SHOCK: Nadal Loses 2nd Clay Court Match In 2 Weeks!

Following last week's stunning straight sets loss to David Ferrer in the quarterfinals of the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tournament Rafael Nadal has had an even more shocking loss, this time to Nico Almagro in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open after winning the first set and blowing a 3-1 lead in the 3rd to lose for the first time to his countryman. Nadal has only lost 13 clay court matches in total since 2005, so it is remarkable that two of those losses have come in the last two weeks, a month before he tries to win his 9th record French Open in Paris. Almagro was 0-10 lifetime against Nadal and will certainly cherish this 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 win, especially on Spanish soil. Nadal had won the Barcelona tournament a ridiculous eight times (41-match winning streak). In fact, Nadal had last lost a set in Barcelona in 2008 (to Ferrer).

This makes the upcoming French Open look very interesting indeed. Can Nadal really defend his title again? Or could Stanislas Wawrinka win his second consecutive major of the year, or will Djokovic finally get to complete his career slam?

Santa Fe Elects Openly Gay Latino Mayor

Javier Gonzales was elected mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico last night with 43% of the vote. He is the first openly gay Latin mayor to be elected to head New Mexico's capital city. He is the son of a former Santa Fe mayor.

Gonzalez, 47, faced off against another openly LGBT candidate for the position, City Councilperson Patti Bushee.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports:

A scion of a political family, Gonzales burst into the political scene at the age of 27, when he was elected to the first of two terms to the Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners. Gonzales served for four consecutive years as state Democratic Party chairman, where he built regional, state and national connections. Former Gov. Bill Richardson appointed him to the Board of Regents at New Mexico Highlands University and New Mexico State University, where Gonzales graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. 

Gonzales ran a clean campaign. However, two political action committees supporting his candidacy tore into his opposition, portraying Bushee as an anti-union politician who was “the wrong choice for Santa Fe’s working families.”

Hat/tip to TowleRoad

FILM REVIEW: Outfest 2013 Boys Shorts

Summer Vacation from Isreal was the stand-out short  film in this year's
collection of Boys Shorts at Oufest, Los Angeles' LGBT Film Festival

Here are my reviews of the Boys Shorts program that I saw this year at Outfest.

Housebroken
Directed By: Wade Gasque.
USA, 2012, 15 min.
While starting anew and searching for an apartment, a hopeless romantic is thrown for a loop when he crashes with a long-term couple. Paul is the first character we see, an apparently gay guy who is moving to Los Angeles for a new opportunity, having recently broken up with his boyfriend. For some reason he is going to be staying at the apartment of an attractive straight couple named Danni and Dean who are friends with his ex-boyfriend. The couple is very friendly and curiously hostile to Paul's ex and one thing leads to another and all three end up in bed together. We start to realize that the title "housebroken" refers both to what happens to Paul and is also a play on the word "housebreaker" (i.e. a third person who complicates or breaks up  a committed relationship). As the story progresses it becomes clear that the straight couple (Danni and Dean) is not the victim in this scenario. In fact, by the end we realize that Danni and Dean make a habit of taking in "strays" of either gender and "housebreak" them (i.e. attempt to train them to fit into their household without making a mess). It's a clever concept and the filmmakers show various iterations of the boy-girl-boy interaction (in bed) which are titillating and amusing. The "B" word (bisexual) is never used and clearly a 15-minute short comedic film is not the forum to articulate a philosophical position on anything, but the assumption of the fluidity of the character's sexual orientation is somewhat jarring (and most definitely) politically incorrect. But very fun (and funny). Grade: A-.

Hazel
Directed By: Tamer Ruggli.
Switzerland, 2012, 9 min.
A boy comes of age under the care of his eccentric mother and a dreadful child-psychiatrist. This is a gorgeously shot short which my film companion described as "creepy." It stars a very pretty, apparently pubescent boy on which the camera focuses in a manner that some could perceive as untowardly attentive and inappropriately sexualized. And that's just the beginning of the creepiness! The film is really about the boy's mother, as narrated from the perspective of her son. He tells the story of being sent to a psychiatrist, apparently to try to disrupt his nascent (homo)sexuality from developing. The main strength of the film is its use of bright colors and it's art direction, the latter of which is very stylized, very faux retro. We discover that the boy's father is gone by the mother's act of erasing his image from family portraits and by the end we see a family portrait in which both the father and the son have been erased, with only the mother remaining. Grade: B.

Scaffolding
Directed By: Juanma Carrillo.
Spain, 2012, 14 min.
Two distant neighbors are brought together by their apartment building’s renovation. This film is one of those examples of a film maker who is trying to be too subtle and is trying to use atmosphere instead of script to tell a story. There are two guys in neighboring apartments who spend time on their adjoining balconies. Because a scaffolding is put up one day (at the beginning of the film) they are forced to commiserate the loss of their view and interact in a way which apparently they do not do in other ways or venues (like on the stairs or in the neighborhood they share). Time elapses and we see the two, usually in some states of various undress, becoming to interact in more intimate ways over time: drinking, playing cards, talking and laughing, all on the balcony. The film is in Spanish and clearly set in one of the large cities in Spain (though I couldn't tell which one). The guys are somewhat attractive, but not attractive enough to make up for the lack of action and the very modest plot. As one would expect, eventually the scaffolding comes down and we see the two talking. One of them is clearly happy about it coming down, and the other is not. The one that is not happy about it says that he liked it when the scaffolding was up because of how it gave them an opportunity to interact that they never had before. After some pauses and uncertainty (he disappears back into his apartment) the other guy says the last line of the film: "Would you like to come in?" However, whether the guys are gay is unclear, and it is left to the audience's imagination to complete the story. I think that was the film maker's job! Grade: C.

Alaska Is A Drag
Directed By: Shaz Bennett.
USA, 2013, 14 min.
While working in a fish cannery in Alaska, a young man dreams of being an international super star. I really wanted to like this film since it has the only black character in any of the six shorts (I guess none of the Fusion Shorts featuring LGBT people of color made the Outfest cut this year!) as well as featuring relatively cute, young (mid 20-something) actors in my three favorite flavors (vanilla, caramel and chocolate). The story is about a flamboyant black guy (Leo) who dreams of becoming a performing diva but whose gender expression and sexuality is threatening to a particularly hot and inexplicably violent Latino guy (Kyle). The setting is a fish cannery in Alaska and there are lots of shots of dead fish being sliced open and martial arts-style kickboxing. (For some reason, the black drag diva-in-waiting is a talented kickboxer.) My film companion thought this aspect was too unrealistic and brought him out of the film's context. I didn't mind it, but what disappointed me was the filmmaker's reluctance to be clear and straightforward with the character's intentions. Ambiguity in a short film is almost never a good thing. For example, a new white guy (who presents as straight) starts working at the cannery and he sees the daily fight between Leo the black queen and Kyle the Latino enforcer. Interestingly, Declan (the new guy) takes the side of Leo in the fight and they go off to a bar together where they drink heavily and talk about their lives and the future diva gets to perform for his new friend. The next day we see Leo and Declan sitting around watching the birds over the see. "We should just run away," says Declan. "How," says Leo, "There's nowhere to run to." Of course, there's another fight between Leo and Kyle and again Declan joins in to help out after Leo gets punched repeatedly and thrown to the ground (after knocking Kyle a few times). "I don't need your help!" Leo says. This doesn't remotely ring true because 1) Declan has revealed that his dad was a boxing coach and he was an amateur boxer and 2) Kyle is about a foot taller than either of them (and has a group of friends, who appear to just watch from the sidelines and not get involved, but if they did their sheer numbers would end the fight decisively in Kyle's favor). The film ends with Declan and Leo going off together into the sunset, with Declan putting his arm around Leo's shoulder. Does this mean that Declan's gay and the two are going to be a couple? Why does the film spend so much time showing violent confrontations between the characters and so little time showing peaceful and/or intimate interactions between these attractive guys? I don't know. Grade: B+.

Summer Vacation
Directed By: Sharon Maymon,Tal Granit.
Israel, 2012, 22 min.
A married man’s family vacation abruptly takes a turn when he bumps into his ex-lover. This is the longest of the shorts in this year's collection and also the most emotionally involving. We see Yuval interacting with his wife (Michaela), his son (Einav) and his daughter (Gaya) on the beach. He is literally buried up to his neck in sand. He is literally and metaphorically stuck in a situation that he can not get out of without help. There's a brief scary moment in which we realize the tide is coming in faster than we think and it looks like Einav could drown in barely a foot of water. Einav and Michaela frantically start digging relatively ineffectively to save Yuval but eventually it is a handsome stranger and his cute young boyfriend who appear and are strong enough to rescue him from a dangerous situation. We then see Yuval and Michaela finishing dinner when Iftach  (the handsome stranger) and the nameless blond guy appear. Yuval seems very uncomfortable and we think he is either embarrassed at the situation he was in or he's homophobic. He does say thank you to Iftach for saving his life. Suddenly Iftach's cellphone rings and his ring tone, which happens to be a beautiful, haunting ballad sung by a male voice. "Oh, that's our song!" Michaela squeals. "Don't answer it!" Iftach complies and Michaela grabs the phone and tries unsuccessfully to convince her husband to dance with her. The song ends and Michaela grabs her husband's phone and asks Iftach for his number so she can call him again in order to hear the song. He complies again and she calls him and the song starts up and Michaela and Iftach start dancing slowly to the music. The young blonde guy (Iftach's date at this vacation spot) notices that the number is not showing on Iftach's phone but there is a name instead. (I presume it's the name Yuval, but since the film is in Hebrew it uses Hebrew letters that I can't read and the subtitles don't spell it out). But the implication is clear, somehow Iftach has had Yuval's number before, and he saved it in his phone. Therefor this is not just a chance meeting. The kid may be cute but he's not dumb and he immediately gets up and says he is going back to their cabin to sleep, giving Yuval and Iftach funny looks (which I interpreted as disapproving) and didn't seem to be noticed by Michaela. Later on we discover that, yes it is true that Iftach and Yuval were lovers a long time ago. It is implied that the two of them may have vacationed at this spot together before, but Yuval's son appears to be close to 13 so a reasonable conclusion is that happened quite a long time ago. Clearly, Iftach is still in love with Yuval (he saved his number) but Yuval's feelings are more complex since he has a wife and two kids. That doesn't stop him from sleeping with his wife one day and his former lover the next! After that things come to a head when Iftach gives Yuval an ultimatum. "Either you tell her or I will." The two are together at an island a decent swim from the beach at the time and Iftach jumps into the water to swim back to shore, presumably to tell Michaela who is sitting on the beach. One of the ironies of Yuval nearly drowning in the beginning is that he is (or was) a champion swimmer and so he catches up with Iftach and holds him underwater, presumably to stop him from telling his wife at all costs. A struggle ensues and the scene cuts to Yuval getting out of the water alone, sitting next to Michaela with bloody scratches on his neck and shoulders. After a short (but quite suspenseful) period of time Iftach shows up, sits down silently on the other side of Michaela. She looks very thoughtfully at her husband and then looks at Iftach and then all three continue looking at the sunset as the mournful ballad from the ringtone starts up and the credits roll. Grade: A.

Ronny and I
Directed By: Guy Shalem
USA, 2013, 20 min.
A young man comes to terms with his sexuality and feelings for his best friend during an impromptu trip. The central conceit of this film is that it was shot on a smart phone. (Another one is that openly gay director Bryan SingerI (X-men, The Usual Suspects) and lesbian celebrity Jane Lynch (Glee).) I'm sure for a significant fraction of the viewing audience, the story of two teenage white boys hanging out and frolicking together, sometimes unclothed together in a hotel room was very compelling, as is the premise of showing what could happen when one comes out to one's male best friend who you're in love with. To me it looked like most of the film was shot by phone, handled by one of the two actors at all times but I wasn't completely convinced at the time. However, apparently the conceit is true and the film was entirely filmed on a smartphone. This gives the film an impressive sense of verisimilitude that makes one think one is watching a day in the life of two guys who love each other. One of them has a non-platonic love for the other, while what Ronny feels is not completely clear. In this context, I appreciate the ambiguity and feel like it works, to an extent. Also it helps that both the actors are relatively cute. The story unfolds in jerky, uneven chunks (similar to the ways in which the film is shot). When Ronny learns that his best friend is gay (and in love with him) he doesn't run away and they continue their road trip along the coast, and even spend the night together, where Ronny even offers to give his friend "everything he wants" (which includes physical, sexual intimacy). That is a very touching scene, although thanks to the use of the phone as the recording device of the moment leaves more to the imagination than it reveals. (This is not a bad thing.) In the end it is we don't know whether Ronny and his friend will be boyfriends or just remain best friends but it is clear that they and the audience have spent an enjoyable time together. Grade: A-.

Isner Wins 1st Career Clay Title In Houston (Over Almagro)

AP Photo/Eric Gay

John Isner of the United States won his first title of 2013 and the 6th of his career by defeating Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-3 7-5 at the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas on Sunday. It was the American's first career win on clay, and he had to beat 2012 U.S. Clay Court champion Juan Monaco in the semifinal and one of the Top 5 clay court players in the world to do it. Tennis reporter Matt Cronin ranks the Top 5 clay court players in the world as (Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, David Ferrer and then Almagro. Note the glaring absence of World #2 Andy Murray from this list!) So this was quite a significant achievement for the 27-year-old American who turns 28 on Thursday. His 6 titles include 3 on outdoor hard-court, 2 on grass and 1 on clay. His record in ATP tour finals is now 6 wins and 7 losses (including last year in the final of the same tournament to Monaco). Almagro is also 27 but has won 12 ATP titles (all on clay) and now has a 12-7 record in finals.

Both Almagro and Isner have huge serves, and are currently #1 and #2 on the ATP World Tour MatchFacts for number of aces served in 2013 (266 and 258, respectively). This counts the record 60 aces that Isner served this week in Houston on his way to the title, including 7 in the final, with speeds up to 144 miles per hour. Pete Sampras had previously held the record in Houston with 52.

Isner can't rest on his laurels however; hours after winning he was on a plane to Europe because his first match at the Monaco Masters is probably on Tuesday. That's where 8-time defending champion Rafael Nadal is very likely to win his 9th title since both Federer and Ferrer are not in the draw and Djokovic is likely to withdraw due to the ankle injury he suffered last weekend dispatching Sam Querrey and the United States in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. World #2 Murray is hoping to at least put up his resistance and reduce the size of Djokovic's sizable lead for the top spot by doing well in his half of the draw. Nadal needs to do well in the clay court season if he is to have a chance to remain in the Top 5 before Roland Garros, although it is very possible the King of Clay could win his 8th French Open title without being seeded #1, but a low seed could have him run into fellow members of Cronin's Top 5 clay court list in the quarterfinals or semifinals, which could complicate Rafa's goal to cement his status as the best clay court player of all time.

Last year, Rafa won every tournament he played in on clay except Madrid, where he lost to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco (for the first time in 14 meetings!) on blue clay. (The Madrid Masters will be played on red clay this year.) It's very possible that he could sweep all three clay court ATP Masters tournaments (in Monaco, Madrid and Rome) this year, something he has only done once before, in 2010. In 2010, Nadal was also coming back from an injury lay-off and had his best year on tour winning 3 majors (2010 French Open over Robin Soderling, 2010 Wimbledon over Tomas Berdych and 2010 US Open over Djokovic). Will 2013 be a reprise of 2010? Time will tell.

REPORT: Uruguay Legislature Enacts Marriage Equality

Gay marriage passes in Uruguay and goes to president for promised signature. 71 of 92 representatives voted yes. subrayado.com.uy/Site/noticia/2…
— Rex Wockner (@RexWockner) April 10, 2013

According to a tweet from Rex Wockner, the Uruguay House of Representatives has completed work on passing a marriage equality bill, sending the measure to President Jose Mujica for his promised signature by a vote of 71 to 21. When signed into law, Uruguay will become the 12th country in the world where marriage equality is legal nationwide (and the second in South America after neighboring Argentina, but there are 3 other countries which allow marriage equality in some states (United States, Mexico and Brazil). In Mexico and Brazil those marriages are recognized throughout the rest of the country, and in the United States we are waiting for DOMA to be struck down by the Supreme Court for that to be the same in our country.

AUS OPEN 2013: Nadal Withdraws Due To Illness

11-time major champion and 2012 Australian Open finalist Rafael Nadal announced on Friday that he would be withdrawing from the 2013 Australian Open, extending his sabbatical from tennis to well over 7 months. Nadal last played (and lost) a competitive match on the ATP tour on June 28, 2012 in the second round of Wimbledon.

Nadal made the announcement via Facebook, where he has over 11 million followers, in Spanish and English:

Mi rodilla está bastante mejor, y el proceso de recuperación ha ido según lo previsto por los médicos, pero este proceso vírico ha hecho que no pudiera entrenar esta última semana y en los próximos días y por tanto, muy a mi pesar no podré reaparecer en el momento que habíamos previsto.

Creo que tal y como dicen los médicos y mi equipo, lo más prudente es hacer las cosas bien y este virus ha hecho retrasar todos mis planes de reaparecer en estos días. Mi reaparición tendrá que esperar hasta el torneo de Acapulco si bien no descartaría la posibilidad de reaparecer en algún torneo antes.

As my team and doctors say, the safest thing to do is to do things well and this virus has delayed my plans of playing these weeks. I will have to wait until the Acapulco tournament to compete again although I could consider to play before at any other ATP event

My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn’t allow me to practice this past week and therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled.

The announcement means that Nadal will almost certainly lose his World #4 ranking after the Australian Open, and may even fall below #5, depending on the results of others.

Cui bono? It appears to me as if this should make Andy Murray's chances of winning the tournament more likely, but we shall see.

Queer Quote: Mexico Supreme Court On Marriage

Inconstitucional que en Oaxaca el matrimonio tenga como fin perpetuar especie, eso atenta contra la autodeterminación. bit.ly/1229j2m
— Suprema Corte (@SCJN) December 6, 2012

This is a tweet from the official account of the Mexico Supreme Court, which last week issued a ruling striking down the discriminatory marriage laws of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is believed that this will lead to same-sex couples being able to get married anywhere in the country, which right now can only happen in Mexico City (Distrito Federal), although all other jurisdictions in the country must recognize those marriages.

A translation of the tweet (by Andres Duque of Blabbeando) is "It's unconstitutional that the final purpose of marriage should be the perpetuation of the species."

Can you imagine the United States Supreme Court sending out such a message in any written opinion, let alone via social media?

Mexico High Court Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban

Exciting news from south of the border today! Apparently the Mexican Supreme Court has issued a unanimous ruling striking down a same-sex marriage ban from the state of Oaxaca in such a way that it is very likely that marriage equality will become a universal right in the country in the very near future.

Latin-American marriage blogger J. Lester Feder reports:

The court ruled on behalf of three same-sex couple seeking to marry in the southern state of Oaxaca. The court had already ruled in 2010 that gay marriages performed under a Mexico City ordinance had to be recognized nationwide. With this precedent, the remaining bans on gay marriage in most Mexican states could quickly fall.

[...]

The court’s ruling that the ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutionally discriminatory is partly based on a February ruling from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that governments can’t discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, Karen Atala Riffo y Niñas v. Chile.

This case could have repercussions outside of Mexico—by expanding this precedent to include the right to marry, courts in other Latin American countries that recognize the Inter-American Accord on Human Rights could follow this precedent and determine that marriage rights are also protected in their countries. And the Inter-American Court itself could be more likely to recognize a right to marry—a case brought by three couples trying to strike down Chile’s ban on gay marriage has already begun making its way through the international judicial system.

An even more amazing part of this story is that the original case was brought by Alex Alí Méndez Díaz, a law student. His story is profiled here.

LOOK: Nadal and Monaco Shirtless After Swim

If you have been wondering, like most of the tennis world has, what Rafael Nadal has been up to on his long injury-induced sabbatical from tennis since July 2012, this shirtless picture posted by Juan Mónaco to his Facebook page this weekend shows that it looks like the current World #4 at least has not fallen out of shape.

Even though Mónaco is from Argentina not Spain, the two Spanish-speaking tennis players are clearly buddies and the World #10 player is on vacation in Mallorca hanging out with Nadal before he continues his quest to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals, one of the most prestigious (and lucrative) tournaments of the year, in which only the Top 8 players are invited. Since Nadal is almost certainly going to turn down his invitation, the person who places 9th in the Race to London standings (Mónaco is currently 12th) will likely make it into the tournament. Ahead of Mónaco is Janko Tipsarevich, Nicolas Almagro and Richard Gasquet.

Nadal has said that he is aiming to return to competitive tennis at the 2013 Australian Open. We hope that is indeed the case, and look forward to seeing all of the Big 4 in action at the same time.

Hat/tip to Tennis.com

Nadal Leads Spain To 2011 Davis Cup Victory

From left to right: Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal,
Marcos Granollers and Spain's Davis Cup Captain Albert Costa. (AFP Photo/Cristina Quicler)

Yesterday World #2 Rafael Nadal powered his country of Spain to a 3-1 win in the Davis Cup final for the third time in his career, 5th time overall for Spain. Nadal whipped Juan Monaco on Argentina 6-1 6-1 6-2 and then came back from a set down to close out the tie by defeating Juan Martin del Potro 1-6 6-4 6-1 7-6(0) on clay in Seville, Spain. World #5 David Ferrer also contributed to his country's victory by outlasting del Potro in a gruelling 6-2, 6-7(2), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 five-set win.

Nadal had helped Spain win the 2004 Davis Cup over the United States in 2004 (as a teenager) and in 2008 over Argentina. Argentina becomes the first country to reach the final tie four times without a victory. The 6-time Roland Garros champion is not known as "The King of Clay" for nothing; despite suffering his most lopsided loss of a set on the surface in years, Nadal was able to devise a solution to the hard-hitting, 6'6" Argentinian and maintain his incredible record of only 7 clay court losses in professional play in his career. Beating Spain on clay, with Nadal, Ferrer, Verdasco, Lopez and the rest of "the Spanish Armada" is an almost impossible proposition for any country, as Spain proved once again on Sunday. Their only loss of a point in the match-up with Argentina was when David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank were able to defeat the doubles team of Lopez and Verdasco (hubba hubba!)

Review of 2011 LGBT POC Film Festival: Fusion Shorts

I attended the Fusion LGBT POC Film festival yesterday and checked out the Fusion Shorts program. Here are my reviews.

STOP IT - ALMA 

Dir: Mike Rose

A spoof on intervention reality shows that features a woman, who compulsively cooks to the dismay of her family who just wants her to Stop It! This is a very clever spoof of reality shows whose comic appeal is based on the sheer ridiculousness of the "addiction" it depicts as well as the gender-bending nature of the lead character. The person  I saw the films with was curious whether the laughs would have started so quickly if the drag element was removed. I think probably not, but even without that, this short would be a funny hit. GRADE: B+.

REVOLUTION  

Dir: Abdi Nazemian

A coming-of-age story about Jack, a 16-year old Iranian boy growing up in 1989 Los Angeles. (In Farsi, Tagalog with English subtitles). This is a lush, dramatic film with a haunting score and an emotionally complicated plot. Unfortunately, the numerous, various pieces (cultural assimilation difficulties, teenage homosexual experimentation, father-son tension, the AIDS tragedy, mother-son angst and a too-cute  small dog) fail to really coalesce into a whole which matches the components. The central metaphor is flawed and the acting of several of the characters is unconvincing. GRADE: B-.

TIME AFTER TIME 

Dir: Laurie Thomas

The unspoken dance of a love triangle unfolds in the time it takes to sing this song. My first response is that this is a curious choice for an inclusion in a collection of shorts in an LGBT people of color film festival. On the surface it appears to be a dialogue-free depiction of a complicated moment between the red-haired, female singer of the classic Cyndi Lauper song and the two people who are interested in her affections: a laughing, smiling dark-haired white guy and a presumably multiracial dark-haired gal who is ultimately disappointed by whatever she sees in object of affection's eyes. GRADE: C+.

ANDY

Dir: Andrew Ahn

A six-year old boy discovers what it means to be a man. (In Korean with English subtitles). This is a too-short meditation on father-son dynamics by considering the ways in which gender roles are performed and policed by little boys and adult men with the complicated cross-cultural (mis)interpretations of same-sex interaction thrown in for good measure. The film definitely leaves it up to the viewer to interpret  nuanced reactions of a Korean father to a lipstick-wearing six-year old as well as the problematic depiction of an adult male stranger interacting with the child in a public men's room. GRADE: B+.

REMEMBER ME IN RED 

Dir: Hector Ceballos

Fidelia must find a way to honor what would have been her friend’s wishes before it is too late. (In Spanish with English subtitles). One of the highlights of the 2011 Fusion Shorts was this beautifully shot, tautly written depiction of the real deprivation(s) of the life and death of transgender individuals. The complicated ways that family ties can constrict and limit an individual's potential as well as the ways that they can be recreated in a more authentic way among a family of choice are the main themes here. The acting is particular strong, although some may feel that the storyline veers perilously close to telenovela melodrama. GRADE: A.

FAMILY IN THE FRAME 

Dir: Neelu Bhuman

Accentuated by voices of family members, this short film is an honest portrayal of the experience of bisexuality (English subtitles). A rather experimental short film which attempts to show the dilemmas of a bisexual, Indian immigrant and the tensions her identities produce within those around her. Generally, I found the film to be visually uninteresting and dramatically obtuse; it's differences from the other films are so extreme it was ill-served to be included in this collection. GRADE: D.

THE QUEEN 

Dir: Christina Choe

Bobby, a Korean-American teenage outcast, is working at his parents’ dry cleaners on prom weekend. When the prom queen and her boyfriend, stop by with their dress and tuxedo, Bobby has his own prom to remember. A near-perfect short film for any LGBT film festival. Almost any gay man can identify with the lead character of Bobby and his desire to be the consort to the Prom King, which is realized in a thrilling, pitch-perfect, well-choreographed crescendo and a surprise ending which is sure to generate squeals of delight from even the most jaded "queen." GRADE: A.

CHANGE 

Dir: Melissa Osborne & Jeff McCutcheon

A gay African-American teenager grapples with his young identity on the night Obama was elected. This is a well-produced short which tries to depict and (possibly defuse?) the complex emotions surrounding the inextricably coupled events of the passage of Proposition 8 and the election of Barack Obama in the African-American, LGBT and African-American LGBT communities. Happily, the directors have chosen to tell the story through a closeted Black teenager played by a young actor with a handsome, expressive face. It is thrilling to recall the historic events of Election Night 2008 and devastating to be reminded of the day after when the implications of California's passage of a ban on same-sex marriage began to sink in. The short film is engrossing but has some slightly odd pacing problems. The person I saw the film with was very disappointed in the very final scene; we both wanted more explanation of the motivations of the main characters' reactions to the Election Day events. GRADE: A-.

Overall, I'm very glad that I went but felt that this collection was slightly weaker than last year's, but just barely. If you see The Queen, Remember Me in Red or Change at a film festival near you, I strongly urge you to check them out!

CA-GOV: Whitman Hit Hard On Maid Controversy in Spanish Ad

The translation via Huffington Post:

Meg Whitman says she's a different kind of Republican...

But Pete Wilson is in charge of her campaign.

Whitman attacks undocumented workers to win votes, but an undocumented woman worked in her home for nine years.

She says she'll create jobs - but wants to eliminate forty-thousand state jobs, including teachers and nurses.

Whitman says one thing in Spanish --- and something different in English.

The real Meg Whitman has no shame.

She's a two-faced woman

Ouch!

Argentina Enacts Marriage Equality!

After 15 hours of debate, the Argentine Senate passed the marriage equality bill 33-27 at 4:05am local time.

From the AP:

Same-sex civil unions have been legalized in Uruguay and some states in Mexico and Brazil. Colombia's Constitutional Court granted same-sex couples inheritance rights and allowed them to add their partners to health insurance plans. Mexico City went further, legalizing gay marriage and launching tourism campaigns to encourage foreigners to come and wed.

[...]

Gay activists in neighboring Chile hope Argentina's milestone will improve chances for a gay marriage lawcurrently in committee in their own Congress.

"Argentina's political class has provided a lesson to the rest of Latin America," said Rolando Jimenez in Santiago. "We hope our own countries and political parties will learn that the human rights of sexual minorities are undeniable."

Activists in Paraguay plan to propose a similar law to the senate in October, said Martin Viveros of the group Somosgay. And in Uruguay, gays unsatisfied with the partial rights that come through civil unions are preparing legislation that would replace references to "man and woman" with "spouse" throughout the civil code.

[...]

The president, who helped the law's chances by bringing two senators opposed to gay marriage with her on a state visit to China, spoke out from there against the Catholic Church's campaign and the tone she said some religious groups have taken.

"It's very worrisome to hear words like 'God's war' or 'the devil's project,' things that recall the times of the Inquisition," she said.

That may play well in Argentina's socially liberal capital, where many of the country's gays and lesbians live, but could be costly in the conservative provinces. Some opposition leaders accused Fernandez and her husband Nestor Kirchner, who lobbied hard for passage, of trying to gain votes in next year's presidential elections, when the former president is expected to run again.

Congratulations to Argentina! I may just have to change my travel plans for my 20th anniversary next January. We were thinking of visiting South Africa, but maybe we should return to South America instead!

hat/tip to Rex Wockner

MOVIE REVIEW: The Secret In Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)

This year's (surprising) Oscar winner for Foreign Language Film was El Secreto de sus Ojos (The Secret in their Eyes) from Argentina.

MadProfessah and the Other Half saw this film on May 21st (my birthday), at one of my favorite art-house movie theaters, the Laemmle Playhouse 7 on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.

I like seeing foreign-language films, especially in Spanish, which I have been trying to learn, slowly, for years.

I also like mysteries, and although I knew very little about El Secreto de Sus Ojos walking in, I was aware there was some aspect of mystery and political intrigue involved.

I didn't even know it was very well-reviewed, with an average of 91% at rottentomatoes.com (97% among users) before I saw it myself and checked on the reviews after I saw the film myself.

The film is told from the perspective of Benjamin, a combination detective/prosecuting attorney in Buenos Aires who, in his retirement, is writing a book about a particular case of a murdered newlywed housewife that took place 25 years ago but was never solved.

Benjamin works closely with his boss, Irene, who he also happened to have a huge crush on but who everyone believed was "out of his league" due to her foreign education and family's upper class status.

Benjamin also works closely with his (clearly alcoholic) owlish colleague Pablo to try to solve the mystery of the murdered housewife, and their interactions are a source of some of the most poignant humor (and, later, horror) in the film. Another gripping character in the film is the husband of the murdered woman, in whose eyes Benjamin sees a love like no other, a passion which fuels his decades-long obsession with this case, despite a politically complicated resolution of the matter.

The Secret in their Eyes is a movie that you will remember long after you leave the movie theater, filled with tiny revelatory moments that sear the memory and haunt the viewer.

Running Time: 2 hours, 7 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated R for a rape scene, violent images, some graphic nudity and language.
Director: Juan José Campanella.

OVERALL GRADE: A+/A.

ACTING: A+.
IMAGERY: A.
PLOT: A+.
IMPACT: A.

MOVIE REVIEW: Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos)

The latest film from the Oscar-winning, openly gay, Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar (All About My Mother, Talk To Her) is Los Abrazos Ratos (Broken Embraces). It stars Penélope Cruz as Lena and Lluis Horna as Harry Caine / Mateo Blanco.

The plot is typically complex, as Almodóvar is again playing with various genres of film here, just a few that I noticed are the film noir, the film-within-a-film device, the power of film itself, family drama and illicit love story.

The film is not emotionally resonant as some of his more recent films (Volver, Mala Educacion) but looks just as gorgeous as any of his previous movies and has the added feature of actually including an explicit parody of his breakthrough hit, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, this time called Chicas y Maletas (Girls and Suitcases).

Almodóvar has found another muse in female form with the gorgeous Penélope Cruz but unfortunately he is yet to find an equally compelling muse in male form to match his artistic connection with the young Antonio Banderas who appeared in many of the director's early works.

All in all, Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) is an amusing diversion featuring an engrossing story which reflects Almodóvar's colorful imagination.

Running Time: 2 hours, 7 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated R for sexual content, language and some drug material.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar.

OVERALL GRADE: B+/A- (3.5/4.0).

ACTING: A-.
IMAGERY: B+.
PLOT: A-.
IMPACT: B+ .

Today is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day

October 15th is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, el Dia Nacional Latino Para La Concientizacion del SIDA.

Here's a PSA featuring a friend of mine named Freddy Ceja who is a staffer for State Senator Gil Cedillo:

Spanish-Language Version of Courage Campaign Ad

Obama Nominates First Latina To Supreme Court

President Barack Obama has chosen Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the US Supreme Court. From FirstRead:

She currently serves on the Second Circuit in New York and was appointed to that position by Bill Clinton. BUT she was appointed to her first federal court appointment by President George H.W. Bush… She checks lots of boxes: Woman. Hispanic. Empathy… While working for the famed Robert Morgenthau in the New York District Attorney's office in the early 1980s, she described herself as a "liberal.”… Also has drawn criticism for saying in 2005: “All of the legal defense funds out there they're looking for people with court of appeals experience because it is-- court of appeals is where policy is made." She tried to backtrack, but conservatives are already rallying to defeat her based on this. Other bio information: Child of parents born in Puerto Rico... Grew up speaking mostly Spanish... Raised in a public housing project in The South Bronx in the shadow of Yankee Stadium... Father died when she was 9... A diehard Yankees fan, she's credited as the judge who saved baseball, issuing an injunction that led the eventual settlement of the 1990s-era Major League Baseball strike... Described by the New York Times in the early 1980s as an incessant smoker… Divorced from Kevin Edward Noonan in 1983 after seven-year marriage (no children). She left the NY District Attorney's office a year later and went into private practice... Graduated summa cum laude in 1976 from Princeton after winning a scholarship to the school... Earned her law degree from Yale in 1979, where she edited the Law Review.

Big day for court reporters today. The Prop 8 ruling is coming down at 10am PDT from the California Supreme Court.

Ugly Betty Cast Opposes Proposition 8 (En Espanol)

REVIEW: Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno)

On Valentine's Day the other half and I went and saw Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) in at the Edward's Renaissance Theaters in Alhambra. The film has been nominated for six Academy Awards (Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Makeup and Best Art Direction) and is one of the most highly regarded films of 2006. It won BAFTA Awards on Sunday February 11th for Best Costume Design, Best Hair & Makeup and Best Film Not in the English Language.

The story is set in 1944's Spain, during the civil war against Franco's fascist regime. A young child and her pregnant mother have come to visit the mountain outpost of a brutal captain in Franco's Army and wait for the birth of the girl's brother (and the captain's son). The girl's name is Ofelia and she likes to read fairy tales.... Outside the outpost lies an ancient labyrinth which Ofelia is led to explore more frequently as life becomes more and more difficult living under the same roof with the man her mother says she should call 'father' who is fighting an increasingly desperate struggle with the guerilla rebels in the surrounding hills.

Guillermo Del Toro, the director, screenwriter and producer of Pan's Labyrinth has been giving interviews to multiple media outlets. He is one of a trio of Mexican directors (Alfonso Cuarón of Children of Men and Alejandro González Iñárritu of Babel are the others) who have Oscar-nominated and widely acclaimed films in theaters right now. In one interview on NPR's Talk of the Nation with Del Toro I heard today he admits that he believes in monsters and explains that the character of Pan (El Fauno) in Pan's Labyrinth is ambiguous: it can be interpreted as both good and evil, gurdian angel and personal demon. Del Toro also says "The movie is a fable, and adult parable really between choice and disobedience, and how disobedience is the threshold of responsibility. And how it is necessary for all of us to assert disobedience, socially."

Some of the images in the film are indelibly etched on the mind's eye: the grotesquely huge frog, the creature with eyes in its palms, the beautiful thrones in the penultimate scene and the way the Faun moves throughout this amazing film.

GRADE: A-.