|  Wolfe Video's Watching You: Intriguing Lesbian Short Films (2002) is, with a few exceptions, a high-quality collection of shorts from around the globe. With entries from Israel to Australia, the dvd features both comedic and dramatic fare written and directed by up-and-coming filmmakers.
The compilation begins with the clever 4 pm, directed by Sam Backhurst. This British film opens with Belinda, a well-heeled professional, on the hunt for Jenna, a blonde in a great pair of boots. After a delicious one night stand,
things take a wickedly funny turn when Jenna is “mistakenly” locked inside her paramour's apartment. Jenna learns certain truths about Belinda, and viewers are treated to a witty look at what happens when what we try to hide is revealed. 4 pm was voted Best Girls Short in the Melbourne Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.
Bare is an Australian sexual peek-a-boo movie that gives a new twist to the thrill of voyeurism. A gay male couple is having a hard time with a little bed death of their own. They sit down for breakfast and see into their neighboring home (much to their embarrassed delight) a butch/femme lesbian pair having sex. Gay men being turned on by lesbians is an unusual bit of spice, and the film is well worth watching for the two women alone. The film is directed by Deborah Strutt (who packs a lot of heat and humor into 9 minutes), and it was the winner of the Best International Short Brussels International Film Festival
In the Canadian film Interview With My Next Girlfriend, a series of women speak to the camera about being the possible next girlfriend. We see the butch daddy, the status-oriented professional, the hippie bohemian, the bisexual grad student, and the political social worker who works “for the movement” barraged with questions, and their answers are hilarious. With Interview, the filmmaker (Cassandra Nicolaou) affectionately pokes fun at the way we present ourselves in our search for love. The film was voted Best Comedy byPlanetOut.com and won the HBO Short Movie Award.
Watching You is a beautifully bittersweet fairytale directed by Stephanie Abramovich, and it was voted Best Lesbian Short Film in the Philadelphia Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. In the film, photographer Sharon obsessively photographs her beautiful, waifish blonde neighbor Michali, who is in the midst of dealing with a painful life event. Through a series of magical coincidences, we see Sharon and Michali meet and flirt with fate. Sharon's jealous girlfriend tries to intercede as destiny weaves it's way for the pair, while Sharon's son Yoni quietly supports his mother as she falls for Michali. It is refreshing to see a lesbian film from Israel that is not dealing with homophobia, but rather with the desire for love under unexpected circumstances.
Despite beautiful cinematography and a relatable story, Katherine Brooks' Dear Emily (Winner of the IFFCON Pitch Contest) falls a bit flat. Schoolgirl Sara comes out to her best friend (who she loves), but with very painful results. We see Sara in her later years coming back to confront the past, but the film ends without a satisfying conclusion to the story. (Brooks' most recent film, Loving Annabelle, also features a lesbian schoolgirl theme.)
The Ten Rules, a Lesbian Survival Guide, is written by and stars the likeable Michelle Paradise, and is directed by the prolific Lee Friedlander. The two make a powerhouse team, and this film is one of the standouts in the Wolfe collection. The film unfolds at a birthday party filled with attractive Los Angeles 20-30 somethings, where viewers are treated to a mini-lesbian world swirling with friends dating friends who are best friends with their exes.
Jennifer Baker (played by Paradise) looks for love as the story switches between her hysterical narration and the unfolding dyke drama that ensues. Jennifer's search for her dream girl, and her chemistry with ex-girlfriend and partner in crime Sam (the wonderful actress Suzanne Mara) leave viewers wanting to see more of their further adventures in Lesbian La-La land (which may happen sooner than later, as Logo is developing Rules into a new television series). Watch for a heart-stoppingly funny scene as Jen imagines herself disco dancing with her potential dream girl. Made in the USA, the film was the winner of the Audience Award, Best Short Film in the Boulder Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Traveling Companion (USA) is a lyrical movie with lovely visuals and a gently unexpected story line. We meet travel writer Helen, who is preparing to take a trip to Italy. Helen has lost her partner and does not want to travel alone. She seeks a companion via a personal ad, then interviews the candidates at an artsy café where a beautiful waitress (Suzanne Mara from 10 Rules) becomes extremely “involved” with Helen's potential choices. The film manages to portray loss and desire with equal sensitivity within a mere 20 minutes. Kristin Davis (Sex and the City), and Marga Gomez provide celebrity cameos, and wonderful direction by Paula Goldberg (co-writer of In Her Line of Fire) earned the film the Executive Director's Award at the Newport Beach International Film Festival.
Double Entente (UK, directed by Jaquie Lawrence) doesn't quite match the quality of the other films. In it, Dulcie's lover is not available for the night, so she meets a stranger in a bar and a rendezvous follows. Bad electronic music permeates the movie (for the entire 11 minutes), proving that a soundtrack can really make or break a film.
On the whole, Watching You: Intriguing Lesbian Short Films is a sexy collection with an abundance of humor. The films included present a wide range of themes, from sexual voyeurism to searching for Ms. Right. Watching You is a great way to see the work of some budding American lesbian writers and directors whose larger projects are now being launched.
Get Watching You: Intriguing Lesbian Short Films at WolfeVideo.com |
