iebruary 15*2002 *
t
Yay! Money!
trials and heartache of a young, impossible gay
Ihite Bird Productions has been
relationship, although through an entirely new
awarded a $ 150,000 grant from Meyer
cultural perspective. Dakan is the first feature
film on homosexuality out of sub-Saharan
i Memorial Trust to build organization
al infrastructure.
Africa, and director Mohamed Camara now
T h e nonprofit, founded in July 1997 by
lives in Paris to protect his life. Throughout
life
partners W alter Jaffe and Paul King, is
the making of the movie, he received death
dedicated to bringing the best regional,
threats, both individual and institutional.
national and international dance companies
W hen the film opened in Zimbabwe, President
to Portland. T h e group’s mission also
Robert Mugabe took to the airwaves to con
includes commissioning new dance work,
demn homosexuals and all of their supporters.
developing education and outreach programs
Camara is not gay but wrote in defense of
and making dance accessible to everyone by
his work, ‘‘I made this film to pay tribute to
keeping ticket prices affordable. T he grant
those who express their love in whatever way
money will keep the organization viable and
they feel it, despite society’s efforts to repress it."
allow it to continue quality programming for
The festival will screen the short Out m Africa
the coming year.
with another documentary, Woubi Chen. The first
Most recently, W hite Bird was responsible
film profiles a number of gay men in Zimbabwe
for the sold-out Les Trockadero de Monte
and South Africa. They talk about their personal,
Carlo performance in January. It welcomes
social and political struggles as well as their work
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, one of the
as activists, hairdressers and prostitutes. The film
most widely known and highly respected com
serves as a record of racial dynamics and as an
panies in the country, to Arlene Schnitzer
exploration of the future of these men as individ
Concert Hall on Feb. 26.
uals and as members of a global gay community.
Woubi C hen
introduces rela
tionships within
the gay, lesbian, bi
and trans commu
nities of Abidjan,
the capital of
Ivory Coast.
Alternately funny
and poignant, the
film is intelligent
and perceptive in
exposing the gen
erally hidden lives
of these subjects.
Antonio D’Au-
ria, one of the fes
tival’s organizers, is
happy and grateful
to see these movies
The boys of White Bird Productions have reason to smile
in Portland. The
Italian transplant,
who moved here to live with his U.S. partner,
worked all last year to bring queer-themed
very time we turn around, there’s another
African films to the annual event. “The movies
queer on television. T he Real W orld has
have encountered harsh opposition,” he says,
not one but two this season. We know
“and have caused so much controversy every
they’re really, really cute, but there’s another
where in the world, Portland community includ
guy who’s cute too and not getting nearly
ed.. .1 believe these movies are so important.”
the same exposure.
Dakan screens at noon Feb. 21 and 7:30 p.m.
PBS is in the midst of showing its 13-part
Feb. 22. Out m Africa and Woubi Cheri screen at
series Senior Year, a new documentary captur
7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 and are followed by a discus
ing the experience of a diverse group of kids at
sion of the films and their subjects.
Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. One of
All shows takes place in Room 122 of Ter
them is Jet, an openly gay Filipino who is also
rell Hall at the Cascade Campus, 705 N.
a member of RO TC . They might not-ask, but
Killingsworth St. Screenings are free, and free
Jet is definitely telling. “Hear 1 am, the biggest
parking is available. For a complete list of all
queer on campus,” he says in Episode 2, “and
films, visit www.cfaf.net.
you know what? I
proved to myself that
I can be gay and still
do anything I want."
T he confident
ere’s the sad thing:
whippersnapper
is
If you don’t go to
supported by his par
Crush, 1412 S.E.
ents and has attend
Morrison St., sometime
ed a Models of Pride
between 6 and 9 p.m.
day of workshops for
Feb. 18, you could very
gay and lesbian stu
well miss the chance to
dents on the show.
meet your soul mate.
In upcoming
You’d just kick yourself,
■episodes he’ll decide
wouldn’t you?
Ju st O ut is going to
Jet jets to cheerleading tryouts on Senior Year to try modeling and
try out fot the cheer
help you avoid this
near-disaster by playing host to a Presidents
leading squad (ah, youth).
Airing at 10:30 p.m. Fridays, Senior Year
Day Singles Party at the suave wine bistro
might not be as glamorous as The Real World,
that very evening. Show up to enjoy free
but it just seems, well, more real. J D
food and prizes at this smoke-free venue.
You’ll also get free personal ads and help
Com piled by L isa B radshaw
with writing them. Imagine!
W :
The Real High School
E
Just Out
seeks singles
H
dud, bottom of the bag
Russell Crowe gives another Oscar-worthy
performance as a brilliant mathematician who
overcomes schizophrenia to win the Nobel
Prize. Ed Harris plays a government official
who needs to borrow this tortured cranium to
crack Commie codes, and Jennifer Connelly
is stunning as the supportive wife. Director
Ron Howard uses clever techniques to help us
understand the couple’s suffering.
— Jim Radosta
B lack H awk D own
Director Ridley Scott succeeds at convinc
ing us war is hell but fails in providing any
context for a botched 1993 mission in Soma
lia— with the exception of a cigar-chomping
warlord and a few explanatory titles. O f course,
considering this is a military movie, the hunks
are on parade, including Josh Hartnett, Ewan
McGregor and Ron Eldard. Attention!
-J R
G osford P ark
only if you’re really hungry
good effort, pass the salt
mmmm, tasty!
get the big tub o’ com
shouldn’t be missed. Director Ray Lawrence
orchestrates a complex cast of couples in writer
Andrew Bovell’s riveting examination of adul
tery, trust and deception. When therapist Bar
bara Hershey counsels a gay patient, she begins
to get second thoughts about her distant hus
band, Geoffrey Rush. Is he or isn’t he?
-J R
T he M an W ho
W asn ’ t T here
I’m not a big fan of the Coen brothers, so
this is high praise. Billy Bob Thornton redeems
himself after Bandits with a pensive perform
ance as a quiet barber in this quirky film noir.
Jon Polito adds comic relief as a “pansy” con
artist who makes an inappropriate pass at
Thornton.
Subtle metaphor and dry wit carry
Robert A ltm an’s
1930s period
-J R
piece. It’s
Upstairs, D ow n-
stairs at the
S torytelling
McCordle coun
try estate when
Indie provoca
guests arrive with
teur Todd Solondz
servants in tow.
( H appiness, W el
But when Sir
com
e to the D oll
W illiam is mur
house) puts a queer
dered, whodunit?
character
front
Stephen Fry is
and center in his
memorable if a
The housemaid has said too much in Qosford Park
sharp new film
bit too bumbling
but Storytelling mostly serves as a funny but
as a police inspector, and Emily Watson is
brutal illustration that;, compared to its more
Oscar-worthy as a dexterous maid. T here’s
under-the-carpet themes— race, class, failure,
a rich feminist theme and a delightful
moral responsibility in life and art— being
peppering of homoeroticism, but the
gay
is more a simple fact of life than a cause
whole thing ends a bit too quickly, allow
for sensation.
ing nice memories but a feeling of being
— Christopher McQuain
rushed out the door.
— Lisa Bradshaw
V anilla S ky
I A m S am
Ja c o b ’s Ladder meets The Matrix in Cam
eron Crowe’s startling romantic thriller. Tom
I really wanted to like this sappy tear-
Cruise is a wealthy girl magnet (quite a
jerker, but the entire experience is excruci
stretch) who finds tote love with charming
ating: Am I supposed to laugh when Sean
artist Penèlope Cruz only to make a fatal error
Penn (as a mentally challenged father) says
with his “fuck buddy,” Cameron Diaz, which
something unbelievably moronic? Am I
changes his life in ways he, nor the audience,
supposed to swoon when he and Michelle
can quite figure out. Is he dreaming, fantasiz
Pfeiffer (as his icy lawyer) start flirting with
ing or just plain crazy? Amusingly,
each other, even though he has the mental
Cruise delivers the familiar “Look, I’m
capacity o f a 7-year-old? No, I cringe.
— JR straight, O K ?”— onscreen this time.
Occasionally bogged down in senti
mentality, but Cruise and Cmz
L antana
make the sparks fly.
— LB
This late arrival in the Oscar race
o u t 45