Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

Oliver Hermanus Interview: Chatting With The Director Of Beauty

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Beauty, or Skoonheid as it’s known in its native South Africa, takes a dark look at how mentally scarring sexual repression can be, and does so in an excellently compelling and disturbing way (you can read our review here).

After winning the Queer Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 and being shortlisted as the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards, Beauty will be released on DVD in the UK on October 8th.

We got to catch up with the writer and director of the film, Oliver Hermanus, to find out his thoughts of the film, his inspiration and what he will be getting up to next in the world of film. [Read more…]

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Beauty (Skoonheid) (DVD)

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Beauty is an interesting yet eerily creepy South African film that takes a look at how the sexual repression and frustration of someone in a homophobic environment can impact and severely mentally scar a person.

The film centres on Francois (Deon Lotz), an openly racist and homophobic married South African man in his forties, who, after indulging in sexual activity with men in private, becomes obsessed with the son of friend. As the film moves along and develops, we see Francois’ repressed homosexual feelings gradually sending his mental health into decline, and the attraction he feels towards Christian (Charlie Keegan), his friend’s son, turn into a loathing which culminates in a horrific and unpleasant encounter that will leave most viewers uneasy. [Read more…]

Beauty (Skoonheid) (Cinema)

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Winner of the Queer Palm at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Beauty is one of those films on queer themes which stretches beyond just a gay audience. It’s a thought-provoking film full of tension, which will stay in your head long after the credits role.

Francois (Deon Lotz) is a middle-aged man living in South Africa. On the surface everything seems perfectly fine, although his marriage seems utterly devoid of any sign of affection. However his life is actually a morass of contradictions, so that he hates gay people, but goes off to retreats to have sex with others men (although actual gays and blacks are banned from these occasions). He seems to have everything pretty much under control though until he meets Christian (Charlie Keegan), the son of a long-lost friend. [Read more…]