Flare: Show your face

Spring is here, and the 35th edition of the British Film Institute's Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival continues running virtually for the second year in a row. It's hardly surprising that most online screenings are sold-out, but some tickets are still available at BFI FLARE. It should be noted that all the short films, including Five Films for Freedom, are free to watch on BFI Player, as are many of the special events like conversations with actors and filmmakers. So even without the parties, there's a lot going on. But I'm still missing hanging out with my annual Flare friends (or any friends at all as lockdown rolls on and on). Here are some more film highlights, including my best of the fest so far...

Boy Meets Boy
dir Daniel Sanchez Lopez; with Matthew J Morrison, Alexis Koutsoulis 21/Ger ****
Freeform filmmaking adds earthy authenticity to this German drama, which follows two young men over 15 hours. Filmmaker Daniel Sanchez Lopez assembles this mainly in visceral closeup, seemingly shot on a phone camera as characters take a loosely meandering journey. The approach gives the film a striking sense of intimacy. So if the plot feels thin, the attractive actors and sparky subtext make this worth a look... FULL REVIEW >

Rūrangi
dir Max Currie; with Elz Carrad, Arlo Green 20/NZ ****
This warm, earthy drama from rural New Zealand is a remarkably astute look at people struggling with their emotions as they try to make sense of a long-ignored truth. While some of the plot points feel incomplete, director Max Currie recounts the story with a remarkable openness about central the issue of gender identity. This makes it easy to find ourselves in these characters and see through their eyes... FULL REVIEW >

Poppy Field [Câmp de Maci]
dir Eugen Jebeleanu; with Conrad Mericoffer, Alexandru Potocean 20/Rom ****.
Verite filmmaking infuses this Romanian drama with earthy realism. It's a remarkable balance of offhanded wit with the gnawing difficulty of trying to hide who you really are from everyone around you. And this central character is himself unsure what his sexuality means to him. This is a crisp, unblinking look at the very real dangers of both self-loathing and societal prejudice, depicted in a way that's never remotely preachy... FULL REVIEW >

Tove
dir Zaida Bergroth; with Alma Poysti, Krista Kosonen 20/Fin ***.
Lushly designed with a darkly intriguing storytelling style, this biopic traces the life of the Finnish creator of the iconic Moomins. Director Zaida Bergroth and writer Eeva Putro recount the story using an intimate perspective, getting under the skin to highlight unexpected feelings, cultural context and wider issues that add strong resonance. It's an involving, pointed dive into the art world, and it carries a nice personal kick... FULL REVIEW >

More to come...