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Zecji Nasip (Croatian) Sandbag Dam

By Golu
This indie film is a really powerful look at how a community can suffocate you and the hidden corners young people have to find just to be themselves in so many European towns, even with all the progress we've seen lately. The whole story plays out while the town is bracing for a massive, raging flood, and you just can't shake the feeling that some kind of intense reckoning or unavoidable doom is headed their way. To be honest, I didn't go in with super high expectations, but the way it’s put together makes it a seriously compelling watch. Plus, it’s not every day you get to see an LGBT-themed movie coming out of Croatia! The story follows Marko, a popular 18-year-old kid who seems to have it all—he’s got a girlfriend, he’s a competitive arm wrestler, and he’s well-liked at school. When he isn't in class, he’s usually hanging out with his brother, who has a disability, or helping his mom out in her greenhouse. Everything gets flipped upside down when a guy named Slaven ...
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Ang Lalake Sa Parola (Tagalog/Filipino) The Man in the Lighthouse

By Golu
This is an independent gay themed film which feels like it was made on a very shoestring budget, mostly because the production quality doesn't seem that high. But then the film came back in 2007. I was surprised to see a few very explicit sex scenes, which I dont think I have seen in any other Pinoy movie before.

Set in small town Lobo known for its lighthouse, we meet Mateo, the 20 year old caretaker of the lighthouse. The local legend says that the lighthouse in inhabited by a fairy who seduces desirable men who can then never marry. He has been doing that for 3 years and since has been dating a girl. City boy Jerome soon arrives into town and Mateo becomes his caretaker. Mateo is also looking for his father in the same town who abandoned him. Jerome befriends Mateo and before you know they get into a physical relationship. The day of Mateo's wedding is when Jerome leaves back to Manila. Mateo cancels his wedding and goes to Manila to be with Jerome. Jerome welcomes him with open arms but Mateo is a tad uncomfortable. He finds himself unable to adjust to how openly gay Jerome is but Mateo is not. They have a big fight and Mateo comes back to town. Maybe Mateo is struggling to accept his reality because of the hardships he saw a local gay man go through in their town where everyone abuses him. Back in town, Mateo hears to the story of the older caretaker before him and its only the end we understand how similar the story of the two men is. Mateo is in the midst of his conservative rural community, and should he cross the thin line between being straight and being gay

The plot seems very simple yet complicated. It’s a metaphorical rendition of how homosexuality encompasses the lives of men even from the remotest of area. But in an attempt to sway away from the regular formulaic movies, somewhere the film becomes a little messy. The older caretaker using fairy as the metaphor for city life, gay life etc brings an interesting parallelism but it fails to actually deliver something exciting. I didn't understand why would Mateo get suddenly attracted to Jerome, when he has been having very happy and successful sexual relations with his girlfriend. Jerome's interest was genuine, I mean, Mateo is a very handsome man. The one thing that I was able to relate to was how uncomfortable Mateo is in the city life. Clearly he was not being himself and that was the only time I felt for him. Only if Jerome had been more patient of him and given him time to accept the reality without forcing him, they both could have been together. Mateo gives some full on nude, erect penis, shots as well, which is always welcome :)

Overall the film is strictly ok. The intent behind making the film was nice but somewhere it failed during execution. (5/10)
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Comments

Hedgehog said…
I’ve watched this movie and I agree with you. I think mateo wants to better his state of living by going to city and get a decent job and with the help of Jerome he only achieve that. I don’t think he truly love jerome. What’s wrong with Jerome is he only see’s mateo as a sex buddy. Someone who you can slept with when urge arises that’s is the reason that their relationship didn’t work.
July 4, 2020 at 3:26 AM
Golu said…
I agree about Jerome's intention, but I dont think Mateo was in city to use Jerome. I feel somewhere he did like him but he struggled to accept their relationship in open. He loved Jerome but somewhere was more worried about social stigma, especially since he had seen what happened to the openly gay person in his village.
July 4, 2020 at 12:23 PM
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