Nick Rowley. In it, "a young migrant from Guadeloupe on the French vogue scene cares for his younger brother who is getting ready for his first ball." It's one of this year's #FiveFilms4freedom, so you can watch it for free!

Bayard and Me

I Am Woman (Kai Fi åin and Azara Meghie direct) is a spoken word piece. It's short, but it packs an almighty punch.

Bayard and Me (director: Matt Wolf) is an incredibly poignant remembrance of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin by his younger partner Walter Naegle.

Our Skin (director: João Queiroga) combines the audio of a series of phone calls between a trans woman and a war veteran. Whilst worthy, the abstract visuals bored me.

READ ALL MY REVIEWS FROM BFI FLARE

Every year, KAOS reports from the annual BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival. This year, I'll be reviewing eleven films (including a few programmes of shorts). Next time: Jesus.