Fresno Famous

*****The Filmmaker's Reception,"The World Unseen", and Deja Vu on Saturday Night:

Once again, they hold the reception at Veni Vidi Vici, a place I would know something about. They had thai rolls, some shrimp dipped in some orange-y sauce, goat cheese, and hummus. I stuffed my face with all of those...I WAS HUNGRY!!! And then there was the booze. 5 drinks before the movie. I honestly thought I was going to puke in the theatre, but I made it.

Before "The World Unseen" was shown, they showed a short film called "The Touch." As soon as the music began and the characters on screen began to talk, I was reminded of the terrible sound quality. They only have these small speakers on the stage of the theatre, so it sounds all warbly and muddled. Or Maybe I just have a bad pair of ears, its just my opinion damnit. So, as for the short film, I couldnt really give an opinion because I couldn't really understand what they saying other than 2 women having a pleasant, sensual experience. Immediately after the film ended, the director went up and stage and stated that the people seating behind her were making rude comments about the film and they should show a little more respect than that. That was truly gangsta.

Now, about the feature film. The movie is set in 1950's Apartheid South Africa, where the main character, an Indian woman named Amina (From India, which there was many of in the movie...I didnt know there was a large population of Indians in South Africa...might be the whole British Colonial thing) who goes against the normal customs of her Indian heritage, wearing man's slacks and was not yet married. She owns a cafe with a black man, who from time to time in the movie is hassled by the police because of his race.

One day, a woman named Miriam comes to her cafe and immediately falls in love with her. Amina is crushing on her. Hardcore. Despite Miriam being married and all, that wont stop Amina from seeing Miriam, even if it is to flirt at first. She gets her chance at seeing Miriam more than Miriam's husband asks Amina to make him a vegetable garden (is that what you call it? just making it?). More tension is built, all culminating in their little kiss in Amina's truck when she was giving her driving lessons. Miriam is freaked out by her first lesbian experience and when Amina wanted to take things to the next level and asks her to go to work two mornings at her cafe, Miriam rejected her because she had a man and kids to think of. Miriam, however, comes around to wanting Amina after fighting with her husband that she doesnt like to be told what to do, and she will be cooking at Amina's cafe, much to the delight of Amina. Did you catch that all?

After the movie, their Women's Party was at Deja Vu. I know went because I have a pass, so I get in for free. Those 5 dollars in savings is really important to me. The same people that were at the Reception were more or less at Deja, along with other familar Fresno faces. I was there 5 minutes....very lame, I know. But I was alone, and I wasn't feeling like being a loner freak that night. I saved that for the next night.

*****"A Jihad For Love", "XXY", and the Closing Night Gala on Sunday:

So of all of the movies I had seen in their little book, "A Jihad For Love" was the one I was looking forward to the most. Most of the proof Muslims cite as a reason to condemn Homosexuality is of the Story of Sodom and Gomorrah. But like a lot of things coming out the Torah, Bible, or Koran, it can be interpreted differently. (or disregarded altogether because of its irrelevance to modern times).It was a documentary in regards to the conflict between homosexuality and the religion of Islam. Thus, there are laws in the Muslim theocracies of Saudi Arabia and Iran, for example, that is punishable by death. In Secularist yet predominately Muslim Turkey, is the complete opposite.

Some of the stories involved one gay man who was a Cleric, trying to sway the minds of the Muslim community in Cape Town, South Africa. A young Egyptian man was put on trial with 50 others just for being gay, all wearing white (even covering their heads), in a cage, inside a courtroom. He said that he couldn't hear the judge because of the other noise in the courthouse. He would eventually be jailed for a few years before he was granted political refugee status by the United Nations and moved to Paris. A group of Iranian men, one of which was lashed 100 times (they showed the picture to prove it), fled Iran to Turkey to see if they would be granted political refugee status as well. You have to go through a process to be granted this status by the UN, and the movie only showed that 2 of the 4 individuals were granted that, while the other 2 were still pending. If these other 2 men were rejected, they would have to go back to Iran. Kind of a downer, but then again, most of the movie was. It really shows how good we have here, in Fresno. Sometimes.

5 Hours later, I off to see the last movie of the whole festival, "XXY". The movie is about a 15 year old named Alex who has XXY syndrome, or Kleinfelder's syndrome, which is when an individual has sexual characteristics that are neither male nor female.

The movie takes place in a small coastal town in Uruguay, where Alex, treated as a female (but with male genitals), lives with her parents. One day, her mother, Suli, invites a surgeon, his wife and son to come and visit to see Alex in an effort to discuss the possibilities of an operation. Alex nor her father Nestor are aware of why their guests are there. Suli knows that Alex is no longer taking her pills to suppress more masculine features such as growing facial hair while allowing her breasts to fully develop. Once Alex and Nestor know the intentions of the visitors does Alex have to make a decision as to whether she wants to live her life as man, woman, or to be both.

One key point in the movie would be the relationship between Alex and the surgeon's son Alvaro. The day that he had arrived, Alex had bluntly asked him for sex, but he refused offer, not because he knew what Alex was, but because Alex was too young for him. However, after Alex asked again, he agrees, only to have something unexpected happen while having sex with Alex. Alex is fucking him in the ass. That must've thrown in into the age of question of "Am I gay? Am I straight? Or am I just slutty?" During the middle of it all, Nestor catches them having sex on top of that, so they had to stop. After such an unusual experience, Alvaro is not disgusted by Alex but in fact, he wants to have sex again. Alex, however, does not want to, playing hard to get.

All in the midst of this was the decision of whether Alex wants to have a sex change operation. Nestor said that she was perfect the way she is and allowed her to make the decision of what the do. As such, they decides to not go with the operation and just be the human being she is. If Alex found people like Alvaro and her father, everything else will fall into place.

So after "XXY," they had their little party next door at the new Tower Samba. I've never been to the Original Samba uptown, but I've heard good things about it in regards to their food and its a pretty popular nightclub as well. They were not going to serve any of their Brazilian food, but since I've never been in there before (even when it was the Daily Planet), it would still be a worthwhile experience. If only I had controlled my drinking that night.

They had free drinks and the bartender was very gracious in the ratio of vodka to red bull...like 3 to 1 it seemed. It did help since I do to this place alone. So like the night before, I walked around, looking around the place, trying the ice cream, stuffing my face with carrots and sandwich wraps, all in an attempt to cover up how out of place I felt.

Other than trying to trip this guy I know from the internet twice, I wasn't talking to anyone. Until someone who will remain nameless did. And I was shocked about it considering how he was out of his league. I'm not sure how much I want to say about that considering other than saying that we eyeing each other the rest of the night (which is something completely new to me). I was drinking like crazy and I feeling weird. As I walked out the door, I saw him doodling on his blackberry (getting texts from his ho's perhaps...almost certainly haha) and I said good night. Human interaction is so strange isn't it?

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All in All, these were 3 enjoyable movies. The best batch I had ever seen from this festival. Maybe I'll go with someone else next time.