4th LGLFF - Opening Message

The fourth edition of the Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is, once again tacking place and developing and looking at the themes of previous Festivals them many new and varied pints of view.

This year the Festival is given over to gay imagery that, peopled as it is by universal myths and icons, has contributed se much to the redefining of aesthetics, values and behaviour, in this area.

The three-week Festival begins will a series of films on the subject of camp, to be shown in the FNAC Forum-Chiado. Camp, a synonym for exuberance, excess and glitter, is one of the possible translations of that imagery. During this week-long cycle some of the classics chosen in relation lo the actors, actresses and the characters they created will be shown providing an opportunity to see yet Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie among others.

One of the highlights of the opening of this Festival is the special homage to Simone de Oliveira an outstanding figure on the Portuguese musical scene, and one who, throughout her career, has shown humanity, generosity and courage. Not only do these qualities deserve public praise but there is also the pleasure of her deep voice, her clothes and superb on-stage presence, along with so many other elements that have made her an Icon.

Another facet of gay imagery is that related to the inspirational qualities of divas, which appear in a number of films selected this year, and have stimulated the choice of posters and other promotional materials for the Festival. This was the thinking behind that choice, though I may be interpreted as wished, for freedom of choice is one of the cornerstones of this Festival.

Attention should be drawn to Trans-gender night too, as there are numerous examples of trans-gender divas. This particular evening already a tradition at the Festival will be somewhat different this year as the documentary The Brandon Teena Story, that tells the dramatic story of his life will be shown Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdotter, the makers of this documentary, inspired by the Oscar winning Boys Don’t Cry, will be present at the showing of the film.

This year, the Festival is made up of three cycles: Present day French films, Derek Jarman: Jean Nöel Rene Clair. Gouttes d’Eau sur Pierres Brûlantes by François Ozon (winner of the Teddy at the Berlin Film Festival this year) and Presque Rien, by Sebastian Lifshitz, are just two of the interesting films to be shown. The second cycle will include, among others, the excellent documentary There We Ere John, directed by Kery McMullen, Finally, there is JNRC, whose irreverence and originality of direction make his work a frame of reference in the pornographic cinema. The decision to include this facet in the Festival was taken because it exists and is accepted as having a place in the cinema in general.

Despite being thematic the Festival is open to all kinds of films that can, through their narrative of camp quality be related to gay imagery. An example of this is this year’s first Straight Night, during which the film Hotel Splendide by Terence Gross will be shown. This evening is also an example of one of the basic principles of the Festival I direct, its opposition to any tendency towards a ghetto mentality that in turn, can only lead to exclusion.

As in previous years, the collaboration and, more than that, the encouragement given us by CML ICAM and Cinemateca Portuguesa which I hope will be repealed in years lo come, has been crucial to the access of this event. The Franco-Portuguese, German and British Cultural Institutes have, once again, contributed in a decisive manner lo the Festival, as has FNAC. I would also like to welcome for the first time this year Atalanta Filmes, with whom we hope lo collaborate in the future. I would also like to thank all those who keep this project going, especially in those inevitable moments of stress and strain. In this context I would particularly like to mention the co-ordinator of the translation team and the respective volunteers. By sub-titling the films this year we aim to make the Festival accessible lo all and this has been made possible by the teams motivation, spirit of cooperation and hard work in recent months.

The model of this years Festival shows greater maturity in the first edition we opted for a retrospective, in the second for experimentalism and in the third for mainstream cinema and this, the fourth edition, denotes a clear balance between the three solutions. The Festival has, with time, created its own dynamic, conferred primarily by the team that keeps it going for twelve months of the year and is responsible for its existence. This team, made up of volunteers, some of them members of ILGA-Portugal has developed a life of its own, which has led me to question and re-evaluate the organization of the Festival, in the future. That is to say, the development of the Festival, its projection as one of the standards of reference for exhibitions in Europe and further afield and the permanence of the space, which have together, in the city of Lisbon, already opened the way to seeing this project from another perspective. A perspective that is stable, dynamic and, above all focused on opening new worlds lo Lisbon.

Enjoy!

Celso Junior