Stories of Our Lives is an anthology of five short films with LGBT themes from the East African republic of Kenya. It was made by the Nairobi-based art and activist group The Nest Collective, many of whose members prefer to conceal their identities to avoid possible persecution under Kenya’s notoriously draconian anti-gay laws. The film is still banned in it some country. The five dramas are mostly personal and domestic inspired by true incidents. ASK ME NICELY Kate, a rebellious young high school girl, meets first-love Faith, a fellow student. They begin a secret relationship, until the school principal takes action to separate the two by suspending Kate from the school. Back at home, Kate impulsively has a sexual encounter with a boy in her neighborhood. Two weeks later, Kate and Faith have an awkward reunion leading to their separation. RUN After negotiating a business deal, Patrick stumbles upon a local gay bar with his homophobic best friend, Kama. Patrick later returns to the clu...
Teenager Link (white father and Mi’kmaw mother) lives with his father and half brother Travis. He father is physically abusive and Link is trying everything to hide the fact that he is two-spirit. When he can't take the abuse anymore, in his desperation to escape, he finds out that his father has been lying to him about his mother's death. She is still very much alive. Link runs away with Travis in search of his mother, who may or may not want him. They meet a stranger Pasmay, their angel in guard who a full-blooded Mi’kmaw and openly two-spirit, making a living by travelling around and performing traditional dances at social events. Link is uncomfortable about the situation at first, perhaps because of Pasmay’s obvious attraction to him, which he doesn’t know how to process until his younger brother tells him that he is obviously attracted to him. This is where the tourney of the trip start in search of Link's mother but in the process Link gradually lets his guard down with Pasmay, leading a tender romance whose inevitability Travis seems to be aware of before he is. He also meets many Mi’kmaw people on the way who want to help him as their own and he is slowly learning to let go off his white privilege.
The film comes with its pros and cons. I particularly enjoy films that talks about cultures, especially when we know so little about them. Combine those with a little queer angle, and you have me sold. This is definitely a huge win for this film. But there are events and scenes in this film which go on and on forever. I understand that the director wants us to show the the trio are enjoying rediscovering themselves living an outdoor life in search on Link's mother and are quite happy as well but they get repetitive after a while. I would have much rather preferred to see more scenes between Link and Pasmay than just the one scene of swim and love making at night. (Which by the way, is one of the most romantic, erotic and sensual at the same time scenes I have seen in recent times. It has that dreamy like sequence). The two leading actors have amazing chemistry and they act really well, especially Link who internalizes his struggle of his origins, his two-spirit and his inability to connect with either of those combined with the whole sexual realization too. It is not an easy role to play but the actor does an amazing job. We do have some other characters who come in and out taking in more of a mystic significance who show up just to help Link in his journey but somehow they al fit together.
So, having a tighter screenplay where we see a little less of Link, Pasmay and Travis swimming or road tripping and a lot more of that cute budding glances and romance between the two leading men would have made this film extra special. And also a shorter run time because at almost two hours of running time, it feels lot longer than it ended to be. This is a film which celebrates self-realisation and taking chances with two very charming leading men. (6/10)
Comments