The Brazilian Cinematheque presents the Queer Seniors, from the 1st to the 4th of June. Older characters are often pushed to the margins of narratives or relegated to negative stereotypes. Their questions seem to revolve almost exclusively around concerns about health, loneliness and proximity to death.
To start dismantling the ageism that afflicts not only the audiovisual sector, but the LGBTQIA+ community itself, Cinemateca Brasileira brings to the public a selection of films from different countries and decades. With stories that bring struggles, fears, desires and joys, the exhibition reveals the plurality of experiences of queer people in this phase of life.
Sessions are free and tickets are distributed at the box office one hour before the start of each session.
SCHEDULE
Thursday, 01/06
20h30 – children of the night, Brazil, 2022, 16min, 14 years old – Eight gay men between 50 and 70 years old share their memories, experiences, and nocturnal images, questioning themselves about the place their bodies occupy now. “Filhos da Noite” is a mirror of memories that brings together research, images, videos, reports and affections of LGBTQIA+ bodies over 50 years old.
20h45 – Amor by nightBrazil, 2022, 19min, color, 14 years old – Starring the trans first lady of Teatro Pernambucano, in her film debut, after 40 years of career, “Amor by Night” narrates the day to day of a space announcer in a near future where love will be frequent.
Cast: Sharlene Esse, Deydianne Piaf, Raquel Simpson
21h05 – Green LemonBrazil, 2019, 17min, color, 14 years old – About to take the stage for the last time, a Drag Queen revisits all the scars that make up her carnival.
Friday, 6/2
19h – gods and monstersUSA, 1999, 105min, color, 14 years old – The last days of director James Whale, creator of Frankenstein (1931), are explored.
9 p.m. – PhaedraBrazil, 2008, 13min, color, 18 years old – Documentary about actress Phedra De Córdoba, Cuban and transsexual icon of queer culture in São Paulo.
9:15 p.m. – nitrate kisses, USA, 1992, 67min, B&W, 18 years old – In her first feature, after a pioneering trajectory in experimental cinema, Barbara Hammer sets out in search of lost traces of queer existences in images. His poetic investigation, which transits through famous and unknown figures, intersperses archival materials, first-person reports and the filming of four gay and lesbian couples, taking cinema not only as a means of perpetuating erasures, but as a possibility of preserving these lives. everyday life as part of a collective history.
Saturday, 03/06
15h – ajar, Brazil, 2021, 15min, color, 12 years – To understand the challenges of growing old in Brazil as a woman who loves women, 20-year-old bisexual filmmaker Bruna Amorim meets one of the founders of the lesbian movement in the country, Yone Lindgren, now 63 years old. Amidst the exchange, resistance, and construction of affection, Bruna begins to reflect on her own ties based on Yone’s experiences.
3:15 p.m. – Over the Rainbow, Netherlands, Greece, 2015, 40min, color, 12 years old – After her mother passed away, Leny (82 years old) finally had time to follow her dream of cycling around the world. In New Zealand, she met the love of her life and came out of the closet at the age of 68. From then on, she began to dedicate herself to the lesbian life, making up for lost time. A woman who comes out at an advanced age and embraces her new sexuality with more vibrancy and energy than many young people.
16h – After all, Brazil, 2008, color, 12min, 12 years – After the farewell, the wait. After the wait, the return. After all, what they want most is to be together and one day is enough to wait for the next.
16h12 – Greta, Brazil, 2019, 97min, color, 18 years old – Pedro (Marcos Nanini) is a 70-year-old gay male nurse who works in a public hospital. His best friend is Daniela, a transsexual artist who faces serious health problems. When she needs to be hospitalized, but does not find an available bed, Pedro kidnaps a newly arrived patient, Jean, and shelters him in his house. Initially, the nurse is afraid of the aggressive young man, who is hiding from the police for having stabbed a man to death. Afterwards, a relationship of complicity and affection is born between them. Guarani Prize for #CinemaBrasileiro Best Actor Award for #MarcoNanini.
Domingo, 04/06
15h – The cutest and funniest animals in the world, Brazil, 2023, 24min, color, 16 years old – Jorge is 70 years old and is one of the most meticulous and dedicated cleaners at Motel Paradise, with just one detail: he secretly records the audio of guests in the suites. Selling these audios to Alberto guarantees him extra income, but also affection, even though Jorge no longer remembers what his own pleasure sounds like.
15h25 – Silent Pioneers, USA, 1985, color, 42min, age 16 – Through intimate portraits of eight men and women, this film offers a portrait of the 3.5 million elderly gay and lesbian people in the United States. Contrary to the public stereotype of a young gay community, gay men and women do age. “Silent Pioneers” takes an optimistic look at their lives today, showing them living full and diverse lives and sharing concerns about aging, health and housing with other senior citizens. It also reveals how support networks within the gay and lesbian community have enriched and strengthened their individual lives.
16h30 – Grandma, are you a lesbian?, Brazil, 2018, 17min, color, age 12 – At one of the traditional lunches at Vó Clarissa’s house, Joana watches, in shock, as her cousin Joaquim asks the question that lends the film its title. To avoid facing the issue and its repercussions, she disconnects from that moment and begins to revisit her childhood memories in that house. This walk through the past awakens Joana to the possibility of sharing more with her grandmother than she had imagined.
16h47- the oblivion ship, Chile, 2020, 71min, color, age 12 – After the death of her husband, Claudina falls into a solitary routine. Due to financial difficulties, she moves in with her daughter Alejandra, even knowing that their relationship is somewhat difficult. There, she befriends Elsa, her new neighbor, and the two soon fall in love.
Take note: Cinemateca Brasileira (Largo Senador Raul Cardoso, 207 – Vila Mariana, São Paulo)