May 12
Breaking Down the 2024 Cannes Film Festival's LGBTQ+ Films
Matthew Creith READ TIME: 4 MIN.
Source: IMDb
"Motel Destino"
Erotic thrillers don't tend to be a rarity at film festivals, and the 77th Cannes Film Festival is no exception. This year, "Motel Destino" is gracing the competition for the Palme d'Or, bringing an exceptional story built around visionary Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz's unique perspective. The queer auteur's 2011 drama "The Silver Cliff" screened in the Directors' Fortnight section of the festival, and Aïnouz returns to Cannes in 2024 with a noteworthy flick.
"Motel Destino" stars Iago Xavier as Heraldo, a 21-year-old on the run from the law who happens upon a Brazilian sex motel run by a married couple (Nataly Rocha and Fábio Assunção). Heraldo's arrival throws the couple's world upside down as loyalties and desires twist together unexpectedly.
"Emilia Perez"
French director Jacques Audiard is a Cannes favorite, most notably for his Marion Cotillard-led romantic drama "Rust and Bone" from 2012. This year, the notable filmmaker is going a bit mainstream with "Emilia Perez," starring Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, and Edgar Ramirez. The film is competing for the Palme d'Or with Spanish actor Karla Sofía Gascón portraying the titular Emilia Perez.
Gascón plays an escaped Mexican cartel leader who enlists the help of a woman to help the fugitive undergo sex reassignment surgery. Not only does the cartel leader want to affirm the gender they've always believed themselves to inhabit, but the reassignment surgery doubles as a way to evade law enforcement. The controversial film is set to be theatrically released in France in August while attempting to sell to worldwide markets.
"Limonov: The Ballad"
Kirill Serebrennikov is a Russian filmmaker who understands controversy. He was arrested in his home country as retribution for his unwavering activism for LGBTQ+ causes. Much of his stage and screen work surrounds liberal ideas and free speech about sexual orientation, completely undermining the Russian government in the process. His newest film, "Limonov: The Ballad," is set to premiere in competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
"Limonov: The Ballad" stars out British actor Ben Whishaw as the real-life Eduard Limonov, a famous Russian writer and ultimate dissident. Highly similar in values and trajectory to Serebrennikov, Limonov represents revolutionary thought and is an ally to the queer community. Taking place in the second half of the 20th century, the film will explore Russian and American relations, political disruption, and gay rights allyship.
