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...
Yao, a Chinese national, is nearing the end of his two year European college education. Yet the 26-year-old is reluctant to return to China because he is already being pressured by his parents to come back home, get married and have kids. This closeted gay man has been in a relationship with Asim, a gay Iranian living in China for almost 6 years now, but no one in China knows this. He thought that coming to Europe would liberate him but now that he is finishing studies and finding a job is becoming increasingly hard, choices for him are minimal. He realizes that maybe one performance as a drag artist will make him feel free and liberate him before he may have to eventually move back to China.
With just an hour duration, thankfully it was not too long but it just felt incomplete. Most of us have our own coming out stories but there has to be something very compelling and unique to make a film out of it, something that people would wanna watch. Is being together with the one you love worth abandoning the culture that defines who you are? Is swallowing the dictates of the culture you were brought up in worth betraying and repressing your true nature? This film offers no resolution of these questions. Yes, using puppetry and imagery to show us the conversations with his family is unique, but the story overall holds no attention. Why is Yao interested in drag? What is the boyfriend's back story? I would have liked to see some of that. Also the ending felt rather abrupt. The whole build up towards Yao trying to find a mentor to perform should have ideally culminated with the actual performance. But we never get to see that. I mean we don't even get to know what really happens to him or his boyfriend. The title of this documentary comes form the song that Yao is preparing to perform on, but honestly overall this documentary is something which doesn't really offer anything new or unique and I wouldn't consider it an essential viewing. (4/10)
Comments