One is entitled "Queer Things I Hate About You," directed by Nickolaos Stagais. It's a constantly moving, one-shot image of a man and woman against a white screen. Minimal blue and pink sentences pop up throughout the film's five minutes--words depicting the stereotypes that gay and lesbians might have about each other. It's a funny piece, and doesn't exactly spell out its message.
In "Field Guide to Western Wildflowers," Wayne Yung passionately kisses 63 different men. The devil-may-care, warm images are superimposed over vibrantly colored flowers and their official names. The soundtrack of men talking about their first gay Asian kiss make for a sweetly upbeat film.
Laurel Swenson's "How to be a Recluse (7 Easy Steps)" has the makings of a poem film (dainty enunciation, ephemeral images, a weighty topic) but avoids being obvious or shallow thanks to gorgeous shots and sparse instruction. Similarly, Gordon Wong's "Shuet Ying: A Story of My Mother" uses delicate animation, colors, and shadows (yet no spoken words) to convey an idea. Both films are moving and use time/film limitations to their advantage.
Some of the films are unsettling and powerful (Kenneth Fletcher and Paul Wong's needle-sharing piece, "60 Unit: Bruise;" Jennifer Conroy and Nikola Marin's graphically sexual "Fuck This, Ginger") and some have a great sense of humor and/or culture ("Transmission," Ivan E. Coyote's very honest piece about a transgendered family). This is a very well curated program--despite some of the Burroughs poetry stuff.
RSSGoing to Seattle?
