My New Favorite Gay-Themed Movie

This past week, Cinema Diverse sponsored the 2014 Palm Springs Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. I was lucky enough to see four feature films and three short films, all of which I relished.

There was one film, Lilting, that not only outshined all the others, it is one of the most touching, well written, well acted, gay movies I’ve ever seen. Start to finish I was enthralled.

Written and directed by Hong Khaou. It stared one of my favorite gay actors, Ben Whishaw. He plays the part of a widower to the ultra handsome Andrew Leung.

Set in contemporary London, Lilting tells the story of a Cambodian-Chinese mother mourning the untimely death of her son. Her world is suddenly disrupted by the presence of a stranger (her sons lover played by Ben Whishaw). Though they don't share a common language, a translator helps piece together the memories of a man they both loved. Lilting is a touching film about unlikely connections and the tragedies that bring us together even though we may be worlds apart.

 

There are only a handful of films (gay or straight) that I connect with on such deep levels that I can say I genuinely love them. Lilting is now one of them.