Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation, that mecca for queer art lovers, is kicking off a fierce series of French films combating homophobia with the US debut of “Gay Paris.” These five films (Omar, Basket et Maths, Les Incroyables Adventures de Fusion Man, En Colo, and Pauline) were commissioned by the French Government in 2009 to combat homophobia. They go through a broad range of life-changeing experiences including the discovery of one’s attraction to the same-sex, the life changing experience of the first kiss, and the pressure of cultural and social prejudices about homosexuality. Together these films bring together unique perspectives with a common goal: the acceptance of difference.
If you’re a sucker for opening nights and artsy conversation, pick up your Dolce and Gabanna from the dry cleaners and head to the Leslie/Lohman at 6pm on Tuesday, June 14.
Props to the Leslie Lohman Gay Gallery for presenting these films and to our French friends for bringing them to life. Never been to the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation? For the past twenty years, they’ve exhibited some of the most daring LGBTQ artists around. Their permanent collection houses over 4,000 pieces of queer art. Pop in and get your queer culture on.
Pierre
As a Frenchman, I wish our government were actually “combating homophobia.”
The movies are nice, some of them much better than others. But that won’t take away the words by several members of the majority party like “Opening marriage to gay? And why not give people the right to marry their pets?” or “Male/male sex is a counter-indication to giving blood” and other refusals to open marriage to same-sex couples (last debate was today in the Assembly. Priceless arguments from our majority such as “I have gay friends and they’re perfectly ok with not being able to get married.)
Those movies, that should be a good idea, then appear as crumbs thrown to us while we still do not enjoy the same rights as our straight co-citizens.
But do watch those movies 😉 Basket et Maths is easily my favorite.
Jeffree
@Pierre: At least your government supports independent LGBT film-makers and isn’t over-run with Christian fundamentalists. The concept of “laïcité” doesn’t play well here, & “subventions” sounds like a dirty word! I hope these films will get shown outside NYC, so that francophones & -philes in other places can see them too.
I’ll put “Basket et maths” at the top of my list, based on your advice. Maybe the next movie will be called “Football et philo”?!