Love in the Time of New Orleans Film Festival
Wading through the long list of films being showed is daunting, but some of the movies we're looking forward to deal with love or something like it.
The New Orleans FIlm Fest runs until October 19 with a long, diverse line-up of movies. Here are some that we're looking forward to.
Director Brad Abrahams attempts in his documentary Love and Saucers to bring the viewer into the world of 72-year-old David Huggins--a world hard to capture on film because it is colored by encounters of a very specific kind, with aliens. Huggins tells the story of his life, from his first encounter with aliens, through losing his virginity to one, through his paintings. Himself a quirky character, Abrahams succeeds in letting the eccentric Huggins steer the narrative, and it certainly won’t bore you.
Dolores Huerta has been virtually left out of our historical narrative until now, but at 87 she remains an important figure in the history of feminism and the fight for racial justice. Dolores chronicles her work as an activist, a story that will leave you inspired and horrified that her story has gone so unnoticed. This documentary by Peter Blatt has been praised by film festivals all over the country already, and for anyone looking to remember what a true leader looks like- Dolores is a real life superhero story.
It is easy after the celebratory Southern Decadence weekend to forget what the gay rights movement looked like at its most volatile. After Louie follows an older man struggling with the loss of a close friend to AIDS. He develops a relationship with a younger man, and together they navigate the waters of modern gay culture. Director Vincent Gagliostro does not shy away from this generational divide but rather dives right in to create a raw, emotional film.
If for no other reason, Call Me By Your Name is worth seeing Thursday because you probably won’t be able to wait until its official release date November 24. This movie comes to New Orleans with a substantial buzz, based on a book by the same name by André Aciman. This art house film follows the relationship and sexual exploration of a 17-year-old American living in Italy with his father’s older male intern. It has already been widely dubbed the next Brokeback Mountain, but really this film promises to be the first Call Me By Your Name--a mainstream gay romance for millennials.
... and Diva Dance Fever is more of an event than a movie, but it has our attention. Big Freedia and director Wilberto Lucci will host a party for Tropical Punch, a short documentary on the history of bounce music starring the Queen Diva. The party will include a screening of the movie, an open bar, food trucks, and music by DJ RQ Away.
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