BFI Flare: London's LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – Here's What We've Been Watching
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BFI Flare: London's LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – Here's What We've Been Watching
If you're looking for what to add to your watch list; this one's for you.
by Poppy ScarboroughBuzzFeed Contributor
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BFI
BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival is back, bringing a packed programme of bold, original and deeply personal stories to the big screen.
From the pre festival screenings to the exciting premieres, this year’s line-up is full of films I haven’t been able to stop thinking about; from coming-of-age dramas, heartbreaking documentaries, to complex love stories – from the 18th-29th of March!
So, without further ado, here are my reviews from all the films I've seen so far:
Black Burns Fast
Courtesy of Urucu
Cast: Esihle Ndleleni, Muadi ILung, Mila Smith, Khensani Khoza, Nstimedi Gwangwa, Basetsana Motloung
Director: Sandulela Asanda
Synopsis: Black Burns Fast is a teen drama, showing the highs and lows of what it's like to be a queer Black girl in a predominantly white boarding school, struggling to come to terms with her feelings and figuring out girlhood.
My thoughts: For Asanda’s first full-length film, this film went way beyond my expectations, from the storyline, the acting, and the cinematography. I have been waiting for ages for a coming-of-age Black lesbian film which doesn't feel too cheesy. Luthando is an authentic, lovable character; the film follows her journey through friendships, relationships, and identity, all whilst dealing with racism and homophobia.
The cinematography does an amazing job at capturing the isolation and struggles of being Black and queer while studying at a boarding school, by using close-ups of Luthando’s inner world and imagination. The editing allows for some of the harder topics to feel not so hard-hitting. This film made me reflect on my own school experience, realising how normalised certain behaviours were and how little I questioned them. Black Burns Fast would have been amazing when I was in secondary school and shows that we really do need queer representation in the media now more than ever.
My rating: 4 out of 5
Satisfaction
alief
Cast: Emma Laird, Fionn Whitehead, Zar Amir, Adwoa Aboah, Magaajyia Silberfeld
Director: Alex Burunova
Synopsis: The film follows two British composers, Lola and Philip, whose relationship deteriorates whilst abroad in Greece. Lola deals with remembering past trauma she was trying to repress. Whilst she's actively in a toxic relationship with Philip, she finds Elena, who gives Lola a sense of escape and gives her voice back after losing it in her relationship with Philip.
My thoughts: The first half of this film didn't really intrigue me; I honestly thought it was really slow and could have done without some of the scenes. However, within the second half of the film, where the cracks in not only the relationship but also within Lola emotionally begin to show, is where the film starts to come alive. There’s a line that Philip says when walking past a house where a man is screaming at his partner, and Philip says, “Why won't she scream for help?” This line is so potent due to Lola’s character, who has stayed quiet and not fought back or, let alone, said more than a sentence to Philip whilst in Greece, and only starts to fight back for herself after meeting Elena, who gives her the support she needed. The power imbalance does really highlight such a dangerous part of relationships and how some might be oblivious to one. After Lola confronts Philip for all of the horrible things he had done, she still ends up comforting him by cuddling him and letting him know that “you’ll be okay,” but once she leaves him, she gains her love for music back and becomes the version of herself that she should've been all along.
Visually, the film is breathtaking; its composition and colouring add depth to the storytelling. The visual language is the backbone of this film due to Lola’s refusal to say more than a few words to Philip if they're not around other people. However, despite strong themes, some of the crying scenes felt underwhelming and didn't resonate as strongly as they could have done.
My rating: 3 out of 5
Julian
The Match Factory
Cast: Nina Meurisse, Laurence Roothooft
Director: Cato Kusters
Synopsis: After getting engaged, Fleur and Julian realise how many countries they aren't allowed to get married in, so instead of focusing on the negative, they get married in every country they're legally allowed to as a same-sex couple. When an unexpected injury happens, it causes an abrupt end to their 22 weddings and changes their lives forever.
My thoughts: To say this film wasn't emotional would be a bold lie; the entire screening was in tears. From the story to the performance, every aspect of this film was beautifully crafted into such a moving piece. The actors bring such a raw and beautifully authentic feeling to this film; Fleur and Julian's chemistry is undeni