18-year-old brothers Antoine and Quentin (played by real-life twins Alexandre and Victor Carrilare) live with their father and work as bakers in a bucolic French village.
When their estranged mother dies in Spain, they set off to attend the funeral, without telling their father. The journey turns out to be more difficult than either had anticipated and a rift threatens to split the brothers apart.
Soon, Antoine and Quentin must struggle to accept each other as individuals, and to find their places in an uncertain world.
Inspired by road movies of the ’70s, Give Me Your Hand earned rave reviews when it was released internationally in 2008. TimeOut New York said it was “richly atmospheric.” Shadows on the Wall called it “a fascinating exploration of identity.” And LondonView called it “a beautifully made, thought-provoking and ultimately moving film.”
For contemporary LGBT viewers, Queens at Heart offers a vivid and compelling lens on how far we have come as a movement while also giving a deep (and wildly entertaining) understanding of what it was like to be transgender at a very different time in history. There are very few filmed images by or about LGBT people before the Stonewall Riots of 1969. There were especially few portrayals of trans lives and experience in this era. The two other films that come to mind from this period are: the remarkable feature documentary, The Queen (1968) and the short documentary portrait of an African American trans woman, Behind Every Good Man (1967). (While the 1970 dramatic feature, The Christine Jorgenson Story is at least somewhat well intended, it primarily comes across as lurid and sensationalist.)
Produced in New York City in 1967, this amazing 22-minute short introduces us to Misty, Vicky, Sonya and Simone — four courageous trans women who candidly discuss their personal lives with a lurid male interviewer who claims to have spoken to “thousands of homosexuals” (and who clearly doesn’t understand the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity). The film offers an extremely rare and poignant glimpse into pre-Stonewall queer life as it takes us to a New York City drag ball and follows the women through their daily lives. They talk about their double-lives — going out as women at night but living as men during the day, and about how they take hormones and dream of “going for a change.” One talks about avoiding the draft, another about her fiancé and another about the torment of childhood as an effeminate youth.
“We know that homosexuality is a psychological aberration that should be treated,” proclaims the interviewer as the film ends. Shifting to a surprisingly sympathetic tone he then concludes with the provocative challenge, “but what about those who don’t want to change? Who are we to judge?” This flip-flop perfectly encapsulates the film’s schizophrenic combination of attitudes as it alternates between luridness and validation, judgment and empathy.
Of course it is extremely significant for us to be able to look back and see this rare portrait of four wonderful trans women being so candid and courageous in the years before Stonewall. Queens at Heart is especially remarkable for how candid and brave the women are in expressing themselves so vulnerably when we can tell that the film was produced more as an exploitation film than as a serious documentary.
As a film historian and archivist I’ve unearthed many films over the years. Queens at Heart is the most significant on every level. It is a film that had been essentially lost to us — with nothing having previously been written about it in LGBT film literature. As a glimpse at pre-Stonewall queer life it is remarkable: from the wonderful footage of the drag balls and gay men dancing together to the provocative interviews with transgender women which are truly jaw-dropping in their candor. The power of this film for bringing us face to face with our forebears (and queer life in 1967) is absolutely incredible, and the film is of even greater interest in this era of increased trans awareness and activism.
Queens at Heart is a tremendously valuable archival portrait of pre-Stonewall trans women — their candor and courage are a true gift and this is a must-see film for anyone interested in transgender history.
About Jenni Olson: Jenni Olson is an LGBT film historian, archivist and filmmaker based in Berkeley, California. Her work as a film historian includes the Lambda Award nominated The Queer Movie Poster Book (Chronicle Books, 2005) and her many vintage movie trailer presentations (Homo Promo, Trailer Camp, etc.). She is on the Advisory Board of the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project for LGBT Moving Image Preservation.
How do you love someone if you don’t show who you are?
Twenty-year old Lukas (Rick Okon) is a prisoner in his own body. As a pre-op trans person, he is constantly finding himself trapped in uncomfortable, compromising positions.
His best friend, Ine (Liv Lisa Fries) introduces him to the gay scene in Cologne where he meets the confident and gorgeous, Fabio (Max Befort). The two develop a romantic relationship that tests the boundaries of love.
Originally released in 2011, this critically-acclaimed debut feature from German writer-director Sabine Bernardi forgoes stereotypes and conventions to offer an honest and humorous examination of the most basic of human conditions: friendship, sex, and love.
Watch the trailer for Romeos below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.
Ryan (screenwriter Chris McNeany) and Taya (Helena-Alexis Seymour) have a happy and loving marriage. When they go on a routine staycation, Ryan instantly connects with a man (Julian Fletcher) at the hotel pool.
Conflicted by this attraction, Ryan explores a part of himself that he has long suppressed. This encounter opens up the chance for a whole new level of honesty between Ryan and Taya, if they are willing to explore bisexuality and an open relationship.
From director Fiona Dawson, the new 13-minute short film More Than He Knows examines the complexity of human connections; our self-awareness, awareness of others, the spectrum of sexuality and models of marriage.
In this new documentary, trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to shine in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan.
From glossy pride parades to playfully perverse underground parties, Queer Japan pictures people living brazenly unconventional lives in the sunlight, the shadows, and everywhere in between.
Dazzling, iconoclastic drag queen Vivienne Sato peels back the layers of language and identity. Maverick manga artist Gengoroh Tagame tours the world with his unapologetically erotic gay comics. Councilwoman Aya Kamikawa recounts her rocky path to becoming the first transgender elected official in Japan. At the legendary kink-positive hentai party Department H, non-binary performance artist Saeborg uses rubber to create a second skin.
Culled from 100+ interviews conducted over three years in locations across the entire country, Queer Japanfeatures dozens of individuals sharing their experiences in their own words. Get to know a vibrant and inspiring group of human beings in a country with a unique history of queer expression.
Watch the trailer for Queer Japan below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.
Set in 2011, weeks after Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico, this provocative, sexy and deeply moving new thirty-minute short film follows a lonely middle-aged man finds himself obsessing with his squatter neighbor, a young closeted and tormented athlete who insistently pursues his attention.
A massive hit at film festivals all around the world, writer-director Edgar Garcia’s The Gust deals with fragility issues of living in a forgotten paradise, in the world’s oldest colony, still half-torn, half-supported, with half-citizens, half-gods and half-demons.
Check out a few stills from The Gust below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.
The touching new documentary Madame is a double portrait of a young boy slowly coming out of the closet and of the lady that was, even more than his own mother, the woman of his life – his grandmother.
Based on private archival footage, Madame takes us onto an intimate journey where Caroline, a flamboyant 90-year-old grandmother and her filmmaker grandson Stéphane explore the development and transmission of gender identity in a patriarchal environment.
Promised to a domestic life in the 1920s, Caroline manages to free herself from the clutches of a forced marriage and becomes a successful businesswoman, defying the social rules of her time.
In parallel, Stéphane struggles to play the role everyone expects in his Swiss bourgeois family, until the day he comes out of the closet and sets off on a crusade against homophobia and sexism.
Watch the trailer for Madame below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.
Based on a true story, Marathon explores the relationship between Richard Harteis (Bristol Pomeroy) and William Meredith (Alec Dana), former US Poet Laureate and winner of every major American award for poetry including the 1988 Pulitzer Prize.
In the 17th year of their friendship, William sustains a debilitating stroke. Richard stands by his partner, fighting for the right to care for him, despite the inevitable restrictions on his own life, and against the wishes of William’s family. Though the path they have chosen is not an easy one, their love and compassion see them through days of illness, therapy, and healing. The power to overcome illness with dignity becomes a lesson in physical and spiritual endurance, hard won knowledge indeed.
Marathon displays the resolve, discipline and courage of two human beings running for their lives, qualities that can sustain us all in life’s marathon. In this moving account, we see how two fellow runners have joined the course, and just how far our dreams can take us before we cross the finish line.
Watch the trailer for Marathon below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.
Justin (Jonathan Miles) knew he was gay from a very young age, but he was not allowed to act upon it. Finally in college and free from having his every move watched, he seeks out what it is he feels he wants… until he discovers what he needs.
When Justin acts out recklessly – again, after the bi-semester check in phone call with his dominating and controlling father – he causes enough personal injury to require yet another ER visit. It is in the ER, on this specific night, he meets Michael (Bjorn Anderson), a male nurse.
As a result of his father’s overt homophobia, Justin has never quite been able to love or accept himself, let alone another person. It’s not until his relationship with Michael begins to blossom that he sees a potential “happily ever after” at the end of a dark tunnel.
Written and directed by Michelle Leigh, this touching indie follows one troubled young man learning how to love himself and accept love from another.
Watch the trailer for More Than Only below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.
Originally released in 2014, writer-director Denis Theriault’s 10-minute short film I Am Syd Stone earned acclaim at film festivals around the globe and competed as an entrant in the prestigious Iris Prize festival. The film was also included in the 12th volume of the popular Boys on Film DVD series.
I Am Syd Stone followed a closeted gay movie star (played by Gharrett Patrick Paon) returning to his hometown for his high school reunion, who unsuccessfully attempts to rekindle his relationship with his former boyfriend Brent (Michael Gaty).
Now Theriault has followed up that successful short with a brand-new series of the same name. This new six-episode show expands the story.
Syd Stone (now played by Travis Nelson) has found his career as an actor has fading. He is now on location in a small town to film a B-movie, and meets and falls for lawyer Matt (Benjamin Charles Watson), but must confront the emotional consequences of having remained closeted for the sake of his career.
The series is set in the present day, and alludes to the events of the original film, however, there is a much happier ending in store for Stone this time around.
Discover great gay stories. 