Wusheng feng ling (Hung Wing Kit, CHINA)

Wusheng feng ling / Soundless Wind Chime, 2009
Chinese / German with English Subtitles

Hung Wing Kit’s directorial debut is a piece of art not to be understood in one sitting. It’s highly difficult to follow this film because of the very few dialogue and because of the conflicting behavioral scenes (one actor is Chinese, another Swiss). It’s about a young Chinese immigrant, Ricky, who comes to Hong Kong from the Mainland, and who falls in love with another immigrant named Pascal who happens to be a thief. Pascal, a Swiss, is in an abusive relationship when he encounters the sweet Ricky and can’t help but fall in love with him. The film is an artistic vision at its best. Ricky can’t decide what is real and what is a memory, and the soundtrack lends a hand to an already moving imagery, which makes this one of the best films of the decade. If you don’t have the time to sit down and really concentrate, or are not in the best state of mind, it is best to skip it. It isn’t the kind of movie you can have playing in the background.

Mine vaganti (Ferzan Ozpetek, ITALY)

Mine vaganti / Loose Canons, 2010
Italian with English Subtitles

Yes, Ferzan Ozpetek is back to being Ferzan Ozpetek. After years of absence from his queer comedy films, he is back with “Loose Canons,” a family drama that is his gayest film to date. A son comes back home to Lecce after years of self exile in Rome. He comes home to come out. But his brother beats him to it! Yes, two gay sons! In southern Italy! Mamma mia! And so the perfect table surrounded by loud and happy Italians literally falls apart.

Every stereotype is turned upside down, and it’s all part of what makes you fall in love with this film. The grandmother who chose honor over love. The gay son who played by the book. The spinster aunt who keeps them all on their toes. The overdramatic Italian father. The laughable fags. The gossip of small town. It’s all there.

Welcome back, Ferzan Ozpetek!

Dare (Adam Salky, USA)

Dare, 2009

In 2005, filmmaker Adam Salky made a short film about a dorky high school kid named Ben who lusts after Johnny, the bad boy at school. Then Salky turned around and made a feature out of that story. This time, however, things are rearranged a bit. Alexa who was just a friend in the short is now a leading lady in this ménage à trois feature.

In the feature, Ben and Alexa have been best friends since they were very young. Now comes a new guy in school who is an asshole. Neither of them like him. When Johnny is cast opposite Alexa in drama class, things change for all three. Johnny becomes sexually involved with both Ben and Alexa. The film is highly salvaged by the space it affords to build each character. The film is told from the viewpoint of each main character. This allows the viewer to feel connected at all times with that character. It also creates a rich balance in a story that otherwise would have been too much to swallow.

Dzi Croquettes (Raphael Alvarez & Tatiana Issa, BRAZIL)

Dzi Croquettes, 2009
Portuguese with English Subtitles

This a documentary film that tells the story of the "Dzi Croquettes" which was an all-male theater group that challenged Brazil's repressive dictatorship. And to show their appreciation, the Brazilian people have taken up the group as their freedom fighters on stage. The many personalities who are interviewed add an element of spice to this already fully-charged story. Between the great music, great history, and absolute use of color, the film leads the way as one of the most fascinating films coming out of South America. The Brazilian community has recognized this because the film has won top honors at Rio and Sao Paolo international film festivals, as well as the top honor at the Mix Brasil (LGBT) film festival.