GAY INTEREST TRAILERS

Some of the most interesting LGBT documentaries are about being queer in worlds that most of us know little about, whether that’s in a distant country with a very different culture, or still in the Western world, but in a subculture many people won’t have come into contact with. The latter certainly fits Dino Dinco’s Homeboy, a documentary about being gay and part of the LA gang world.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Homeboy examines the lives of several gay Latino men living in and around the Los Angeles area who are either former gang members or who are currently active in gangs. These men range in age from their early-20’s to their mid-40’s, most of whom entered gangs while in their early teenage years. This is a story of their individual journeys. Through a series of interviews, Homeboy aims to provide a voice for a unique intersection of cultures until now previously unheard: contemporary Latino culture, gay culture and the world of gangs. These personal accounts weave together, illuminating both parallels and differences amongst the subjects’ experiences. We explore the transformation that these men have undergone, from membership within a gang – a world that is hyper-masculine and outwardly heterosexual – to the acceptance of being gay and how their lives have evolved.’

It’s not clear when the movie might get a release, but the trailer certainly makes it look intriguing.

Thanks to an interview with director Patrick Wang over at The Advocate, we were tipped off to the trailer and some clips for In The Family, which looks like it could be a fascinating and morally complex film about the difficult journey of a gay father. It’s been getting some great reviews at screenings across the US, although there’s no news on when it might be reaching the UK.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘In the town of Martin, Tennessee, Chip Hines, a precocious six year old, has only known life with his two dads, Cody and Joey. And a good life it is. When Cody dies suddenly in a car accident, Joey and Chip struggle to find their footing again. Just as they begin to, Cody’s will reveals that he named his sister as Chip’s guardian. The years of Joey’s acceptance into the family unravel as Chip is taken away from him. In his now solitary home life, Joey searches for a solution. The law is not on his side, but friends are. Armed with their comfort and inspired by memories of Cody, Joey finds a path to peace with the family and closer to his son.’

Take a look at the trailer above and we have some clips below.

It’s incredibly difficult for those of us who grew up gay after the 1980s to understand what it was like then, when a deadly, unknown disease was cutting a swathe through the gay population. The result of HIV and AIDS wasn’t just sickness and death, but a growing backlash against the forward strides the gay rights movement had made.

There have been some great documentaries on the subject, including the excellent We Were Here, which was released last year. Now another one is one the way, which focuses on the early days of the activist groups ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) and TAG (Treatment Action Group). The trailer for How To Survive A Plague has just been released. The film reaches US cinemas on September 21st, but as yet it doesn’t appear a UK release has been set.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE is the story of the brave young men and women who successfully reversed the tide of an epidemic, demanded the attention of a fearful nation and stopped AIDS from becoming a death sentence. This improbable group of activists bucked oppression and, with no scientific training, infiltrated government agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, helping to identify promising new medication and treatments and move them through trials and into drugstores in record time. In the process, they saved their own lives and ended the darkest days of a veritable plague, while virtually emptying AIDS wards in American hospitals in the process. The powerful story of their fight is a classic tale of empowerment and activism that has since inspired movements for change in everything from breast cancer research to Occupy Wall Street. Their story stands as a powerful inspiration to future generations, a road map, and a call to arms. This is how you change the world.

‘Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, New Directors/New films, San Francisco International FF, Provincetown FF, Outfest Documentary Centerpiece, Seattle International FF’

You can find out more at the film’s official website.