My Partner , the feature film debut of director Keli’I Grace, a native Hawaiian visual storyteller is a very unique touching coming-of-age story.  Written by Lance D Collins also from Hawaii, it is to our knowledge,  the first movie filmed in English, Hawaiian and Tagalog……the national language of the Philippines.

This how ever is no regular LGBTQ+ story but is Boys’ love, a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features homoerotic relationship between male characters

Its the story of two high school seniors who come from totally different cultural backgrounds. Edmar (Jayron Munoz)is a high achieving Filipino who lives in the crammed small house with his aunt’s large family, whilst Pili (Kaipo Dudoit) is a typical  buff sports jock who is part of a well-off middle class Haiwaiian family.  Even they are pupils at the same school, their lives do not cross until their social studies teacher assigns the boys to work on their semester project together.

There is a remarkable old-fashioned feeling to this captivating wee movie and we know at a early stage how this story will finish, we are just not totally sure of the gentle meandering path it will take getting there.  This is after all set in a culture where sex is not on the menu for dating  school-aged couples of either gender.

Another potential reason for grabbing for a Kleenex is that this was the final movie ever shot in historic Lahaina, Hawai, whch was sadly lost to fire. 

The film will  available streaming on most major platforms beginning Sept. 24.  

 

ROGER WALKER-DACK Creator, Editor-in-Chief Miami Beach, FL / Provincetown, MA IG @QUEERGURU  Member of G.A.L.E.C.A. (Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association)  and NLGJA The Association of LGBT Journalists.  and The Online Film Critics Society. Ex Contributing Editor The Gay Uk & Contributor Edge Media Former CEO and Menswear Designer of  Roger Dack Ltd in the UK