Bolton International Film Festival – LGBTQ+ Strand

Representation is still a topic of great importance in the film industry. It’s common knowledge that we are nowhere near where we should be, in terms of fair representation for historically marginalized people. The duty to make change is on a whole host of people and institutions, and the film festival is an integral part of the puzzle. A film festival is an easy place to give people from these communities a platform from which to, not only, speak but thrive. 

Bolton International Film Festival has always been dedicated to this, by not only amplifying global voices but also giving dedicated spaces to the people who need it most. The festival has a strand dedicated to female filmmaking, where the talent infront of, and behind, the camera is majority women. On top of this, the festival also has a strand dedicated to queer films. The LGBTQ+ strand boasts stories about acceptance, identity, and community. The six films paint a familiar picture of the queer experience, and they amplify the importance of giving queer art the platform it deserves.

Man>Code (dir. Adrian Gardner)

Computer coder Lucas invites Theo around for a no strings attached meet. But when his ex-girlfriend gets back home early Lucas goes into a frenzy. Man>Code is about working through your denial of the truth and accepting yourself for who you really are.

Gay hook-up culture is a minefield, but if you ever find yourself in that situation it’s almost guaranteed you’ll see a blank profile with discreet in the title. But in a society that has always shunned homosexuality as ‘wrong’ and ‘sinful’ its easy to understand why people still struggle with being open about their sexual preferences. In the case of Man>Code this is Lucas. He has seemingly just broken up with his girlfriend, clearly struggling to open up to her about his truth. 

A lot of people will be able to see themselves represented in Lucas’s character. The change in his body language from when he perceives that the meet is secret, and behind closed doors to when he hears his ex walk in his flat is night and day. Freeing happiness turns to timid like the flick of a switch. The juxtaposition between Lucas and Theo, who is portrayed as an out and proud gay man, helps to drive home Lucas’s inner trouble. But Man>Code has a message that will resonate with many people. Talking about your identity with the people you love is only as big of a deal as you make it. If there are people who wont love you for exactly who you are then they don’t deserve to be in your life.    

Lovin’ Her (dir. day)

Lovin’ Her tells a mismatched story about an aging trans woman, as she remembers her life and the journey through her transition.    

Trans representation in film is often exclusively younger people, people in the throes of transition, so it’s particularly interesting to see a trans story through an older person’s lens. Lovin’ Her shows us an ordinary life lived by a trans person on screen, and it feels so fresh and evolutionary. Despite the vitriol and backlash trans people are facing right now in society, they are simply human beings who can live full lives just like anybody.

Piñatas of Earthly Delights (dir. Tom Maroney)

Roberto Benavidez is a queer Mexican artist from Texas, dedicated to keeping the art form of Piñatas in the cultural conversation. This documentary proudly presents Roberto’s beautiful artwork for the whole world to see.

In this documentary Roberto talks about his life and his love for piñatas, all underpinned by a showcase of his work. When you think of a piñata you tend to think of the silly cheap ones at birthday parties. But these piñatas are nothing of the sort. They are beautiful, painstakingly made, pieces of art that represent Roberto as a person and his mixed heritage too. It’s clear that Roberto uses his art to truly represent himself in a way he couldn’t when he was younger and couldn’t talk about his queerness. Art is inherently freeing and through these beautiful pieces of work he can truly be himself.

Koupepia (dir. Yorgo Glynatsis)

In Koupepia, Petros, a recently widowed Cypriot man, attends his son’s engagement party, despite not being fully accepting of him. When he tries some Koupepia, he’s introduced to Eleni, a transgender Cypriot woman, who made them. 

Sophia Vi, who writes and stars in Koupepia, talked in a Q&A after the screening about wanting to make a film with trans representation that doesn’t center around someone’s transness, but is still a beautiful story about acceptance. Food is a universal thing, and we always connect through it. Koupepia takes this and makes a really emotionally affecting chamber piece about confronting the things that make you uncomfortable, especially for the people you love. 

Nico (dir. Max Olson)

Nico, follows a recently transitioned trans man throughout a single night as he battles with his identity. He eventually finds solace in an unlikely place, with his neighbour, a recently bereaved woman. 

When you’re exploring your identity, especially if you think you’re trans, the bottom line is you just want to be seen. In Nico, the titular character travels through their surroundings in an attempt to achieve that. He goes to a nightclub, but doesn’t find success. As he is going home his elderly neighbour mistakes him for her late husband. He struggles at first but slowly settles into the situation, but feels bad for keeping the pretence up. Some final moment revelations make this film shine, as the main character realises he’s finally been accepted by someone for who he really is.

Bolero (dir. Nans Laborde-Jourdàa)

Fran, a professional dancer, returns to his hometown to visit his mother. But he has something else to do first. A single dance then turns into a major event for the whole village. 

It’s not often that films leave me completely speechless, but Bolero is one of them. It’s a film that, simply put, needs to be experienced. If you pick it apart, there’s a risk of undoing the magical feeling it gives you. Fran as a character portrays his feelings through a dance that he does in a toilet cubicle. Bolero shows the importance of dance as an art form. In a world where it’s hard to open up, dance offers us the opportunity to get those feelings off our chest. As the dance progresses, more and more people become transfixed and it whips the town up into a frenzy. There is a liberating feeling come the end of Bolero, the kind of liberation everyone in the queer community deserves to experience.

All of these films and more will be available to watch online at https://www.boltonfilmfestival.com from the 9th-20th October. All you need to do is buy an online pass for £20, which then gives you access to the majority of the programme from the comfort of your own home. Films will then be available in 48 hour bursts.