We Were Here (2012)

22 Feb, 12

Although We Were Here could be caught at a few cinemas earlier this year, lots of us were able to see it on iplayer and on TV when word of mouth spread about it; which it did, and fast. As a film it is knockout moving, remembering the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, and telling the story of the gay Castro District from the early 1970s to the late 1980s.

Jubilee (1977)

21 Feb, 12

I wonder if Derek Jarman would have reached the audience he did without the invention of Channel 4? Certainly a whole generation would never have had that first chance to see Jarman’s work had it not been for that famous early UK TV Channel. In a recent piece for Beige magazine, Mike Nicholls said that Jubilee should be compulsory viewing for all British 14 year olds, and just as it was in 1977, it is relevant today. Nicholls is right.

Transamerica (2005)

21 Feb, 12

If you haven’t heard about Felicity Huffman’s performance as male to female transgendered Bree Olsen in Transamerica (2005) then your to-watch list may have just increased by one title.

Duncan Tucker wrote, directed this great movie, and cast Felicity Huffman as its lead. Transamerica's power however lies in how much it applies Hollywood dramatic norms to a subject matter that is not usually chosen.

Salmonberries (1991)

21 Feb, 12

Even looking at the cover for this DVD release, I kind of knew that if I watched it I would be seeing KD Lang naked. I don’t know why this was, perhaps something about her expression told me I had better beware.

I do like KD Lang though and I couldn’t wait to see her act, especially with someone of high European pedigree as Rosel Zech, and the experience wasn’t wasted; Salmonberries is a film which anyone can relate to, because it is about isolation and coming to terms with yourself, with all of this happening in distant and almost alien Alaska.

All the Queen's Men (2001)

8 Feb, 12

During World War II the British army is attempting to retrieve an Enigma machine from Germany. Having failed in previous attempts they decide to send four men undercover to the factory that makes the devices, deep in Berlin. Unfortunately the factory is populated entirely by women, and they only have men to send; so these men must dress up as ladies to achieve their mission.

Transamerica (2005)

transamerica1 If you haven’t heard about Felicity Huffman’s performance as male to female transgendered Bree Olsen in Transamerica (2005) then your to-watch list may have just increased by one title.

transamerica2 It's a movie about transformation, family, and acceptance and Felicity Huffman's Golden Globe winning and Oscar nominated performance shows how important surgery is to transgendered people, and how life continues to confound and astound us all. We see Bree’s insecurity, warmth, and growth and this ultimately transforms the audience's involvement from mere viewers to a state of near complete empathy.

transamerica3 When Bree encounters her family, with her newly found son, the drama is priceless, painfullu hilarious and never farcical. What is also great about Transamerica is that the prejudices coded into virtually every mainstream Hollywood production, are either recoded or simply ignored. What this means is that gender dysphoria and transgendered life are always to the fore.

transamerica4 It means that the viewer experiences the same obstacles and problems as does Huffman’s character, and that is an incredible feat, especially when it is combined with something that is heart-warming, funny and weepily sad, as all the great movies are.

Health Insurance for LGBT

If you live in the UK, the NHS provides everyone with free health care, regardless of their sexuality, but waiting lists are increasing and some procedures are not available. 8% of the British population use private health insurance for a variety of reasons. A recent survey found that there are twice as many uninsured same-sex couples than uninsured straight, married couples. Whilst there are several reasons for this, a number of steps have been taken over the past few years to close the gap and make it easier for LGBT individuals and couples to get fairly priced health insurance.

Estate Planning for the LGBT Community

No one likes to think about what happens when they die, but if you want to make sure your wishes are adhered to and avoid a large tax bill, it's essential you think ahead. Now we have civil partnerships in the UK which grant LGBT couples most of the legal consequences of marriage, estate planning for the LGBT community should be very similar to a straight person’s estate planning. Still, here are a few tips for you to consider.

We Were Here (2012)

Jubilee (1977)