( A scene from the movie, courtesy of the DIFF website)
Appearing on the current Durban
International Film Festival is Born This Way directed by Deb Tullmann and Shaun Kadlec. (Review
by Pranesh Maharaj)
A quiet and deliberately under-lit scene
adorns the start. Two women in very private surroundings start to chat. It is provocatively
captured without an ounce of cheese. I was wondering at this point whether the
directors had a story to tell or did they just plan on plonking rushes into a
timeline and call it a documentary? But, it moved from there and it moved me
along with it. It had poignant moments that gave you a glimpse of where the
title came from. It was honest. It had a beginning, a high point and an end.
Documentaries are meant to have a story and
they are meant to take the viewer on a journey. For me, Born This Way did exactly that. In keeping with the tradition of storytelling
it also provided those moment of empathy and confusion. It kept the viewer
asking ‘What Next?’ This was good film making, if that’s your thing. The sound
was very well-levelled and doctored to support the imagery.
The subject matter is not as sensitive in
other parts of the world; mainly because there is no law that jails a person
for five years because they are gay. Once the law has your back, the outlaws
tend to be braver in their attacks. There is no room left for social tolerance.
But, in doccies like this you yearn to hear the other side. And just when that
thought flashed in my mind; there was this car ride. Presumably a taxi driver
who, in all ignorance, asked the most pertinent questions and a very brave
young woman answered them. His questions had us all in stitches but they also
affirmed society’s ignorance to the subject and the people that lead these
lives. “These lives?” an activist might say. Being Gay is not a choice, but
choosing to live on the knife’s edge. That is certainly a choice; and a very
brave one.
The two people that stood out in this film
were Gertrude and Cedric who individually had their own journeys that tied up
at this little place where they accepted each other. It reminded me of that
Urdu charm used in poetry, Maikhane.
The movie ends in this place.
Tickets for DIFF are through the respective
venues and prices range from R25 to R35 (R50 for 3D screenings), except at
Luthuli Museum, Blue Waters, Ekhaya and Bay of Plenty lawns, which are free of
charge.
Programme booklets with the full screening
schedule and synopses of all the films are available free at cinemas, and other
public information outlets. Full festival details can also be found on www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or by
calling 031 260 2506. - Pranesh Maharaj
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