IN MANCHESTER: POUTfest, HOME
Yes folks, the time where I give you the 411 on things to see and places to visit within the Manchester area has come round again. In August, HOME will be hosting an annual event called POUTfest which showcases a selection of LGBTQ films and this year's assortment of movies to be screened can be found below. POUTfest runs from Tuesday 4th Aug - Monday 31st Aug so, if this piques your interest make sure to head over to HOME before it ends. There are also opportunities to meet and ask the directors of a couple of the films questions relating to their projects which is always fun.
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52 Tuesdays // Source: Photo Courtesy of HOME
52 TUESDAYS
POUTfest begins with the screening of 52 Tuesdays on 4 Aug at 6.10 pm and there will be a Q&A session with the film's director Sophie Hyde afterwards. Over the course of 52 Tuesdays, the journey of a teenager called Billie as she finds out her mum's decision to undergo gender transition is captured and shared in the film 52 Tuesdays. I am sure most if not all of you by now would have heard of Caitlyn Jenner's story but there are still so many people out there struggling to come to terms with who they are. I cannot imagine how Billie's mum must have felt when she finally plucked up the courage to be honest with her daughter but I must say I am very interested in seeing how the relationship between both mother and daughter evolves over the year.
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A GIRL AT MY DOOR
A Girl At My Door, screened on 16 Aug at 6.00 pm, is a tale about how Young-nam, an aspiring police officer who was transferred to a small village, due to what was deemed to be "improper behaviour", came to meet one of the villagers called Dohee. And it is this encounter that results in Young-nam's life taking a dramatic turn. I, personally, really want to know what Young-nam did that got her transferred and how this story turns out.
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DRESSED AS A GIRL
Dressed As A Girl is a documentary which will be screened on on 27 Aug at 6.10 pm and introduced by Dr Monica Pearl, Lecturer in 20th Century American Literature at the University of Manchester. It highlights the London East End drag scene and gives the audience a peek into the dynamic lives of some of its popular performers. You all know I am a fan of hearing about peoples' life stories so a film about several drag queens living it up in London is bound to be a fascinating watch.
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SOFT LAD
Soft Lad centres around a guy in his 20's who just got accepted into his dream dance school. However, things aren't all sunshine and roses as he ends up having a game-changing one-night stand after a fight he had with his sibling's spouse...whom he's been having an affair with for 2 years. Scandalous! I am pretty keen on finding out how the affair started and what comes of the one-night stand that we are told leaves a lasting impression. Soft Ladcan be seen on 12 Aug at 6.20 pm and there will be Q&A session with the film's director Leon Lopez at the end.
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WEEKEND
And to wrap up the film event is the movie Weekend. Written and directed by Andrew Haigh, this romantic film is said to paint a realistic picture of a drunken one-night that is too memorable to be just that and infuses the participants with hope for something more meaningful. Romance and me go waaaaay back so stories where love is a major theme will always catch my attention. If you would like to see this film it will be screened on 31 Aug at 6.00 pm.
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A Girl At My Door // Source: Photo Courtesy of HOME
And there we have it. If you do manage to see one or more of these let me know what you thought of the stories you heard as I am quite intrigued to find out more about them all, especially 52 Tuesdays. Of course I shall share with you what I learnt and loved from the screenings I am fortunate enough to sit in on. Until then, have a great week!
Mo x