Mississippi Damned Gets UK Premiere at London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

By MsWOO, on February 16th, 2010

We’ve featured this film many times HERE on this site, and now Tina Mabry’s award winning feature debut, Mississippi Damned, is finally travelling overseas and making its UK premiere at the 24th BFI London & Gay Film Festival, which runs from 17-31 March this year.

If you’re not already familiar with the film, the blurb on the BFI website reads:

Stark and confrontational, the award-winning Mississippi Damned is an ensemble drama that follows the dreams and disappointments of three African American children in poor rural Mississippi. Struggling to overcome the cyclical violence and poverty of their family, each dreams of a brighter future: butch dyke Leigh with her flirtatious high school girlfriend; Sammy with a college basketball scholarship; and Kari, the youngest, with a career as a pianist. However, as each discovers, they will have to confront their family’s past if they are to overcome that which binds them, damned, to their Mississippi home. Anchored by rich characterization and a gorgeous saturated colour palette, Mabry’s remarkable assured debut takes the viewer on a riveting emotional journey, deftly illuminating the social forces and emotional demons that often stand in the way of pursuing our dreams.

Mississippi Damned will screen at 6.10pm on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 at BFI Southbank.

Other films of note at this year’s LGFF are:

Drool, Dir. Nancy Kissam, USA

Darkly comic and slightly surreal at times Drool is the story of abused southern housewife and mother of two, Anora (a fantastic Laura Harring), who falls in love with her vivacious next door neighbour, cosmetics saleswoman Imogene. Caught in the act by her drunken spouse the ensuing fight results in a corpse, a slightly concussed son, a disbelieving teenage daughter and a plan to drive cross country to a friend of Imogene’s who has experience in getting rid of troublesome husbands, dead or otherwise. Along the way emotions run high, dark secrets are revealed and a broken family mends itself with the healing power of love and that universal fixer – the makeover. Kissam’s assured debut tackles harsh themes with understanding and humour creating an ultimately uplifting and often hilarious film which draws out fantastic performances by all involved.

Family, Dir. Faith Trimel, USA

During an unexpected house call from her mother, thirty-something Felicia finds herself literally pushing her lesbian lover into a closet. Unsurprisingly her lover is unimpressed and Felicia realises that coming out may be the only way to save her relationship. Unable to deal with the prospect alone she gathers together six friends and proposes that they all release themselves from their similarly repressed identities within thirty days. The friends agree but all find that coming out comes with its sacrifices. For Women’s National Basketball Association player Kemp this means that future endorsements are on the line, while quiet Sabrina struggles to reconcile her religious beliefs with her sexuality and Melanie, the most out member of the group, fights for custody of her daughter with her ex-girlfriend. This is a welcome look at the experience of coming out as an African-American lesbian that has universal appeal and is by turns funny, moving and surprising.

Beyond Labels, Dir. Jaime Sylla, UK

Presented in association with gay men’s health charity GMFA, Jaime Sylla’s new film explores Black gay male experience in London, from Gay Lib pioneer Ted Walker Brown to more recent arrivals on the scene. Tales of friendship and support underly an investigation into the creation of a sense of community. Sylla’s last film No Magic Bullet premiered at the LLGFF in 2007. This film aims to explore how racism, homophobia, HIV and issues around immigration all have an impact on the construction of a healthy identity for Black gay men. The film offers inspiringly diverse voices who share their alternatives to the invisibility or stigmatization which many have experienced within their own communities and families. This world premiere screening will be followed by a discussion with the director and some of the film’s participants as well as representatives from Big Up.

Children of God, Dir. Kareem J Mortimer, Bahamas

Johnny, a white Bahamian artist from Nassau, is depressed and creatively uninspired. Under instructions from his teacher, he relocates to the rural island of Eleuthera, where he meets the confident Romeo, a local boy who inspires a new creative drive in him. Johnny and Romeo embark on a passionate love affair, but when Romeo’s fiancée and overbearing mother arrive at his home unannounced, he is asked to make some important decisions about his life and his relationship with Johnny. Meanwhile, Lena, the wife of an ultra-conservative pastor, also arrives on the island. With her marriage on the rocks, and a growing realisation that her husband is not who he appears to be, Lena sets out on a campaign to spread her anti-gay policies among the quiet community. As Lena’s crusade gathers momentum, she is challenged by her friend Reverend Ritchie, a liberal clergyman who forces her to question her beliefs and to re-evaluate her rigid political stance.

Sweepingly romantic and gorgeously photographed, the film’s aesthetic and emotional pleasures are undeniable. In positioning this classic tale of young love against a backdrop of violent homophobia and social unease, director Kareem Mortimer has also crafted a striking examination of identity and gay politics in the Bahamas, tackling these weighty issues with a confidence and sincerity that makes the film universal in its themes. Emerging from a region not known for the production of gay film, Children of God is an important and bold piece of work, signalling Mortimer as a hugely promising talent in the future of world cinema.

Click on the film titles for details of screening times and venues. For a full listing of films at this year’s LGFF, click HERE to visit the BFI website.