Of all the film festivals I attended virtually in 2020, Frameline was the standout. The San Francisco-based festival, which has run in some iteration since the ‘70s, offered one of the most easily navigable online platforms in response to the pandemic, with the flexibility to view its program of films at any time for the duration of the festival. After having such a good time with last year’s offerings, like Shiva Baby, Monsoon, and Alice Júnior, I went in on a full streaming pass for 2021. It’s easy to get down about the continued lack of variety in mainstream LGBTQ+ film and television, but that doesn’t mean those stories aren’t being told. We just have to look a little harder, and Frameline’s programming does some of the heavy lifting for us every year. Here are some of the highlights from my viewing experience of Frameline45.
As We Like It
Directors Hung-i Chen and Muni Wei flip the script on the old casting traditions of Shakespeare’s time and cast all women in As We Like It, a splashy, modern, Taiwanese adaptation of As You Like It. Set in a near future where certain districts have happily gone Internet-free, lost loves and missing fathers must be found in scavenger hunt fashion, and perhaps the girl of your dreams is actually the young man who says he’s her twin brother. A bit confusing? Maybe. A vibrant romp with flares of animation and truly unforgettable gags? Absolutely. Watch and learn how to maintain your cover when you need to open a pad in a men’s restroom, and witness just how intimate ear-cleaning can be.
The Greenhouse
My personal favorite feature of the festival, Thomas Wilson-White’s The Greenhouse is a genre-bending, heartstring-tugging family drama about the gift, curse, and fragility of memory. Jane Watt, Joel Horwood, Kirsty Marillier, and Shiv Palekar are brilliantly cast as four adopted siblings, raised by moms Lillian and Ruth, who reunite for Ruth’s birthday, some time after Lillian’s death. Beth (Watt), who stayed behind to care for Ruth while the others left home, discovers a path to the past, which allows her to relive both the loving and painful memories of Lillian, and of her ex, Lauren, who also happens to be back in town in the present. The Greenhouse is at times devastating, but with just the right amount of levity, all wrapped in a twist of the fantastical.
Language Lessons
Natalie Morales’s feature directorial debut, Language Lessons, is a story of unexpected friendship and support through the unexpected trials of life. The bond between Adam (Mark Duplass) and Cariño (Morales) is formed entirely through video calls, when Adam’s husband surprises him with a package of Spanish lessons, taught virtually by Cariño. Without giving too much away about exactly what unfolds, Language Lessons is a character showcase for its two leads. Duplass brings goofy, awkward, but well-meaning charm, while Morales is as dazzling a screen presence as ever, which just makes things all the more tense when Cariño suddenly begins to shut Adam out.
No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics
Vivian Kleiman’s documentary, No Straight Lines, celebrates the enduring legacy of queer comic artists. Featuring Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For, Fun Home), Rupert Kinnard (Cathartic Comics), Howard Cruse (Wendel, Stuck Rubber Baby), Jen Camper (Rude Girls and Dangerous Women, Juicy Mother), and Mary Wings (Come Out Comix), and interviews with many other notable artists, this documentary traces the history of queer comics from its scrappy beginnings to greater visibility today. All along the way, queer life in all its highs and lows has been committed to the comic strip with great depth and humor. No Straight Lines will no doubt inspire viewers to pick up a graphic novel, or maybe even a pen to start their own strip.
Sweetheart
I feel very protective of queer coming-of-age stories, especially as I begin to see my own experience in more of them. Marley Morrison’s Sweetheart is no exception. A textbook black sheep, AJ is an angsty, gay teen, whose only respite during a dreaded family vacation is a party invite from an enchanting lifeguard named Isla. Growing pains make this summer romance bittersweet, and the strained mother-daughter relationship captures the painful loneliness of a parent who cares, but makes it hard to confide in them. By vacation’s end, Sweetheart understands that the most important thing is that AJ finds herself more at ease in her own skin.
Shorts, in Short
I’m just starting to find my way to short films, largely thanks to Frameline’s eclectic programs. In just its second year, the Enby Love nonbinary shorts program is already proving to be a festival staple. From a moving portrait of intimacy in To You My Love, to the sexy, star-studded animation of Are You Still Watching?, to the gap-bridging power of love and dessert in Sheer Qorma, nonbinary characters shone in this year’s selections. Over in the Transtastic! shorts program, I was particularly impressed by the multimedia storytelling of the artist H’s transition in F1-100, and I definitely shed a happy tear watching the Godzilla stop-motion film Coming Out. (The links to To You My Love and Coming Out take you to directly to the full shorts – check them out!)
June may be ending, but pride in ourselves and our community is year round. Keep an eye out for wider releases of these films, and all the many other gems that would normally fly under the radar. And hey, maybe tell a story of your own. 🌈