Light Up is an intimate documentary that focuses on the lives of five people in Atlanta—four Black gay men and one Black transgender woman. It’s a really personal look at their backstories and how they’ve dealt with prejudice and mental health struggles because they felt they had to hide who they truly were. The big thing they all share is that every person interviewed has found a way to push through those hard times. Now, they're all at a place where they feel totally comfortable being themselves and speaking their truth. The five people sharing their journeys are Simone Tisci, Derek Jae, Octavius Terry, Obio Jones, and Benjamin Carlton. Derek Jae is already pretty well-known from reality TV, while Simone Tisci is a successful makeup artist who is now working on breaking into acting. Then there’s Octavius Terry, who used to be a record-breaking track and field star. He actually cut his athletic career short because he was so scared his coaches and teammates would find out he was ...
Mark is a young gay campaigner who decides to break out of gay politics and support the miners. Mark and his friends raise some cash and finds a sympathetic Welsh mining leader to accept it. The irony is that the miners are generally speaking the most homophobic group that they could ever hope to find, so the union wants nothing to do with them or their money. When Mark and his friends visit the village, as expect they face hatred some some and love from others but slowly they manage to turn things around and slowly everyone starts liking them, well mostly everyone. The rest of the film shows us how this group of lesbian and gays form LGSM group, win everyone’s love, some people’s hatred and try an move on. We also witness some of the individual stories and their coming out stories interlaced with poignant love and affection from miners families especially the women. The ending where the miners show up their support for the gays is just the perfect ending and mad me choke a little with emotions.
Every single character in this film goes an exceptional performance. the LGSM group or the miners, everyone just fits ad the fact that film is light hearted with comedy tones makes it so much more easier and pleasant to watch. The director very expertly juggles a large number of characters and story elements without making it confusing. We have the gay man who reconnects with his estranged family; the onset of AIDS; the self-actualization of a modest miner’s wife. You cannot not be moved by this film. The takeaway message of “Pride” is that meeting someone of a different race, gender, orientation or status is a lot more informative, honest and enriching than experiencing them from what media tells you. Therein so much that I am feeling inside but can’t find the right words that can describe how good I am feeling after watching this film
This is a must see movie that will show how hate can harm and will also reinforce your faith in humanity. (9/10)
Comments
Only English can be that pragmatics (upper class -sorry - of course).
still makes for a cheerful viewing.. would you agree?