David Thorpe, trying not to sound gay
Despite no specific gay programming series, the 2015 of the Dallas International Film Festival — which is going on now through April 19 — is one of the gayest yet, with a lot of diverse and interesting LGBT films, from shorts to narrative features to documentaries. Here’s a brief (but non-exhaustive) rundown of some of what to check out, but there’s tons more as well.
The Amina Profile (documentary). Filmmaker Sophie Deraspe online flirtation with blogger Amina, known to the world as “A Gay Girl in Damascus,” rose to the level of international intrigue when Amina was kidnapped, and Deraspe set out to find out what happened. Screens Friday at 10:15 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m.
Margarita with a Straw (feature). An Indian woman with cerebral palsy sets out to make a life for herself in New York, only to discover something about herself when she meets and falls in love with another woman. Screens Saturday at 12:15 p.m. and Saturday, April 18 at 10:30 p.m.
She’s the Best Thing In It (documentary). After years on TV and stage as a reliable character actress (Gypsy, One Day at a Time), Mary Louise Wilson finally scored gold, taking a Tony Award for playing Big Edie Bouvier in the musical adaptation of Grey Gardens. It should have opened even more doors for her, only, she says, “I never worked again.” So, without prior experience teaching, she accepts a position in New Orleans instructing students on the art of acting. Ron Nyswaner (Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Philadelphia) made this look at the actor’s craft through the eyes of one of the best who most folks have never heard of. Screens Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 12:15 p.m.
Do I Sound Gay? (documentary), pictured. David Thorpe’s personal, comic look at gay stereotypes about what an effeminate voice says about you to the outside world — both the English-speaking and non-English-speaking. Confessional, funny, charming and profound by turn, it includes interviews with the likes of George Takei, Tim Gunn and David Sedaris. Screens Saturday at 10:15 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
The Outfit (short). Texas filmmaker and DIFF fave Yen Tan (Ciao, Pit Stop) directed this tight narrative about how clothes suggest something about a public figure’s sexuality. Part of the Shorts Competition Program. Screens Tuesday at 10 p.m. and Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Adjust-a-Dream (short). A gay couple, planning for their big move in together, go searching for the perfect mattress … only the process reveals a lot about their differences and insecurities. Comic and dramatic by turn. Part of the Shorts Competition Program. Screens Friday at 7:45 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Little Deputy (short). Gay director Trevor Anderson tries to re-take a photo with his dad at a shopping mall kiosk 30 years late in this quirky, quasi-experimental and very personal private history of father-son relationships. Screens Friday at 7:45 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.
