After the vicious boos for We Own The Night, my friends and I decide to hit La Pizza -- the local cheap restaurant good enough to succeed in New York -- for one last dinner. Afterwards, I try to hit a late night market screening of a movie but it doesn't have English subtitles so I leave. After working on some stories, a group of us head out for drinks at Grand Hotel until they flick the lights on and off, turn them completely out and finally turn them on very brightly to get us to leave.
On the way home, I make the nightly check on Zanzibar. Its triumph over Le Pink seems complete. Le Pink has some clients while Zanzibar is filled to the brim. (Mind you, most everyone stands outside since the bar is tiny and the night is so hot. Also in its favor: Zanzibar seems to serve drinks until the last customer is ready to leave, sometimes till 5 in the morning. Perhaps the chief of police is gay? The bar itself was born in 1885 and has been variously described to me as one of the oldest in Cannes, one of the oldest in France (which seems unlikely), one of the oldest gay bars in France, and one of the oldest gay bars in the world. In any case, it's pretty old. The roof is very low with sloping alcoves here and there. Behind the bar are faux classical statues, one of a cherub, the other of a woman, I believe. There are paintings drawn on the actual wall (obviously pretty recent), depicting the sailors. One shows two sailors who seem to have become buddies, another shows a sailor looking for a buddy, and another shows a young man with his shirt opened to his waist and playing the accordion. If the man outside my window from noon to 10 p.m. looked anything like this guy, I would find him far less annoying.
We step outside and who should be sitting there but director Cheryl Dunye, of The Watermelon Woman. Naturally, my new gay roommate has already met her; in fact, she calls out his name when we're going by and we chat for a minute. She's in Cannes reconnecting with people. After Watermelon, she made the very good TV movie Strangers Inside, which was a festival favorite for many gay cineastes. Then came the Eddie Griffin comedy My Baby's Daddy, which did not make good use of her talents. Dunye upped and left for Amsterdam, but she's working on material and is ready to dive back in. And that's some of the best news I've heard the entire festival. -- Michael Giltz
The 60th Cannes Film Festival already produced one delight: the coming-of-age drama Water Lilies by a talented young French director who promptly came out to The Advocate. Now we've got another winner.
XXY is an Argentinian first feature by Lucia Puenzo about an inter-sexed, or hermaphrodite child named Alex. Presented to the world as a girl, Alex is a 15 year old teenager who has breasts and a penis. Her parents have moved her (again) from Buenos Aires to a small town on the Uruguayan coastline. Often instinctively treated cruelly by others, Alex is a troubled but confident young woman. Her parents wrestle with the question of whether they made the right decision not to have Alex medically assigned to one sex at an early age. Her mother invites a plastic surgeon friend to visit -- along with his wife and sexually curious son -- hoping for a conversation about the unspoken topic.
Alex (a terrific Ines Efron) takes charge and immediately asks Alvaro (also exceptional Martin Piroyansky) if he wants to have sex. Alvaro, who has been wrestling with feelings of being gay, is probably relieved to find himself attracted to Alex and after initial shyness, they begin to make out.
In a really remarkable scene early in the film, Alex then turns Alvaro over and begins to penetrate him. His confusion, surprise and arousal makes for an extraordinary moment perhaps never seen in the movies, with an inter-sexed person taking charge of their identity without apology while a young gay man begins to accept who he is as well.
The entire film is about acceptance, as Alex more and more resists taking pills to keep her from growing a beard or the possibility of surgery and wants to be accepted and loved as she is.
The adults are secondary, though still important. But the teens are front and center and make this story riveting. Made with assurance and skill, this is an exceptional film. Not since Boys Don't Cry has a movie dealt with issues of gender and sexuality in so bold and forthright a manner. It won't have the box office or Oscar impact of that film, of course: it's not in English and the heroine (without spoiling anything) does not suffer a tragic death, the sort of "sad victims" finale that often makes people on the margins acceptable to a wider public. But you won't want to miss it. I liked the movie so much, I made myself late for another interview and stayed for the Q&A. I also arranged to speak to the director and star on Thursday so look for that chat later.
-- Michael Giltz
I can't remember the last Cannes festival that could boast of two good films right at the beginning. But that's the delightful surprise of Water Lillies, a serious film about first love. (No one takes childhood or first love more seriously than the French.)
First time director Celine Sciamma peers intimately into the lives of three 15 year old girls exploring their sexuality against a backdrop of competitive synchronized swimming. Anne is heavy and determined to lose her virginity as soon as possible, preferably to the dashing Francois. Floriane is naturally sexy and flirtatious but hasn't actually slept with anyone, even her nominal boyfriend, the ever-present Francois. And then there's our heroine Marie (a gawky Pauline Acquart with lovely full lips who will clearly be a beauty when she grows up). Marie is friends with Anne but shadows the black sheep Floriane around, becoming so besotted with her that she steals Floriane's trash and even eats scraps of food that were thrown away by her.
Beautiful and sharp-edged without being sad, it has some quiet passages that are grippingly frank. Water Lillies is one to mark down. It's pure art house fare, but anyone who can't see it in a theater will definitely want to check out the DVD. I've already arranged to chat with the director tomorrow morning and will let you know what the 27 year old Sciamma is like.
Congratulations to our lucky winner, Colleen Broderick! Here is her most memorable Dinah moment: I would say the most memorable moment would be going to the White Party and being slammed into by an an Escalade Truck traveling at 40 mph-no brakes, while we were stopped at the intersection a block away from the Doral Hotel. Six of us in white, combined w/ six other women in white, who were in the taxi in front of us, were swarmed by ambulance, fire trucks, and police men. We were in the emergency room with our own private white party until 2 a.m. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. Wish we could've enjoyed Dinah. But no such luck this year.
I totally love Colleen's true Dinah spirit. After throwing her own private white party in the ER, we think Colleen will bring much style when she models Leisha Hailey's tight black T. Send us a photo, Colleen! And don't forget to listen for Leisha's new band, Uh Huh Her.
Anyone who knows me (by the way, I’m Jenny Stewart, PlanetOut's entertainment editor) knows I’m just not a Dinah going kind of girl. When I imagine myself there, I imagine sweating, no place to be alone, being hit in the head with a beach ball and someone throwing me in the pool right after I put makeup on. I imagine myself in a very bad mood and therefore being mean to people, so for those reasons, I stay behind.
Still, the Dinah lineup was so impressive this year I was actually tempted to go, and after reading Anne Stockwell’s Dinah blog, I was actually furious for not going.
And I’m not referring to the “Carmen Electra Wows Her Lesbian Fans By Sticking Her Ass In Their Faces at Dinah!” part that ran on all the straight press outlets. I’m talking about Anne’s amazingly descriptive blow-by-blow of the “L Word Be Scene” event.
What a brilliant concept the “Be Scene” contest was – fans of “The L Word” got to re-enact their favorite “L Word” scenes live onstage and be judged on their performances by Kate Moennig, Leisha Haley and freaking Jane Lynch? How awesome is that?
It sounds hilarious and I’ve been kicking myself for not seeing it live. But my former boss, Our Chart’s Beth Callaghan, just IM’d me with good news that I wanted to share with all the other girls who didn’t get to Dinah this year. Here’s an idea of how our IM went -- by the way, Beth’s a classic under-reactor (cool and mellow) and I’m a classic over-reactor (never mellow) so this IM is a classic example of how we communicate.
Beth: Yo
Jenny: Hi Beth! How are you? I totally miss you!
Beth: Cool.
Jenny: That “L Word” event at Dinah sounded like a freaking blast! I am so mad I missed it! What a great idea!!!!
Beth: Cool.
Jenny: I wish I could have seen it! It looked like so much fun! Will you be showing any clips at all on Our Chart?!
Beth: AOE Jenny: AOE? What does that mean?
Beth: All of ‘em
Jenny: Oh my God, that’s AWESOME! Will you be showing brand new segments each week for the next ten weeks?
Beth: Yup.
Jenny: Will there be exclusive behind-the-scenes footage as well? Is it live now?
Beth: Duh. Also K&LQ&A
Jenny: Wait – you mean the ten minute video clip of Kate and Leisha Q&A in bed together answering fan questions is also up now?
Beth: Yup.
Jenny: Oh Beth, I miss working with you, and I so miss our conversations!
Beth: Ditto.
So there you have it -- all the details straight from Beth’s mouth. You can catch all this stuff now on Ourchart.com now!
Hi, Anne here. The Dinah continues tonight with screenings and parties and probably a lot of Alka Seltzer. And then begins the long lesbian trek home.
As for me, this is my last post. My Undercover Buddy (who ended up morphing into an amazing reporter-at-large) and I, along with Michele and Jessica and our friends, have tried to bring you along with us. But next year, I'm telling you, you ought to come see for yourself. Whether you're 18 or 80—and frankly, I think I saw women of those ages and all the ages in between—you can't leave here without being moved at the endless beauty represented here. I don't mean skin. I mean soul. Even though this was every inch the boozy "lesbian spring break" it's cracked up to be, I didn't see one fight. I didn't hear one angry voice. We were all so happy to see each other. As I packed up my gear, one of my new friends mused, “This is history.”
Jill Bennett (at left, in case you're in doubt) is the out, and outrageously beautiful, actress who was Here TV's first star. Jill survived Here's disastrous "In Her Line of Fire," opposite Mariel Hemingway. The movie was bad, but both ladies were heroic. I can't wait to see Jill in a role that gives her her propers. Are you listening, Hollywood?
Meet Jill's partner of three years, musician Jamie Sher.
Michelle Paradise is coming your way in Logo's new lesbian series, "Exes and Ohs." It's based on Michelle's award winning short film "Ten Rules," which ruled on the LGBT festival circuit. Michelle wrote this six-episode dramedy and stars as well. Here she is, rocking that Sandra Bullock laugh.
Answering questions after her screening, Michelle deftly deflects the usual round of lesbian pre-gripes. "Will your series show the lives of US, the REAL lesbians?" Oy. Listen, here's the thing, ladies. Our lives, much as they fascinate us, may not rise to the level of drama that will appeal to the nation as a whole. Take my own life. Would you want to watch an episode called "Anne Gets Stuck in Traffic on the Way Back to L.A. from the Dinah?" Cuz that's the drama that's coming up in my world.
Service with a smile: Representing their College Dropout togs are (l to r) Rachel, Veronica, Wendy (of Dante's Cove!), and Pumpkin. Yeah. Pumpkin. What about it?
Voila, le College Dropout T. Appropriate for wedding receptions, homecoming dances, and sporting events.
Massage oil candle, anyone?
Yes! I've tracked down Honey Labrador! Her L Word collection fashion show was the talk of the Milan Dance last night. Today she's modeling the goods in person. I like how she's actually manufacturing jeans that fit real women!
Like my Advocate buddy Anne, I was dragging this morning. But after a swim at our motel pool, I did manage to make it out to the Kraft Nabisco LPGA golf tournament at the Mission Hills Country Club--the one that WAS called the Dinah Shore until somebody thought that no one remembered who Dinah was anymore (or didn't want it connected to that lesbian thing that takes place on the tournament weekend). At least Dinah is remembered on the golf course with this statue:
A lot of dykes attend the tournament (along with a lot of Palm Springs oldsters and random golf fans), but I think it's the same women who have been going for 30 years. Hey young dykes, come out to the tournament next year! Lots of cute golfers!!! Plus you can cruise each other--just remember to wear polo shirts with collars turned up, visors and fanny packs.
There's a tradition at the tournament, started in 1988 by golfer Amy Alcott, for the winner to jump into the water surrounding the 18th green. This year, Morgan Pressel took the trophy--at age 19, the youngest ever to win here. Here she is taking off her shoes for the plunge, showing off some VERY white feet. The crowd yelled "Jump, jump, jump," and so she, her caddy and her grandmother (her mom tragically died of breast cancer a few years ago) all obliged.
So that's all for this year's Dinah--see ya next year!!!
Standing right beside the door to the Pool Party, Paty tells me the lipstick is all part of her social strategy. How does the plan work? First, she hands me the lipstick…
Next, I liberally apply.
Now the Lipstick hits the Lesbian. Thanks, Paty! We'll always have the Dinah.
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