A selection of films, which all received very high scores from the audience of the in-cinema component of Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney, are available to stream nationally this weekend.
Unusually Normal
Top scorer with a sensational rating of 4.9 out of 5 by our Sydney audience, Unusually Normal was the unexpected hit of MGFF. Tracing the lives of ‘Canada’s Gayest Family’, this heart-warming documentary features seven women from three generations and unearths countless secrets and lies. The lives of the two lesbian grandmothers, four lesbian mothers and one lesbian granddaughter span the decades from the 1940s to today, and the film highlights the similarities (and differences) between the generations.
Sally!
Rating a spectacular 4.8 out of 5 by our Sydney audience, Sally! is a vibrant documentary about a charismatic radical lesbian feminist who ignited movements for LGBTIQ+ equality and women’s rights in the 1970s and ‘80s. Through a mix of archival footage and intimate interviews, the film showcases Sally Gearhart’s remarkable story with humour and depth.
Drive Back Home
Securing a 4.6 out of 5, Drive Back Home is a darkly funny road movie set in the 1970s and starring Alan Cumming as Perley, who is arrested in Toronto for having sex with a man in a park. Estranged brother Weldon (Charlie Creed-Miles, The Fifth Element) comes to bail Perley out and deliver him back to their small town. The vastness of the Canadian countryside seems like nothing compared to the distance between the pair … but with only a taxidermized pug and each other for company …
Lesvia
Coming in hot from the Greek Islands with a score of 4.5 out of 5, Lesvia brings the sun-drenched beaches and radical freedom found in Eressos, a village on the Greek island of Lesbos (the birthplace of Sappho). Celebrate the vibrant, untold history of what is now a global lesbian haven with this evocative documentary. Blending personal storytelling with archival footage, Lesvia is a poignant exploration of identity and belonging that’s as breathtaking as the island itself.
The Last Taboo
Also scoring 4.5 out of 5, Manfred Oldenburg’s bold documentary The Last Taboo rightfully asks why there are only nine openly gay men out of the 500,000 active players in men’s professional soccer. Tackling soccer’s toxic masculinity, profit-over-player priorities and the deafening silence from officials about the homophobia that keeps its gay players in the closet, this compelling and eye-opening documentary is a must-watch for fans and non-fans alike.
To stream these titles and more on demand from anywhere in Australia, visit: www.queerscreen.org.au for details.
Image: Drive Back Home (supplied)