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Week 11: What Up When It Ain’t in the US?

“Rafiki”

Wanuri Kahiu’s “Rafiki” is about a young girl named Kena who lives in Nairobi, Kenya whose father is campaigning in the local election. Kena notices a girl with colorful, Ziki, who just so happens to be the daughter of her father’s political rival, and begins to flirt with her. After Ziki’s friends attack Kena, Ziki takes her home to help with her wounds. Ziki’s mother catches them kissing and they both run away. Gossip around town exposes where the two have been hiding and are chased by an angry mob.

This film explores the struggles for the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Kenya and the persecution that these people face for expressing their gender and sexual identity. The two women are arrested for their sexuality which is not only prevalent in Kenya but in other parts of the world where people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community are charged as criminals and can be sentenced to prison or death. 

This film also showcases a new form of film making called “Afrobubblegum,” which, according to Julie MacArthur in the film’s review, is “ African art that is allowed to be fun and flirty, confident and complex, without the burden of being issue-driven.” This film was censored and banned from premiering in Kenya because of its “normalization” of homosexuality. However, this has paved the way for debates and discussions on cultural representation, as well as censorship in specific countries that ban homosexual content such as Kenya.

“Four Moons”

Sergio Tovar Velarde’s “Four Moons” is a Mexican film that explores four interwoven stories about homosexuality. One story is about a young boy, Mauricio, who secretly has a crush on his cousin, Oliver. When Oliver comes over, Mauricio asks Oliver if he’s circumcised, and asks to see and touch it. At school, Oliver and his friends call him a faggot and bully, which leads to the principal calling both of their parents and outing Mauricio. Other stories follow an old man who cruises in bath houses, two college friends who take their friendship to the next level, and a committed couple whose relationship is put to the test when a new man comes in. 

“The Way He Looks”

Daniel Ribeiro’s “The Way He Looks” is a Portuguese movie based on the short film “I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone”. The film follows blind high school student Leo and new student Gabriel. Gabriel becomes friends with Leo and Giovana and slowly helps Leo with his daily activities that Giovana would normally help with. Leo eventually develops romantic feelings for Gabriel. 

This movie takes place in Brazil, where anti-LGBTQ violence used to be at an all time high, being rated as one of the countries where the most gay people are killed. This film shows how anti-gay violence has dwindled, otherwise the reactions towards Leo’s sexuality would have been more negative. This film also showcases sexuality among people with disabilities, which is typically not seen in queer US films. 

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Week 10: Queers Still Castrated in Media (or not)?

An example of neutering in media is “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Freddie Mercury, other than his music, was well-known for being openly bisexual but never fully confirmed his sexuality. The film “Bohemian Rhapsody” completely disregards his same-sex relationships, only showcasing his heterosexual relationships. According to the article  “’Bohemian Rhapsody’: Did it Neuter the Gay out of Freddy Mercury?” there seems to be a deep adoration for female anatomy in movies but “deep and abiding loathing of the male anatomy.” There is also the idea of authenticity and being able to be represented and shown “the way straight [people] are.” 

Unlike its counterpart, “Rocketman” embraces Elton John’s homosexual relationships. According to the article “‘Rocketman’ embraces the flamboyance, fun, excesses, music of the dynamic Elton John” both films feature “colorful leads, British men with, shall we say, immediately identifiable front teeth,” however, what “Bohemian Rhapsody” lacked, the corniness and visual aesthetics, “Rocketman” gladly embraced with it’s colorful sequences and dreamlike simulations which queers the audience by displacing them from the real, mundane world and placing them into a more colorful world where sexuality is the main star. Unlike “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Rocketman” proudly features gay sex scenes that makes the biopic stay more true to Elton John’s life, whereas “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the complete opposite, with only subtle hints of Mercury’s sexuality shown throughout the movie.