After The Stonewall, some significant achievements have been made. However, as long as any kind of oppression still happens, the fighting for FREEDOM, RESPECT, and JUSTICE must continue.
Since prehistory, art has always been the way to shape what´s going on in our bodies, minds, and souls. Drawing our reality, rituals, yearnings on stones was a natural thing, a need. Besides being a way to express ourselves, it´s also a way of making resistance. And that, the powerful institutions quickly understood. Some of them seeing art as a valuable asset, as part of our identity and investing resources on it. Others, seeing the same identity as a threat to their interests, against their status quo. So, it must be hidden, silenced, or killed.
Facing this reality, we must keep making our artistic talents a weapon. Does not matter if you are a pro or an amateur. As artists, we must use our music, dancing, writing, films, visual arts as our bottles and coins, just as the Stonewall riots had started. Not only for ourselves, for the whole world.
Indeed, one of the best ways to get to know a culture is through its arts. The reason why we´ll celebrating this Pride Month, honoring the resistance by highlighting the LGBTQ+ art-related in Brazil. Here you will find some interesting Brazilian LGBTQ+ Films.
1. Reaching for the Moon/ Flores Raras
An American poet, Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto), who struggles with her writing decides to take a “geography cure” in South American. Stopping in Brazil only for 02 weeks, she meets her friend Mary (Tracy Middenfort) who lives with Lota de Macedo Soares (Gloria Pires), a Brazilian architect.
Based on the true story, this movie is about these brilliant women being in love with each other, being in love with their arts, and careers. Mostly, it is about allowing the new to get in, embracing the unexpected, and being open to experience life in different ways.
Available on YouTube/ Itunes (English) / Amazon Prime (Portuguese) – 01h44min
Directed by Bruno Barreto
2. The way he looks / Hoje eu quero voltar sozinho
Leonardo is a blind teenager who is over-protected by his mother. At the same time, he is willing for more independence, he is also trying to fit in and dealing with the first kiss dilemma. All of it, besides his best friend Giovana who starts to be jealous when a new student arrives at the classroom changing the status quo of their relationship. It´s a very sweet and delicate story of first love.
Available on YouTube/ Netflix (Subtitles in English) – 01h32min / 2015
Directed by Daniel Ribeiro
3. Laerte-se
Laerte Coutinho is a well-known Brazilian cartoonist and screenwriter. This documentary is about her journey of becoming a transgender woman at 58 years old. She shares about the seeking for this new identity, accessing the female universe, learning this new language, and becoming the type of woman she could be, a possible one. Also, the way her characters creations are related to this whole process.
Available on Netflix (Subtitles in English) – 01h40min / 2017
Directed by Lygia Barbosa da Silva / Eliane Brum
4. Artificial Paradises / Paraísos Artificiais
An art and alternative cultural festival which takes place at the Brazilian Northeast is the scenario for DJ Erika (Nathalia Dill), her friend Lara (Livia Bueno), and Nando (Luca Bianchi) having some mind-blowing experiences.
Available on Amazon (Audio in English) – 01h38min / 2012
Directed by Marcos Prado
5. Super Drags
Three guys working at a department store have double lives as superheroes drag queens. Leading by Vedete Champagne, they fight the evil queen Lady Elza and a religious politician Sandoval.
Available on Netlfix (Audio in English) / 2018 – 1st season / 05 episodes
Directed by Fernando Mendonça
Hopefully, these Brazilian LGBTQ+ Films´ll get you inspired to start your art or keep working on that piece you already have begun and for some reason, you stopped. If that is not your kind of thing, at least, sharing the ones we appreciate.
