On August 7th at the Bell Street Chapel, come see films that explore bonds that link and tie each soul on the planet. Screenings start at 6:30pm, with “Taglia Corto! (Cut it Short!),” “Le Devoir (The Duty),” “All God’s Creatures,” “Ett Sista Farväl (A Last Farewell),” “Selfie,” “camchat,” and “Families Are Forever.”
“Taglia Corto! (Cut it Short!):”A son returns to his parents’ home for one weekend to talk to them about his sentimental and sexual situation. A desire to be recognized, to be loved, and to create a sincere and true relationship.
“Le Devoir (The Duty):” When their mother becomes ill, siblings Vincent and Agnes return to their home in the rural french countryside to care for her. Instead of finding comfort in each other, Vincent bears the weight of responsibility alone, as Agnes invites distraction in the form of their childhood friend and neighbor Antoine. As the two struggle against their differences, they must come face to face with the closeted circumstances that drove them apart and the familial ties that hold them together.
“All God’s Creatures:” Asher and Charlie are two very different brothers. Asher likes fishing and swearing. Charlie likes tea parties and crafts. In the summer of 1987 – the first since their father walked out of their lives – their relationship undergoes a test of almost mythic proportions when Asher’s confusion and anger boils over into a mindless act of cruelty. The fall-out will determine the men, and brothers, they will become.
“Ett Sista Farväl (A Last Farewell):” A Last Farewell is both a calm and upsetting portrait of an aging author’s sorrow over the death of his long-term partner. Haunted by visions of his late husband, and in conflict with his daughter who is trying to renew the ties between them, he must tackle the impossible task of moving on and finding peace in the wake of a devastating loss.
“Selfie:” Growing up is never easy, but neither is figuring out who you are after you’ve done it. In this short documentary, Keegon Schuett examines and explores major events in his adolescence and young adult years that shaped him as a person and tries to define his identity. From grappling with liking the wrong toys to growing up and liking boys, he paints a self portrait using only his voice and his image through the utilization of old Youtube vlogs, selfies, and private video diaries. The film deals with issues ranging from gender identity and sexuality to sexual assault, which so many other young gay men deal with silently. By revealing everything, he hopes to help others and help himself see things more clearly.
“camchat:”Alec encounters various men in online chat rooms, his experiences ranging from purely sexual to purely emotional and the confusing space in between.
“Families are Forever:” Tom and Wendy were devout Mormons: They attended Church every Sunday, held leadership roles in their ward, followed every Church teaching and believed in family values. For them, family was not just the central force of daily life but was also the center of their religious lives. Families were heterosexual and stayed together for eternity. So when the Mormon Church asked them to go door-to-door to support California’s Proposition 8 to stop gay marriage, they responded by posting Prop 8 signs in their yard and set out to convince others in their conservative community to vote against same-sex marriage. What they didn’t know and would never have guessed was that the 10-year old son who heard them say such negative things about gay people was starting to realize that his parents were talking about him: their oldest son, Jordan, was gay. Called ‘riveting’ by the Salt Lake Tribune, this powerful documentary chronicles Tom and Wendy’s journey from struggle to support, from reparative therapy to try to change Jordan’s gay identity to openly accepting their young gay son despite risk of condemnation and rejection from their conservative religious and cultural world. This includes steering Jordan past hopelessness and risk for suicide and integrating him into all aspects of their lives, including their core belief that families are forever. Their story will surprise you, give you hope and move you with the power of family.
Now in its 18th year, FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival™ (RIIFF) will take place August 5-10, 2014. The Festival has become a leading juried competition showcase for international independent filmmakers and their work. In 2013, Flickers screened 216 cinematic works in six days to large and appreciative crowds. The films screened came from 65 countries, and 36 states in the United States. During the 2013 Festival, there were 55 World and US/North American Premieres. A total of 21 Narrative Feature, 43 Feature/Documentaries and 152 Short Films were screened. Following months of adjudication and review, Festival films were selected from over 5,114 submissions.
