Before Internet dating and hookup apps, The Handkerchief code was largely used by gay men in the 1970's to distinguish sexual preferences and fetishes in gay clubs and on the streets of places like San Francisco and New York. And to behest, when I read the title of this film I was hoping to learn about the shivery of the whole thing, how and why did th color codes start, how it progressed etc. But this film ended up being an anthology of 25 shorts from different queer directors worldwide, each telling a story based on a color/fetish of the infamous hanky code, across a spectrum of genres, styles, genders, and locations to dissect the code. Films range from narrative to experimental to erotic and animated, with many films redefining the traditional code with colors, patterns, and fetishes up to creative interpretation of the artist.
On paper the idea sound since, but to be honest, most, if not all, films were pretty basic and boring to a large extent. The stories didn't even have proper story. It was like as if all filmmakers were instructed to steer clear of a story. Instead it was a mishmash-mash of multiple colorful images, sounds, animations, actions. Unfolding on screen in front of you making absolutely no sense and one is left wondering why someone made this and then why is someone actually watching it. It was a disappointment, not just with a misleading title, where I expected something and got something totally different, but even otherwise it was just a sheer waste of time. This review doesn't deserve any more words to keep you away from it. (0.5/10)
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