Kawa Kawa Tea at The Laundry

So much to relate, three great movies, a move to Air BnB, and a little more shopping!

Tea at The Laundry

The movies, my last three of the fest, were possibly the best I have seen.

It is two days later...I forgot to save my last blog and I lost it, merde! So I have returned to the same spot to rewrite the blog. A lot has happened in two days but that is for a later episode, this one is for the movies.

The last three I saw at the Festival were first, an excellent drama set in San Francisco, very accurately portrayed in the days of early testing for AIDS. Called 'Test' it covered a few months in the lives of acouple of modern dancers, very good ones, in SF, and their battle to come to grips with the virus that was crippling the gay world in the US, and especially San Francisco and the arts scene, where so many talented gay people worked and played. They were typical of the exciting group of young men who were in love with their dancing  and did it extremely well. This movie was a delight for dance lovers, and also depicted sympathetically and sexily the situation of different attitudes to coping with the virus and its possible disastrous effects.These were happily not shown however, and the love element, which was shown, did prove overall, the most effective solution to coping with the imminent dosaster. A six star movie.

The next one, from Poland, was totally different. A brooding closeted priest, living in the country looking after a group of deliquent boys, is beautifully played by a top Polish actor. The boys finally discover he was gay and engineer his departure. However not without one of them falling hopelessly in love with him and following him to his next posting, deciding with the priest's help no doubt, to join the seminary where he would better be able to be close to, and even live with, his older lover. A strange story of sex in Poland and the Catholic church's closing of eyes to the enormous problem of gay priests which exists all around the world. It was touching, somewhat tragic, but illuminating and finally a sad indictment of the Catholic Church. Also six stars.

And finally another great doco of the festival about American Mark Bingham, the courageous and charismatic young man who diverted the plane on the  9.11 death mission and saved the Pentagon from disaster. His mother also featured as a large and amazing figure from whom he inherited his bravery and ability to cope in all adverse circumstances. It was called 'The Rugby Player' as Mark was a talented footy player who had adopted this English code and become a gay role model and great player. There is now a fierce rivalry between the US and Australia in Gay Rugby, and it is celebrated by the competition for the  'Bingham Cup'. Each two years it is fought in either country, most recently being won by Australia. An Australian girl who hosted Mark as a young exchange student also featured and gave fabulous stories about her beloved friend. It was an inspiring movie and I certainly give it six stars.

This was a fitting end to the festival for me. My friend K from Tiwhanawhana who came with me  also loved it. The Out Festival was as exciting as it was varied, and was so easy to attend that I felt privileged to be a Wellingtonian, and proud of my very favourite city in the world (at present).

And now on to Sunday night dancing with H.  Lots more to tell about my new BnB and launching myself on the Cyber Scene!

Kawakawa with honey

Sunday night on Cuba..