Category Archives: Uncategorized

Slip of the Tongue: A Glossary

Here at Peccadillo we like to think we live in an incredibly accepting society; this year the UK was named as the leader in LGBT equality in Europe. With this rise in diversity and open-mindedness we have numerous terms, old and new, being used more and more in everyday life.

Out on DVD now, 52 Tuesdays is the unique debut feature from director Sophie Hyde and one of our favourite releases this year. It explores an important aspect of our lives – the ironic constant – change. Set and filmed over the course of a year, the film tells the compelling story of James and Billie, mother and daughter, and their weekly meeting every Tuesday as James undergoes his transition from female to male and Billie from adolescence to adulthood.

Considering the power of words to help define, but also hurt when used incorrectly, we’ve put together a list to guide even the hippest of Queens:

Trans: can be used as an umbrella term to include many experiences of sex and gender: trans, transsexual, transgender, genderqueer etc.

Transgender: an umbrella term and identity used to describe all kinds of people who sit outside the gender binary or whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned to them at birth. May or may not feel the need to access hormone therapy and/or surgery.

Transition: transitioning often consists of a change in style of dress, selection of a new name and a request that people use the correct pronoun. This may or may not include medical care like hormone therapy, counselling and/or surgery. This can also be called ‘affirmation’. Not all trans people choose to use the word ‘transition’ to describe their experiences.

Gender: can refer to biological sex, social roles or gender identity. There are many genders, however the most commonly recognised are male and female.

Gender identity: refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female, something other, or in between. Everyone has a gender identity regardless of whether they are trans or not.

Gender binary: is the classification of sex and gender into two separate categories of masculine and feminine. Most societies divide people into these two distinct categories which excludes many people who don’t fit neatly into either category.

Gender non-conforming: refers to people who do not identify as, or who do not express themselves as, completely male or female and/or who feel that they don’t fit into/ or prescribe to / or agree with, the gender binary of male or female.

Sexuality/Sexual orientation: the nature of a person’s basic sexual attraction to other people. i.e. straight/lesbian/bi/queer/pansexual/homosexual /heterosexual.

Cross dresser: a person who has the need to express an alternative gender identity through the way they dress and to be accepted in that role on a less permanent basis.

Drag: refers to theatrical/stage performances of gender. Includes drag kings and drag queens.

Gender affirmation (often known as gender reassignment or gender transition): the physical, legal and social process of transitioning gender. May include surgery/hormone treatment, changing name, using a different pronoun and changing your birth certificate gender.

Gender expression: is how someone presents their gender to the world. This can mean through the way a person physically presents as well as the way they act. This can be through appearance, dress, mannerisms, speech patterns and social interactions.

Gender neutral pronouns: any pronoun other than he/his/him or she/her such as it/its, they/their/them, one, heart/hearts, droid/droids or anything else that someone may choose to use.

Genderqueer: refers to people who do not identify as, or who do not express themselves as, completely male or female. Genderqueer people may or may not identify as trans.

Heteronormativity: a view implying that all people fall into only one of two genders (i.e. male or female), that there are particular roles that men and women should follow, and that heterosexuality (i.e. attraction to the opposite gender) is the only ‘normal’ sexuality.

Intersex: a general term used for a variety of people born with anatomy or physiology which differs from current ideas of male and female. This is sometimes known as indeterminate gender.

Transphobia: prejudice against, and/or fear of trans people, or anyone thought to be trans. Transphobia can include violence, harassment and discrimination as well as the general idea that says everyone must fit into male or female. Homophobia works in the same way but is aimed at anyone seen as outside heterosexuality.

Transsexuality: the medical or psychiatric term for a person who transitions from one gender to the other. People can also use ‘transsexual’ to describe themselves. Some people think that transsexuality is biological, this issue is constantly debated and often divides the trans community rather than unites it.

Transvestite: someone who dresses in the clothes usually worn by the opposite sex for fetish or arousal purposes. Transvestites, like anyone else, may be gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual, queer, or something else.

Source: Gender Questioning by Trans Melbourne Gender Project, Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria & Rainbow Network Victoria, http://www.glhv.org.au/files/GQv3.pdf

Is South Korea embracing LGBT cinema?

Over the last decade there has been a steady increase of lesbian films coming out of Korea, films such as including Bonja, In My End is My Beginning and Life is Peachy. A Girl at My Door, the debut film for writer/director July Jung, is the next (and in our incredibly-biased opinion one of the best) in a short line of lesbian films to come out of this increasingly liberal Asian country.

In the past fifty years South Korea has become more accepting of the LGBT community, thanks to a boost in the economy and a mature democracy. Compared to a decade ago, almost 20% more Koreans consider the LGBT community a valuable part of their society; with a number of cities playing host to numerous LGBT events, the highlight of them being the annual Korea Queer Culture Festival in the country’s capital Seoul.

That’s not to say, however, that South Korea has fully embraced homosexuality. The majority of Korean’s, 59%, still view the LGBT community as unacceptable to their society. The Korean government’s refusal of same-sex relationships and the banning, and subsequent overturning, of this year’s Seoul’s Pride parade show how the country, as a whole, still has a way to go in embracing homosexuality.

Our latest release, July Jung’s haunting debut film A Girl at My Door, highlights the loneliness this discrimination causes and the prejudice still inherent in rural communities. An affecting drama, A Girl at My Door takes place in a small village, where young police chief Young-nam (Cloud Atlas and Sense8 star Doona Bae) has been transferred after a ‘misconduct’ back in Seoul. Soon after her arrival, she meets Dohee (Kim Sae-ron), a teenager who has been ostracised by her community. Worried about her safety, Young-nam takes the young girl in over the summer holiday. However, after Young-nam’s sexuality is uncovered, the villagers start to see her affection and compassion towards Dohee as more than kindness and, rather, something more sinister. Carefully handled by Jung, A Girl at My Door features a standout performance from Doona Bae, whose poignant portrayal of alcoholism and sexuality gives Western viewers a much needed insight into the struggles lesbians face in Korean society.

A Girl at My Door goes is out on limited release from today (September 18^th) and is currently being screened around the UK as part of POUTfest Tour. Find out where you can catch A Girl at My Door and book tickets here.

POUTFest to play VUE cinemas

Our POUTFest cinema tour is going out with a bang. We’ve teamed up with one of the UK’s biggest cinema chains – VUE cinemas, to bring you all four POUTFest feature films, 52 TUESDAYS, A GIRL AT MY DOOR, SOFT LAD and DRESSED AS A GIRL, which will be playing at select VUE cinemas right across the country!

Not only that, but each POUTFest VUE screening comes with exclusive, VUE-only content, including special director interviews and introductions, as well as a specially programmed short film to complement the feature. So, if you never thought you’d see a mini LGBT-film festival happening at VUE Thanet well, we just proved you wrong!

Check out the VUE vs. POUTFest map above to find a venue near you, or head to www.poutfest.co.uk to find a screening and book tickets.

Also – one more thing! We couldn’t let the VUE cinemas at Manchester Lowry, Leeds Kirkstall or in Cheshire Oaks play Northern gay drama SOFT LAD without a Q&A from the multi-talented, multi-loveable director Leon Lopez. Leon will be attendance at the 29^th September screening of SOFT LAD at VUE Cheshire Oaks, the 30^th September screening at VUE Manchester Lowry and the 1^st October screening at VUE Leeds Kirkstall.

If you live locally, be sure to come out and support this local filmmaker and local film with gusto – there may even be some surprise special guests!

We’d like to thank VUE Cinemas for welcoming POUT into their screens – now it’s time to show them there’s a big audience out there for independent, LGBT cinema. We’ll have one double popcorn and nacho cheese combo, please!

POUTFest will be playing at the following VUE Cinemas: Oxford, Islington, Leeds Kirkstall*, Piccadilly, Reading, Edinburgh Omni, Cheshire Oaks*, Cardiff, Finchley Road, Thanet, Hamilton and Manchester Lowry*.

*SOFT LAD screenings at these cinemas will include a live director Q&A.

52 TUESDAYS / SURPRISE – 10^th September

A GIRL AT MY DOOR / A LAST FAREWELL – 20^th September

SOFT LAD / BOYGAME – 29^th September – 1^st October (includes Q&A dates)

DRESSED AS A GIRL / MIRRORS – 4^th October

All good things come to those who wait…

A few weeks shooting here, a month or two editing there and voilà you have a film. If only it were that simple. Making a film, as you probably know, is a long and arduous process; from fine-tuning the script and getting financing, to getting the right cast and crew on board and eventually rolling that camera. Then, once you think you’ve had enough, along comes the unrelenting grind that is post production: picture locking, sound mixing, colour grading and, hopefully, distribution. If you’re considering making a film, you’re best accepting now that it’ll take a couple of years. But there are those films that take longer, much longer.

As the title suggests, 52 Tuesdays wasn’t your average shoot; shot over the course of a year, once a week on a Tuesday, the film challenges the typical narrative chronology, imbuing the film with a palpable sense of tension and unpredictability that time brings with it. The film tells the story of a mother and daughter, James and Billie, who are both faced with transitions in their lives; Billie from adolescence to adulthood, her mother James transitioning from female to male.

With the VOD release of 52 Tuesdays (out now), let’s take a look at some other films that demonstrate the sheer will and perseverance of their makers.

Samsara (2011) – 4 Years

Exploring everything from the everyday to the magnificent in our world, Samsara is a sumptuous feast for your eyes. Filmed across four years, in over 24 countries, Samsara went on to become the highest grossing documentary of 2012 in the US.

Eraserhead (1977) – 5 Years

What started out as David Lynch’s student film soon became more than just a school project. The story of Henry Spencer and his baby, Eraserhead is one of the most surrealist and disturbing American films of the last fifty years. A lack of funding, and a director with a keen eye for detail, meant Lynch and co. spent five years bringing Spencer to life, with the lead actor and his wife, Jack Fisk and Sissy Spacek, providing regular donations for the production. Regardless of how long it took to make, Eraserhead proves that some things are definitely worth waiting for.

Boyhood (2014) – 12 Years

On its release last year, you couldn’t read about Boyhood without mention of its lengthy and unique production process. Following a young boy, Mason, from the age of 6 to 18 years-old, production shot once a year for twelve years. However, Boyhood is more than just its premise; the film mediates on the importance of childhood, the uncertainty of time and what it is to be human. The extended production process gave the director, Linklater, the opportunity to reconsider and change creative decisions with the edit years later.

Lake of Fire (2006) – 16 Years

Taking sixteen years and $6 million dollars of his own money, Tony Kaye’s documentary takes an unbiased and unafraid look at both sides of the abortion debate in the United States. Self-financed and self-shot, Kaye’s 152 minute documentary is considered by some to be the definitive guide to the ever on-going abortion argument and more than justifies the decade and a half it took to make.

Sleeping Beauty (1959) – 8 Years

We all know the story of Sleeping Beauty, but did you know that it took eight years to make this Disney classic? Granted animated films take more time to make than their live action siblings, but eight years was a considerable amount of time for the Disney powerhouse back in the 1950s. The reason? Well, the film was essentially shot twice; first on a sound stage with stand in actors, which provided the animators with a reference for each shot. Surprisingly the film performed poorly at the box-office but audiences gradually came around and it’s now considered one of the greatest Disney films ever made.

Movie 43 (2012) – 4 Years

A collection of comedy shorts, Movie 43 was filmed over the course of four years due to the schedules of the ensemble cast, including Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Uma Thurman, Emma Stone, Richard Gere, Julianne Moore and Chris Pratt. Sadly, Movie 43 proves that taking your time doesn’t necessarily guarantee a great, even mediocre, film, with the film panned by critics and cinemagoers alike.

Everyday (2007) – 5 Years

Before Boyhood made it cool, Michael Winterbottom’s TV movie Everyday used time to its best ability. Set across five years of a prison sentence, the film follows the Kirk family as the father is in prison for an unspecified crime. Production happened twice a year for five years; the result is a visceral realism Ken Loach would be proud of.

52 Tuesdays is out now On-Demand and on DVD from 28th September

Peccadillo on the Goggle-box

Peccadillo on the goggle-box

At Peccadillo – we’re film through and through. Nothing will ever beat that moment the lights go down in the cinema, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! That’s why this summer we’re running a tour of LGBT films in cinemas up and down the UK, to prove to cinemas that there’s a big, hungry, queer audience out there looking for some great independent films to watch.

But something you might not realise is the TV stars we’ve had popping up in our films over the years. We love cinema, but we’re not snobs when it comes to the smaller screen. All of us are guilty of pyjama and take-away Netflix binges, nothing better sates the soul.

So we thought we’d give you a quick rundown – for the uninitiated in the smaller screen – a who’s who of who, if you will, in the telly stars who’ve popped up in some of our more outlandish films.

UGLY BETTY’s Mark (played by Michael Urie) was in WTC VIEW

If you were around in the early 2000s, you fell in love with Mark (played by Michael Urie) from Ugly Betty. Though you’d never want to meet him in real life, his bitchy sass was infectious and inspired a whole roster of teenage girls and gayboys to want to be sassy bitches themselves. The residual impact of his character can still be felt in many media offices across the world today.

But did you know that Michael also pops up in our 2005 indie drama WTC View, about a young gay man who moves into his apartment in lower Manhattan on the 10^th September, 2001. A harrowing and unpretentious slice of life in the lead up to New York’s greatest tragedy, WTC View is an unapologetic look at what happened in that fateful period.

Alan Cumming (ANY DAY NOW) and Carrie Preston (WHO’S AFRAID OF VAGINA WOLF?) starred in THE GOOD WIFE

For those who love a bit of Alicia Florrick shade (and who doesn’t?), we love that not only do we have one but two stars from THE GOOD WIFE in our films. The dishy Alan Cumming (a Peccadillo fave who stars in DARE and ANY DAY NOW) plays campaign strategist and crisis manager, Eli Gold. He is a quick talker, blunt and doesn’t waste time when it comes to getting his point across. Initially a guest star, Cumming wowed audiences and quickly became a lead character.

Our second Peccadillo star in THE GOOD WIFE is the delectable Carrie Preston who is remembered for her LOL performance in WHO’S AFRAID OF VAGINA WOLF? In THE GOOD WIFE, Carrie plays Elsbeth Tascioni, a quirky lawyer who thinks on her feet, likes to makes situations uncomfortable and always comes out on top. Also, she is simply hilarious. We <3 her!

Guillaume Gouix and Matila Malliarakis (BEYOND THE WALLS) and Clotide Hesme (ANGELE & TONY) starred in THE RETURNED

All of us at Peccadillo love French cinema. It’s elegant, provocative, and through a screen you can’t smell the garlic. For those who watched the French series The Returned (Les Revenants for the Francophones amongst you), you might not know that the show was based on an original film by EASTERN BOYS director Robin Campillo. Robin’s intellectual and illuminating approach to the supernatural genre gripped all the Channel 4 lefties who beforehand had been too clever-clever for the ‘z’ word (zombie).

When the show was eventually turned into a TV show and ended up winning Best Drama Series at the International Emmies, many fell in love with its unequivocally sexy French actors – Guillaume Gouix and Matilla Malliarkis, both of whom star in our Cannes Film Festival classic BEYOND THE WALLS. The film depicts the boys in an intense, sexual relationship which spirals out of control when Guillame’s character ends up in Prison…

For those who haven’t seen the multiple-award winning ANGELE & TONY, you’re really missing out. ELLE Magazine called it “an astonishing love story” and much of that hinges on Clotide Hesme’s outstanding performance as outside Angele who rocks up at a remote Normandy fishing village. Her performance in THE RETURNED is equally brilliant; she plays young mother Adele, torn over whether or not to marry the captain of what’s left of the Armed Forces: Thomas.

APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR’s Desiree Akhavan was in GIRLS

Desiree Akhavan’s stint as the biting aspiring writer Chandra, whose gothic iciness is a far cry from Desiree’s warm, hilarious demeanour. Never one to pass up a 30 ROCK quote-off, Desiree charmed the pants off the Peccadillo team when we released her debut feature – APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR.

Chandra became Hannah’s (GIRLS’ lead character, played and created by the formidable Lena Dunham [although if you needed telling that, you live under a rock]) nemesis in a writing retreat outside of New York city. New York is central to everything these girls do, and the dreadful public transport, regular sight of crazy people screaming in the street but excellent access to totally unaffordable theatre undoubtedly contributed to their creative process and angsty, frustrated and hilarious writing.

Max Riemelt (off of FREE FALL) and Doona Bae (from our upcoming A GIRL AT MY DOOR) star in the Wachowski siblings Netflix hit SENSE8

If you’re watching Netflix’s latest blockbuster show SENSE8, you won’t have forgotten THAT nude scene with German heartthrob Max Riemelt. We have BIG thanks to give to the Wachowskis, as sales of Max’s gay film FREE FALL have sky-rocketed since he flashed his bum (and other bits) on the show. Definitely check out FREE FALL for its own merits, however. It’s touching (in many ways) and has been touted by many as the German BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN for its portrayal of boy-meets-boy at a Police Academy.

Fans of SENSE8 are also unfailingly charmed by bad-ass Doona Bae’s character Sun-bak. Prim and proper by day, her night-time Fight Club antics often steal the episode. Doona plays equally bad-ass police inspector Young-nam – who, after taking in a young girl from a violent family, becomes both the town’s protector and public enemy number one… Be sure to look out for A GIRL AT MY DOOR when it’s released in UK cinemas this September.

Eastenders, Coronation Street – Jonny Labey & Daniel Brocklebank – SOFT LAD

Leon Lopez’s feature debut is our latest hotly anticipated feature – namely becomes it stars Eastender’s heart-throb Jonny Labey. Jonny’s character has made waves in Albert Square since his first appearance earlier this year – and caught headlines when he and a Mitchell boy were caught romping in a funeral parlour (ah, the soaps.)

Jonny takes the title role in SOFT LAD – playing a young, hot dancer who’s just gotten into the dance school of his dreams. All of this is thwarted, however, when it’s revealed he’s having an affair with his sister’s husband – the slimy but attractive banker Jules, played by Daniel Brocklebank. Many will recognise Daniel as the cuddly gay priest in Soapasaurus Rex Coronation Street.

SOFT LAD is currently playing in cinemas across the country as part of our 2015 POUTFest Tour, and will be out on DVD on November 9^th.

Rebel, rebel (girls on film)

A desire to resist authority, control, and convention, these are just some of the things that come to mind when thinking about rebellion. We’ve all at some point in our lives performed a rebellious act. Refusing an order from a parent, a teacher, or a working task. When we’re told what to do and when to do it, how to act, how to feel and how to look, at what point do these authorities become too much?

A young 16 year old, Alex is a high school dropout who is considered a failure due to her mixing with bad crowds, use of drugs and self-harm. Faced with hardships at a young age, her adoptive mother sends her to a Northern German farm to work with horses. Monika Treut, director of OF GIRLS AND HORSES (2015), presents a display of misbehavior that transcends into a journey of self-discovery and a portrayal of female bonding. A beautiful story that deals with the coming of age with girls and the soothing landscapes of the most Northern tip of Germany at the ocean near the Danish border. Be sure to check this film out!

With rebellion in mind, I thought I’d take a look at rebellious heroines and the theme of female bonding in a selection of my favorite films. Sarah Hentges, in her book, Pictures of Girlhood: Modern Female Adolescence on Film, says that most mainstream films about rebellion are, for the most part, set in the past…the rebellion in these films is usually directed toward parents or society, but in some cases this rebellion has a larger goal to dismantle the structures. These behavioral patterns are triggered in moments of restriction, this upsurge is pushed further if the rebel is in the process of exploring her sexuality.

Love has no limits, especially when its up against the Chinese government. Set in the 1980’s in China, THE CHINESE BOTANIST’S DAUGHTER (2006) tells the story of a young orphan, Li Ming, who takes up an internship at a botanist’s garden and forms a sensual yet forbidden relationship with the daughter of the botanist, during a time when homosexuality was a punishable offence. The film is a beautiful story of two women who attempt to defy every rule of a totalitarian system, that in the end, love will always be the winning answer. No matter what your gender or sexual orientation is, the film brings a relatable urgency of how far one is willing to go for the person they love. The last few minutes of the film will no doubt leave you in tears.

Back track to the 1980’s streets of Los Angeles, littered with fast cars, over-the-top fashion and a group of friends who hit the streets to the theme song of ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stand In Our Way’ by John Farnham. Linda Blair stars in SAVAGE STREETS (1984), an exploitation flick that explores independence against an authoritative society, and a young teenager who must take action into her own hands. After her handicapped sister is raped at school (shot in the Pacific Palisades, the same location as Brian De Palma’s CARRIE (1976) – another film dealing with rebellious teens), Brenda seeks out revenge in a revealing tight leather outfit and cross-bow. The film highlights different levels of female bonding from a girls night out, to sibling love. While the horses in OF GIRLS AND HORSES become the catalyst between the two girls, this female bonding is expressed in the beautiful transition in which Brenda’s sensitive side is revealed only through the love she has for her sister and girlfriends, to a quick mood change of fierce attitudes and the rejection of all order. One cannot forget a naked Linda Blair in a brawl in the showers of the school locker room – a must see!

A teen movie like no other, HEAVENLY CREATURES (1994) is based on a true story from 1954 of two best friends, Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker who form a close bond in which they both share every possible day with each other. Stuck in their own fantasy world, the concerned parents attempt to separate them. To ensure their everlasting connection, they both seek out revenge against their moralistic families. Before we all knew her as Rose from Titanic, Kate Winslet stars alongside Melanie Lynskey in this coming-of-age story; a real testament of teenage friendships and the worlds we invent to escape harsh reality. Sarah Hentges describes these girl genres as empowering in myriad ways, not only for girls and women, but for anyone who recognizes a lack of fit between mainstream expectations and reality. Rebellion in the form of murder, the girls met their tragic ending in a 5 year prison sentence, but the ultimate punishment was on the condition that the girls never see each other again.

The last film on my list breaks away from the coming-of-age genre of teen flicks. Similarly to SAVAGE STREETS, this film marks an important entry into the exploitation genre of rape revenge films which came about in the 1970s. Ms. 45 (1981) directed by Abel Ferrera, is a brutal portrayal of a young adolescent out for revenge after being savagely raped twice in the same day. Taking matters into her own hands, Thana, a mute seamstress, picks up a 45. caliber handgun and hits the streets on a killing spree. This transition from an innocent girl to a cold blooded killer is marked by the ritual process of applying red lipstick, slicking the hair back and dressing from head to toe in black, a common aesthetic in the films from this genre. While the social structures failed in moments of need, the female is then positioned in a negotiating state of unconscious decisions which consequence her final behaviors. Hentges further describes that the formal, institutional powers like school, family, religion and law make rules that girls are expected to follow, but the informal rules of adolescence that come from these structures also restrict girls’ behavior, social and sexual development.

From the coming-of-age teen films, exploitation genres to tragic teen love stories, this rebellious movement of bad-ass girls becomes a welcome departure from the typecast roles of stay at home wives and dutiful daughters, although these films deal with the breaking of structures in the form of death and murder, the beautiful moments of female bonding bridge an underlining message that women are capable of much more than being restricted to the confines of what society tells them. Looking back at OF GIRLS AND HORSES, the film is a good example of this transition of a troubled girl caught in the mix of abuse and lack of support to living on the German landscapes with horses as her form of escapism. This sudden shift of rebellion to the coming-of-age could only be achieved by the understanding of sexuality and the removal of societal expectations. In the words of Hentges: ‘hegemony does not have as tight a hold as it sometimes seems’.

Regarding Abandoned Sites and Sexual Discovery

Abandoned sites usually cause curiosity for exploration and adventure. There’s a sense of excitement when we are surrounded by uncertainty and a thirst for danger. These sites also allow for a chance to remove oneself from everyday life and have a moment of self-reflection. From a young age, while exploring my sexuality, I can recall finding hidden spaces and out of the way locations with boyfriends in which, for a brief moment, no one could tell me what to do or who to love, where we could escape society and just be together. We construct these sites for satisfying our sexual pleasures and urges, they’re made into cruising grounds, runaway spots or sites to release our destructive nature. There’s a bridge between desire and death and these will be further explored in the following 5 shorts.

With the release of our DVD of BOYS ON FILM 13: TRICK & TREAT, I look back at some of our memorable shorts from the BOYS ON FILM collections that examine these discarded spaces as sites for escapism and sexual-discovery.

Remission – Dir. Christopher Brown (Boys on Film 13)

In our latest BOYS ON FILM release, we take a look at two young men and a boy who roam the overgrown English countryside over the space of 2 years, in an attempt to escape an unknown deadly virus. The two men are forced to take a horrific decision after the boy’s behavior puts them in increasing danger. These dangers become apparent in the unknown territories these boys are positioned in, the uncertainty of what’s to come and the boy’s display of unusual behaviors which, eventually, become life threatening. Exploring abandoned houses in search for safety and supplies, there is a moment in the film in which the two young men engage in sex, possibly to relieve frustrations or, perhaps, out of love.

REMISSION is a terrifying short about survival in the unknown and the consequences of trust as a tool for life and death, the last five minutes of the film will no doubt leave you speechless.

Boys Village – Dir. Till Kleinert (Boys on Film X)

Set in St. Athan Boys Village in South Wales, a holiday camp opened in 1925 as a summer camp for the sons from families in the South Wales coalfield.

The film focuses on a young boy and his imagination – at first we’re unsure of why Kevin roams the abandoned camp while talking to his friends made of twigs and rubbish. Is he in the process of exploring? Escaping? He has been eleven years old for quite some time now. Has it been years or decades? Shattered glass and debris lay scattered all over and the countless trap falls and opportunities for injury become a haven for young boys and exploration. After witnessing a group of vandals who visit the site in a destructive manner, Kevin’s sexual curiosity is awakened when he sees a particular attractive teen.

Prora – Dir. Stéphane Riethauser (Boys on Film 9)

Prora is a good example of abandoned sites as a stimulant for sexual discovery in moments of excitement and danger. Two teenagers, Jan and Matthieu, embark on an adventure in the deserted former Nazi holiday camp and communist military complex in Germany. Whilst exploring their surroundings they put their friendship at risk. Running through the corridors in a destructive manner, smashing windows and playing rough. The two boys, high on adrenaline, end up confronting their feelings in a moment of sexual realization. The two teens end up making love across the scattered glass on the complex floors. Away from the world and positioned in an empty complex all to themselves, this triggering of emotional discovery is further heightened.

The Strange Ones – Dir. Christopher Radcliff & Lauren Wolkstein (Boys on Film 7)

An unknown destination, a man and a boy travel in search for the unknown. Finding respite in what seems to be an abandoned motel swimming pool, the two travelers are confronted by the motel owner where truth and lies become one blurring situation. On the surface all seems normal, but as the owner asks more questions, nothing is what it seems to be.

Bramadero – Dir. Julián Hernández (Boys on Film 2)

Bramadero: A place where deer and other wild animals in heat prefer to go.

Our final short explores our animalistic nature. Hassen and Jonás find a spot on the outskirts of Mexico City where they seduce one another in a merging of body and mind. The construction site holds as a playground for desire: the positioning of a mattress in the middle of the floor becomes an immediate invitation for sexual discovery. The industrial steel scaffolding acts as barriers between the two men, yet as they move in between the structures a divergence between their raw naked bodies and the man-made barriers is constructed. The uncertainty of the dangers of abandoned construction sites ultimately lead to death, as Bramadero is described as a pole animals are tied to in order to tame them or kill them.

by Serden Salih

Peccadillo’s Favourite Sundance Hits

“Sundance was started as a mechanism for the discovery of new voices and new talents” – Robert Redford

Even if you’ve never been to Sundance, but have been immersed in the chilling, and thought-provoking films that have come out of it, then you know what it stands for. You can discern its tastes, its independent, rough-around-the-edges sensibilities, and the fact that it’s actually not sunny but usually freezing cold. There’s that great episode of The Simpsons, where Lisa walks from screen to screen looking for a film to enjoy, but can only find films of heroin-addicted clowns slowly scratching their faces with needles. That’s Sundance.

In an industry that year-on-year seems to become even more polluted with inane blockbuster sequel-prequels-part-three of massive, sugary, cartoonish franchises, Sundance remains a rare beacon of hope for intelligent, socially observant and progressive film-making, shining defiantly in shivering Utah.

Two of our releases this year – Desiree Akhavan’s APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR and Sophie Hyde’s 52 TUESDAYS – are Sundance films. Desiree actually filmed the moment she told her mum she’d been accepted – which is well worth a watch. Here’s some of the festival’s biggest success stories – all with that irreverent, unmissable Sundance edge.

1. Blood Simple (1984)

The Coen Brothers – regarded as the masters of Indie cinema – made their debut at the Sundance Film Festival with BLOOD SIMPLE. Their signature style of mixing comedic elements with a homage to the dark film noir genre surprised audiences and the Jury, which resulted in them winning the Grand Jury Prize and went on to gross around $4 million, not bad for a debut! Usually following a complex story which spirals into a cannon of lies, shock and laugh-out-loud moments, BLOOD SIMPLE looks at the story of a bar-owner out for revenge when he suspects his wife cheating on him. Like all Coen films, the film builds to an unforeseen and climatic ending! Be sure to also check out their cult classic FARGO (1996), and one of my favorites from the brothers: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007).

2. Run Lola Run (1998)

Breathless is the word to describe this film, literally! Watching Franke Potente run for her life in a race against time, she’s on a mission to obtain 100,000 Deutschmarks with an attempt to stop her boyfriend Manni from robbing a supermarket. The perfect fit for Sundance, with its edgy style of editing and pulsating rock soundtrack, the film is heavy in thematic explorations of free will and psychedelic trips into the unknown. With its unique mix of what ifs captured in a repetitious sequence of events, the film captures the very essence of an Independent Film Festival. You can imagine everyone running to see the film, hence the Audience Award won at the festival!

With a budget of DEM 3,500,000, the film went on to gross $8 million in the USA.

3. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT became “the film to watch” before it had even hit Sundance! Directors, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez conducted a viral campaign in which they presented the film as a real documentary. Not being the first film to use found footage, the film is still regarded as one of the best hand-held camera horror films to date. The film mixes styles of amateur acting against believable footage – it paved way for the many horror films which followed using these techniques. During Sundance, the filmmakers distributed flyers asking people to come forward with any information regarding the whereabouts of the “missing” students – talk about creating buzz!

The film became the success story of 1999, making $248 million worldwide. Not a bad return on a budget of an estimated $60,000!

4. Memento (2001)

Before he became an A-list director of thinking-person’s blockbusters like the Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception, director Christopher Nolan grabbed Hollywood’s attention with the ingenious thriller Memento – a story told in reverse about a man with a form of amnesia that prevented him from making any new memories.

It landed at Sundance 2001, where American distributors expressed admiration for the film but were reluctant to buy it, claiming it was too confusing. The film ended up being distributed by its studio, Newmarket Films, and went on to earn $40 million. It won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Awards, but ultimately lost the Grand Jury Prize to The Believer, – which introduced the world to Ryan Gosling.

5. Saw (2004)

A lot can be said about the SAW franchise (not always positive), but we cannot forget director James Wan’s first SAW, as an entry into the serial killer, slasher genre. Using the tired mechanism of a masked clown serial killer, the film still holds as an intense gore infested story of survival, which pleased horror fans after every screening was sold out. It didn’t take long for Lionsgate at Sundance to pick it up before the film had even premiered. A smart move, the film went on to generate a cult following over the years and has made over $100 million worldwide, and six sequels followed. Unfortunately most of them fall into the Hollywood horror slush of pop-corn entertainment!

6. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

In a huge bidding war, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE resulted in Fox purchasing the rights to the film in one of the biggest deals made in the history of the festival of $10.5 million. After numerous standing ovations from the audience, the film went on to gross more than $100 million worldwide. A road movie based on a dysfunctional family, who are determined to take their youngest daughter to compete in a beauty contest on the other side of the country – all inside a Volkswagen T2 Micro Bus. Its not difficult to be sweetened by Abigail Breslin’s performance of Olive. We can’t help but relate to the dysfunctional family and the feelings one gets when positioned in a place of “not-belonging”. It is a fresh take on a family, which seems to get ignored due to the numerous fluffy “perfect family” types constantly being pumped out by Hollywood. For that year, Little Miss Sunshine brought out the sun in a usually cold and dark Utah! Even though it didn’t win an award at Sundance, the film continued to bag countless awards including a pair of Oscars for writer Michael Arndt and actor Alan Arkin.

7. Man On Wire (2008)

One man, one wire, one goal! This intense and nerve-shredding film, captures an eerily, yet beautiful portrait of Philippe Petit’s attempt to walk on a wire from one tower of the World Trade Center to the other in 1974. While one can see why the audience were impressed and shocked at the same time, festivalgoers awarded the film both the Jury and Audience awards in the World Cinema Documentary category. The film plays like an action film, yet poised with a surreal touch of artistic achievement, traversing sky high without safety, an astounding stunt that would put some of Hollywood’s big action stars to shame!

The awards kept coming, as the film won the prestigious double-header of both BAFTA and Oscar and made a worldwide gross of $5,617,067.

8. Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012)

Carried forth by non-actors and a real Louisiana community, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD became a success when the film won the Grand Jury Prize and the Excellence in Cinematography Award. Hushpuppy, a six year old girl part of the Bayou community in Louisiana, finds herself on a journey of poetic discovery, in which she must accept nature’s path and the unraveling mysteries of the universe. As the ice caps melt, and the water rises, she and the small town are faced with an army of pre-historic creatures named Aurochs. Beautifully shot in surreal like landscapes and the town known as Bathtub; the film starts of as a documentation of the struggles of a young orphan girl in a town in danger of being wiped out due to global-warming. The film then switches to an almost post-apocalyptic struggle of storms, rising waters and terrifying creatures. The film received four Oscar-nominations, including one for child star Quvenzhané Wallis, the youngest ever nominee in the Best Actress category – at just nine years of age.

9. Appropriate Behaviour (2014)

Our own, proud little piece of Sundance history is Desiree Akhavan’s understated and unequivocally brilliant APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR. A sleeper festival hit, but a slam with the UK critics and audiences, this upbeat but devastatingly realistic indie comedy is Sundance through and through and demonstrates how the festival – although many bemoan its pandering to the studios – maintains and upholds its original mission of nurturing new talent.

10. 52 Tuesdays (2014)

Sophie Hyde’s film won Best Director at Sundance, and will be in UK cinemas from us later this summer. 52 TUESDAYS explores the intimate story of a mother-daughter relationship, as Billie’s mother reveals plans towards gender transition. Filmed over the course of a year, once a week, every week – only on Tuesdays, shows a unique style in filmmaking that brings a rare authenticity to this emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility and transformation.

As the world is slowly moving in the right direction towards equality, it is films like this that offer a beautiful insight into a topic many are unaware of and highlight the positive change that is happening in the world. Look out for 52 TUESDAYS coming to cinemas later this summer!

Sex and Politics with EASTERN BOYS director Robin Campillo

When he was in the UK for his promotional tour of EASTERN BOYS, we asked director and writer Robin Campillo to pen a few words on the complexities of his home-invasion-thriller-come-love-story. This is what he wrote:

“Far from casting judgment on the situation of illegal immigrants, or from being a reflection on paternity, this film first and foremost follows the logic of its fictional narrative. It portrays characters living clandestinely that represent both a danger and a promise for one another. Much like Daniel who, when faced with these young men from the East, oscillates between fear and desire, the film threads its way through ambiguous feelings, borderline, indeed marginal situations, but also, I do hope, through moments of pure jubilation.”

ROBIN CAMPILLO – BIOGRAPHY

Robin Campillo was born in Morocco on August 16th 1962. Because his father was in the army, he and his family moved around a great deal during his childhood and part of his adolescence. During this period, movies became a main theme of his existence. In Madagascar, at the age of 9, he discovered Godard’s ALPHAVILLE in a military theatre where the film was booed. Following this experience he developed a passionate interest for cinema and an array of filmmakers ranging from Jacques Demy to Mario Bava. In 1983 he enrolled in the IDHEC film school (Institute for Advanced Cinema Studies). After graduating, however, he took a break from his film career to dedicate his time to the fight against AIDS. Finally, in the mid-nineties he began a long and fruitful collaboration with Laurent Cantet as co-screenwriter and editor. In 2004 Robin Campillo directed his first feature film THEY CAME BACK, which later became Channel 4’s THE RETURNED.

We need more selfish female protagonists – Desiree Akhavan and International Women’s Day

Belle du jour Desiree Akhavan has taken the UK press by storm this week – popping up in The Times, The Guardian and The Evening Standard. Her film APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR has garnered a smattering of rave reviews, but today we want to celebrate the woman herself. If you didn’t know, 8 March is International Women’s Day , the theme of which for 2015 is Make It Happen.

This couldn’t ring more apt for Desiree, or her producer Cecilia Frugiuele, who together raised the finance, produced, wrote, directed and starred in this fantastic film. APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR refuses to be a lecture, in interviews Desiree has frequently vented her frustrations at politically edged movies that feel like ‘taking your medicine’. If this film is medicine, it’s Calpol when you’re 12 years old and you simply cannot get enough.

But enough for me, here are some fantastic words from Desiree herself on female characters and filmmakers in the contemporary scene:

Over the years in films we’ve had so many men be flawed, multi-dimensional characters who can be mature in some venues and fall apart in others, and the women are just there rolling their eyes and supporting them.

But when I look around at the films that are coming out now by female directors we’re seeing women characters go through a stunted adolescence where they’re able to fuck up just as much as any dude would.

I hear about this “new wave” of slacker female films and I think it’s just women getting the opportunity to tell stories. I’m not ashamed to talk openly about my flaws like what, only Wood Allen gets to do that?

– Desiree Akhavan

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