Erotic Shorts.

The shorts of Antonio Da Silva combine elements of pornography, narrative and the art film. He talks to Michael Langan about poetry, porn and how in touch with his audience he is.

“The moments I select in my editing are the ones where the person forgets the camera is there. If I see ‘acting,’ I won’t use that. That’s why in some of my films I show people leaving the moment after having sex, I’m interested in that afterwards moment.”

Bambi at Fringe! Film Festvial.

Sébastien Lifshitz’s films explore a rich and unexpected side of gay life. Michael Langan talks to him about his recent documentary works, Les Invisibles and Bambi.

“Both Bambi, and the subjects in Les Invisibles, have spent their lives either campaigning, or struggling personally, but are all, ultimately, human beings who simply want to love and want to give love.”

Ron Peck Retrospective at Queer Lisboa.

Ron Peck is a legend in this history of queer cinema. He talks at Queer Lisboa 18, which featured a retrospective of his work, about his diverse body of work.

“All the filmmakers who excited me were in one way or another pushing the medium, including someone like Kubrick, who today is seen as quite mainstream but 2001 was so unconventional in how it told its story and I’m not sure you could get a film like that made these days.”

[rating=5]
Cert: tbc • Ger/Bel: 86 min • Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion • July 2, 2014

Before The Last Curtain Falls explores the lives of a troupe of elderly drag artists. It’s a beautifully made, tender tribute to the lives of others.

“What the film draws back the curtain on is exactly what is at stake for these human beings when it comes to living their somewhat difficult lives, negotiating changing and fluid social attitudes, and their own internalised homophobia.”

Beverley Ditsie at Queer Lisboa.

Beverley Ditsie talks about the rules of gender, sexual politics in South Africa and why always being yourself is the best form of activism there is.

“Gender roles are very strictly enforced in South Africa. Even though we’re all urbanised and we’re born in cities we all identify with whatever tradition or culture we come from, to a large degree. Even if you don’t you’ll be forced to acknowledge it by those around you.”

[rating=4]
630 pages • Queer Lisboa • September 13, 2014
A brilliantly informative compendium of catalogue essays, interviews, plot summaries and images, as well as new material from Queer Lisboa.

“Queer Lisboa is not only a lens, it is a prism that allows for a detailed examination and enquiry into the nature of queer cinema, its influences and experiments and the conversations and controversies it sparks.”

Queer Lisboa Turns 18.

Michael Langan talks to João Ferreira, Queer Lisboa’s Festival Director, about the film festival Queer Lisboa on the advent of its 18th birthday.

“The John Waters retrospective has been a long time in the planning, but we really wanted it for our 18th birthday. Our slogan this year is taken from Waters: 18 years of Filth.”

Polari’s August Bona-nza: Naked Books.

The founders of Naked Boys Reading talk about how it mixes body and mind, and how a naked reading can change the meaning of a work in unexpected ways.

“It’s always interesting to see how the nakedness, which many people think would overshadow the literature, actually takes a step back as soon as the readers start reading and the audience gets involved in the text rather than the body reading it.”

Polari’s August Bona-nza: It’s a sexy world!

The work of Portuguese artist Alexandre Sequeira Lima is interested in queering the political and politicising the queer.

“I could call myself a ‘shy happening’. Shy because I must contain myself sometimes, because you can’t always play yourself twenty-four hours a day.”

Matisse: The Cut Outs [rating=5] British Folk Art [rating=3]

Tate Modern / Tate Britain, London • Until September 7 / August 31, 2014

Tate Modern’s blockbuster exhibition of Matisse’s Cut-Outs, and Tate Britain’s British Folk Art, are fascinating insights into different types of outsider art.

“As a summer exhibition this is perfection and I left feeling rejuvenated – it’s like being bathed in sunshine, cleansed by the sea and stroked by a cool breeze all in one go.”