REFRACTED LIGHTS | International Short Film Programme 2
Sunday 13.09 at 14:00 • Arc Cinema Cork • 93 min • €12.50/10.50
In this kaleidoscopic selection of short films from around the globe we look at contemporary queer lives through different social lenses, each reflecting the light in their very own way.
THE LATE IN LIFE GUIDE TO MODERN DAY LESBIANISM - Emelie Claxton, Molly Rangel (US)
Congratulations on finally coming out! Equal parts orientation, indoctrination, and camp, this satirical 90s corporate training video onboards “late-in-lifers” with everything you didn’t know you needed to survive modern-day lesbianism. Please adjust your VCR tracking.
THREE COURSES - Saúl Francisco Ornelas Esparza (Mexico)
Raúl Morán invites Diego, his childhood best friend, over with his family to unveil their biggest secret. As the three-course dinner goes on, the family will unmask their reality and discover that they are not as different as they thought before that gathering.
AINEOLACH - Danny Szam, James Robinson (UK)
When a grieving gay minister relocates to a remote Hebridean village to preach, he's met with a few frosty smiles and silent judgement. But as the island's first Pride begins to bloom in secret, he must choose between blending in or standing up - risking his peace, his purpose, and maybe even his heart.
A HANDSOME MAN - Marcelo Núñez (Peru)
To be called handsome is such a weird thing, specially after being left many times before by different men. The handsome promised he will never allow to be hurt again, even after the right one just appeared in his life. Can the promise of true love overcome the fear of pain? Is it a risk worth taking?
FRAGILE - Rafał Łysak (Poland)
After an eighteenth-birthday party, Wiktor wakes up in bed next to his friend Dominik, with whom he's secretly in love. He can't resist the urge to touch him. He does so without waking him. He doesn't realize, however, that Dominik is only pretending to be asleep. When the boys are alone, a confrontation ensues. Wiktor tries to express his feelings, which Dominik doesn't reciprocate, but he must communicate them in a way that won't lose his friend.
ONLY THE DEAD FISH GO WITH THE FLOW - Christophe Gomes (France)
Camille is a six-year-old boy, but Camille feels like a girl. For Carnival, Camille goes to school dressed as a princess, despite the school's refusal to acknowledge Camille as a girl. The principal summons Camille's mother for a final confrontation.
MAGIC - Dominique Provost-Chalkley (Canada, UK)
Jo, a social-media driven musician, locks eyes with Magic, a non-binary activist. As the night unravels their attraction intensifies, and when Jo's phone ends up in the river, it becomes clear the two have very different perspectives about connection.
BREAK OUT - Tadeo Escalante (France)
Tonight, Hazel, the director of L’Étape — a self-managed queer community space on the verge of bankruptcy — has just discovered that her new girlfriend Claire is living a double life: she’s engaged to a man. Unfortunately for Hazel, it’s on this very night that the police decide to evict the residents of L’Étape. The building shakes, the door cracks, and soon their love story will too.