GAYLETTER

No, Kuchu is not a sweet term of endearment one calls their lover or dear friend but the name of a homosexual, lesbian, bi or trans person in Uganda. And ‘Call Me Kuchu’ is a riveting documentary that tells the story of Uganda’s first openly gay man and activist David Kato’s quest to repeal his countries homophobic laws and fight an “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” that proposes the death penalty for HIV+ gay men and prison for anyone who fails to “turn in” a known homosexual. Sounds insane right! Filmmakers Mailina Zouhali-Worrali and Katherine Fairfax Wright had unprecedented access to David and a fiery group of activists as they mounted their public protest on TV, in the courts and at the UN. David insisted, “If we keep on hiding, they will say we are not here.” Tragically, just 1 year into filming, David was brutally murdered at home. News of his death sent a shockwave of sorrow and heightened awareness of the kuchus plight around the world. David was one kuchu to be reckoned with. Watch the film and get inspired by his dogged determination and beautiful spirit, although his end was tragic the film is nothing short of inspiring.  —Gayletter

Everyone likes a bit of rough trade every now and then. British indie film, ‘Like It Is’ serves up a plate full when Craig, a hot ripped bare knuckles club fighter from Blackpool, falls for Matt, a hip blond music producer from London. The two boys meet outside a gay club (Craig doesn’t have the mojo to go in) and go back to Matt’s flat for an attempt at a shag that ultimately ignites a relationship. Craig leaves behind his closeted life in Blackpool and moves in with Matt. Roger Daltrey from The Who turns in a brilliant performance as Matt’s smarmy gay boss spicing up the plot quite a bit. There is a Rocky-esque ending, training footage et al, with love ultimately prevailing. It’s definitely a feel good film, albeit a slightly battered one. If you wanna see a hot boy take a punch or two to the body (as well as a few up the bum) this film’s for you!  —Gayletter

So, ever since I watched Derek Jarman’s Caravaggio I have been obsessed with the filmmaker’s work. When I came upon his 1976 film Sebastiane, a collaboration with Paul Humfress I had to watch. OMG — the film portrays the events of the life of Saint Sebastiane and is filmed in Latin, no wonder I didn’t understand one fucking word of it, but who cares, it was so fucking hot it didn’t matter. A bunch of tanned semi-naked and naked studs running around an arid Greek isle fighting, fucking,dancing, playing, and torturing poor Sebastiane until he meets his untimely death by the myriad of arrows as he helplessly stands strapped to a pole in the blistering sun. Margaret Walters, the author of The Nude Male, had this to say about Sebastiane: “male nudes in various stages of ecstasy positively littered the screen.” She suggested this film was “successfully aimed at a very specialized homosexual audience.” No shit Margaret! This film is the bomb! Hats off to Jarman who made a film so erotically charged it still sizzles on the screen, even today. Check it out, it will NOT disappoint.  —Gayletter

I’m so thrilled we got this email last week from the Tribeca Film Festival asking us to support their LGBT film entry from Poland, Floating Skyscrapers. It is an impeccably shot and beautifully told love story about a brooding champion swimmer, Kuba (Mateusz Banasiuk), who while dating a girl named Sylwia (Marta Nieradkiewicz) falls for a dark stud, Michal (Bartosz Gelner), at an art opening. Simple premise, yes I know, but in the hands of director Tomasz Wasilewski it becomes a multifaceted gem. “An intimate and bold feature that captures the myriad consequences of finding love in forbidden places.” It takes awhile for the boys to “get busy” but once they do it, gets real hot. Surprisingly, for me at least, what’s even hotter is the scene in which Kuba goes down on Sylwia—made me wanna eat some pussy! The three lives get quite intertwined, plus there’s also Kuba’s mother, thrown in as a second roomate, who’s love for Kuba complicates matters further. Watch out for the heart wrenching plot twist at the end. Oh, and keep an eye out for Kuba’s gorgeous uncut cock. Who knew Polish cinema could be so fierce...or their boys could be so fine? Sneak a beer and a kielbasa into the theatre and have a party...  —Gayletter