Writers are always advised to ‘Write about what you know.’ Aspiring twenty-five-year-old Scottish writer Max, (the handsome Ruaridh Mollica), is living in London and working on his first novel, a story about a sex-worker, Sebastian. He’s good-looking and ambitious, energetically forging his career and soul. To improve the authenticity of his work he creates … Continue reading
Queerguru first came across the international baritone Opera singer Lucia Lucas two years ago after viewing The Sound Of Identity one of the most uplifting LGBTQ+ documentaries we had seen for a very long time. It’s the story of howTobias Picker a remarkable queer composer and also a forward-thinking Artistic Director of Tulsa Opera House, decided to mount a production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. It was he who decided to cast Lucia Lucas for the lead role purely on her talent but he was more than aware of the risks of casting an openly transgender woman.
From the very first scene of James Kicklighter’s film (which went on to win countless awards), it is impossible not to warm to the disarmingly charming Lucas. Besides her powerful voice that literally sends shivers down your back, both her quiet confidence and her sheer natural generosity of spirit, leave you slightly in awe. Lucas insists that there is more to her than being trans, and that is reflected in how Kicklighter filmed her story.
Fast forward to the present time and Lucas has very successfully made both her NY Metropolitan Opera debut and her London Coliseum debut and she is back working with Picker. With his husband Aryeh Lev Stollman, Picker has composed a new opera LiLI Elbe about the Danish painter and trans woman who was among the early recipients of gender-affirming surgery. Already her story has been the subject of a film ……The Danish Girl .…. when LiLI was played by a cisgender male, however, the opera was written specifically for Lucas giving it so much more authenticity.
LiLI Elba the Opera has just enjoyed its World Premiere at Theater St Gallen in Switzerland to rave reviews and has more performances this month. We seized the opportunity to reach out to her while she had a few days off to catch.
Saltburn the highly anticipated sophomore feature film from actor-turned-filmmaker Emerald Fennell is due to have its World Premiere at 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31st. Its a psychological thriller drama film written, directed, and produced by Fennell set in the mid-2000s. It follows a young college student (Barry Keoghan) who becomes infatuated … Continue reading
SUMMER SOLSTICE: is a story of non-binary unrequited love Written and directed by queer, non-binary film-maker Noah Schamus, it’s based on their own experiences of the shifting dynamics of friendships post-coming out. It’s also an interesting analysis of unrequited love and how college friendships mature once we are in our late twenties. This film is both refreshing and mature in that the queer trans narrative threads throughout the film, but doesn’t dominate. The likable characters have the right balance of confidence and self-doubt true to most twenty-somethings. Strong casting means all the performances are great – in particular a very funny bad sex scene.
When the film had its World Premiere at Provincetown Film Festival Schanus and their partner/producer Arno Makros and co-producer Jesse Miller sat down and talked about the film with QUEERGURU
The upcoming Tribeca Film Festival is a great launch pad for a diverse program of short films that mounts their world premieres. One such film is Daddy Issues a hilarious short film starring Matt Campanella and David Kelsey. Co-directed by Campanella and Stephanie Hepner, Campanella plays a young dominatrix who needs to demonstrate his … Continue reading
Author queerguruPosted on Categories queertiques
Queerguru first came across the international baritone Opera singer 
