This docuseries is a lively and personal look at what it’s like to be queer in New Zealand today. Hosted by the really charming Aniwa Whaiapu Koloamatangi, it feels like you're being invited into all these different parts of the rainbow community that usually don't get much time on TV. The first season is made up of six episodes, each about 30 minutes long, and they all dive into different topics like family, faith, and the specific experience of being Takatāpui, which is the Māori queer identity. It does a really nice job of balancing the tough history of the LGBTQ+ community with a lot of modern-day happiness and pride. The show starts with Aniwa traveling all over the place to meet folks from every walk of life to see how their background and identity mix together. In the first episode, Aniwa actually takes his first HIV test, works through some stuff from his childhood by playing rugby with the NZ Falcons—one of the country’s gay teams—and checks out what Rainbow Youth is d...
Gangster Lemon meets veterinarian Radmilo when his dog gets shot. They part but are destined to meet again. Radmilo’s boyfriend Mirko is an artist who also helps planning weddings. Mirko is also part of the LGBT activist group trying to organise pride parade in Belgrade. Doing that is no easy task because they get harassed and beaten up all the time. Lemon is now ‘reformed’ and runs judo clubbing his finance Pearl is working with Mirko planning her wedding. The eventual meeting of the two couples goes horribly wrong with Lemon’s violent and homophobic side emerging. Pearl decides to break up with Lemon and calls Radmilo to apologise for Lemon’s behaviour. This is when he hatches a plan. He comes up with a proposal to Lemon that is he can protect his love to get the pride parade going without any interruptions, he guarantees that Mirko would plan for the best wedding for him and Pearl. Lemon reluctantly accepts but gets into a problem when his own staff refuses to protect gays and leaves him. Put in a tight spot, Lemon thinks of hiring his former enemies from the Yugoslav Wars. Lemon and Radmilo embark on a recruiting trip all over ex-Yugoslavia, which by the way is the most important, funny and interesting part of the whole story. They sign up 3 recruits from Croatia, Bosnia and Albania. Things are still not as easy as they thought. Lemon’s heart slowly changes and he starts to see the so called ‘normal’ side of the gays. They all know that they are very few in number and probably could even die protecting the parade but he risks everything because that is what you do for your love. The parade eventually happens the next year but at a huge cost of love.
As I mentioned before, The film is raunchy, funny, hilarious , yet puts its point across us. Its not easy to make film that deals with subject of gay-bashing and aftermath of civil war. This film reminded me a bot of the film ‘Pride’ from UK last year but of course, this film had come earlier. The acting is brilliant by every member. I would give very high points to the director and the screenplay writer to keep this amazing balance of keeping the ongoing entertaining yet thought provoking. Things like this can help start a debate. Sure maybe they showed a very stereotypical side of gays but these people do exist in reality and we all have a freedom of choice and freedom to live the way we want to. Pearl, as the gansgter’s moll was amazing. Her character initially irritating gave a lot of dignity to the people around her. We need more tolerant people like her around us. This movie breaks the walls of prejudices and helps people see that there's nothing wrong with being gay. It's a very refreshing movie on the Balkan scene, and it will make you laugh your ass out, and burst to tears in the end.
Laugh-out-loud funny, brilliantly acted and, towards the very end, also deeply moving, the film deserves all the attention and I hope it gets that. Highly recommended. (9/10)
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