Queerguru’s Top Picks for Must See Films @ XPOSED Queer Film Festival Berlin

Since 2016 the XPOSED Queer Film Festival Berlin has built itself with a fine reputation of creating entertaining, odd, left-of-center queer film programs that also, in turn, create further exposure for queer filmmakers on the global queer festival circuit and beyond. 

By not only screening some of the newest films around, XPOSED always mixes their programs with new and old films, be it in a short film program or a feature screening with a short. XPOSED enjoys creating programs and these programs can only be created by looking at the queer perspective from all corners of the world, perspectives that challenge normative views, propose an alternate way of thinking, and approach life and story -telling from another way.

If you are making tracks to Berlin for Xposed then these are Queerguru’s Top Picks for Must-See Movies 

ALL THE COLORS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK & WHITE This fictional film from Nigeria  premiered at the Panorama Section of the 73rd annual Berlin International Film Festival. where it won the prestigious TEDDY AWARD  Queerness is a taboo topic in Nigeria, one of the most difficult countries in the world to be an LGBT+ person,  people there can face up to 10 years in jail for being part of anything considered a gay social club or group, and up to 14 years if, in a same-sex relationship, This movie is an intimate portrait of yearning desire in an adverse social context,  and to Queerguru’s knowledge it is only the 6th queer film to be produced in Nigeria,  and is not to be missed

Their journey on how the film came to be made starts when out of pure frustration after D Smith suddenly got blackballed from the music industry when they started to transition. They went from being in great demand producing songs forLil Wayne, Keri Hilson, Billy Porter and André 3000. to being unemployed, broke, and homeless.  In fact, Smith was still homeless when she began working on the project, with a camera being purchased by a host where she was once staying, and a laptop by a producer.

The Blue Caftan is director Maryam Touzani’s beautifully poetic drama about the relationship between a closeted Moroccan tailor, Halim, (Saleh Bakri), his dying wife Mina (Lubna Azabal), and their gay male apprentice Youssef (Ayoub Missioui). Beautifully shot and lit by cinematographer Virginie Surdej, with excellent, very tender, performances by the three main actors, Touzani’s intimate, authentic film is paced to reflect the slow burn of the lives and relationships she is exploring. Her film is a great close-up study of the combinations of despondency, laughter, grief and joy life can entail. BEG, STEAL OR BORROW TO GET A TICKET FOR THIS ONE! 

HIDDEN LETTERS:  Nushu has many levels, is a secret that belongs to Chinese women, it is calligraphy made by women to preserve a secret code and is also about a sisterhood against all odds since Chinese society favors giving birth to boys rather than girls. In a male-dominated society for centuries women, literally, had their feet bound, were confined to their chamber rooms,  and were slaves to whom men gave orders.  As women, they obey and should feel blessed if men do not scold or beat them.

This beautifully shot documentary states it is rare to find original Nushu writings since they were buried with the one that wrote them.  Written in tiny characters, on fans and handkerchiefs  Nushu is a cultural treasure in China.