As the L.G.B.T.Q. community faces renewed challenges to their rights, the 2023 Tribeca Festival is happening in conjunction with Pride month, and has several films that showcase the community’s resilience.
Over the course of the festival, which runs from Wednesday through June 18, 109 features will be shown, including 93 world premieres. For additional details, visit the Tribeca Festival website at tribecafilm.com.
Out of this impressive list of films, these five must-see movies are recommended:
‘Chasing Chasing Amy’
Director: Sav Rodgers
Sav Rodgers examines the significance of Kevin Smith’s 1997 comedy movie, which tells the story of a young comic-book artist who falls in love with a lesbian, from various angles. Rodgers analyzes the film as a turning point in Smith’s career and as an inspiration for discussing sexual identity. Most importantly, he discusses the role that the movie played in his own self-discovery.
This documentary about the screen legend, Rock Hudson, known for his roles in Douglas Sirk melodramas and Doris Day sex comedies, delves into every aspect of his fame. The movie’s director, Stephen Kijak, pulls back the curtain on Hudson’s private life to contrast the public persona of the star with the gay man he was outside of the camera frame, and his struggle to reconcile these two identities.
‘The Lesson’
Director: Alice Troughton
This intense psychological drama follows an aspiring novelist, played by Daryl McCormack, who starts tutoring the son of a famous writer, portrayed by Richard E. Grant, as the older writer struggles to finish his book. A blend of ego and generational resentment creates a bitter backdrop for this story of authorship, homoerotic rivalry, and power struggles.
“Every Body” examines the lives of three intersex individuals, aiming to educate viewers about a group that is often overlooked. The film’s delightful and charismatic subjects demystify questions about intersex identity, while also advocating against medical interventions that have caused harm to the intersex community.
‘Transition’
Directors: Jordan Bryon and Monica Villamizar
After the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, Jordan Bryon, a filmmaker and journalist, was invited to shoot footage in Afghanistan for The New York Times. Amidst the intensity of the troubling global affairs, Bryon was also experiencing his own gender transition. The result is “Transition,” a captivating documentary that chronicles the flux of both personal and national identity, as geopolitics and gender are tackled in a captivating conversation.
