Category: Videos

#WinterWarmers Queer Film Fest 2020 Part Two- Features

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As International Pride Month draws to a close and the weather outside gets a little colder, there’s no better time to snuggle up, sip a warm beverage, and enjoy some excellent queer cinema from around the world.

Your WCL membership provides access to streaming video services, which host a cornucopia of cinematic delights. You can find out more about how to access these online video options on our eLibrary page.

In the first edition of our #WinterWarmers Queer Film Fest, our staff collated some of our favourite documentaries. Now, in part two, we share our picks of the finest fictional features from around the world. Part one, our selection of documentaries , is right here.

BPM (Beats Per Minute)

Year: 2017
Length: 143 Minutes
Directors: Robin Campillo



Watch the full film here on Kanopy.

Winner of over 20 international film awards, including the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, BPM is the remarkable new film from Robin Campillo (They Came Back, Eastern Boys). In Paris in the early 1990s, a group of activists goes to battle for those stricken with HIV/AIDS, taking on sluggish government agencies and major pharmaceutical companies in bold, invasive actions. The organization is ACT UP, and its members, many of them gay and HIV-positive, embrace their mission with a literal life-or-death urgency. Amid rallies, protests, fierce debates and ecstatic dance parties, the newcomer Nathan falls in love with Sean, the group’s radical firebrand, and their passion sparks against the shadow of mortality as the activists fight for a breakthrough.-Kanopy

Watermelon Woman

Year: 1996
Length: 86 Minutes
Director: Cheryl Dunye

Watch the full film here on Kanopy.

Cheryl Dunye plays a version of herself in this witty, nimble landmark of New Queer Cinema. A video store clerk and fledgling filmmaker, Cheryl becomes obsessed with the “most beautiful mammy,” a character she sees in a 1930s movie. Determined to find out who the actress she knows only as the “Watermelon Woman” was and make her the subject of a documentary, she starts researching and is bowled over to discover that not only was Fae Richards (Lisa Marie Bronson) a fellow Philadelphian but also a lesbian. The project is not without drama as Cheryl’s singular focus causes friction between her and her friend Tamara (Valarie Walker) and as she begins to see parallels between Fae’s problematic relationship with a white director and her own budding romance with white Diana (fellow filmmaker Guinevere Turner).-Kanopy

52 Tuesdays

Year:2013
Length: 110 Minutes
Director: Sophie Hyde



Watch the full film here on Beamafilm.

Directed by Sophie Hyde (Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure), the Australian filmmaker who won the Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, 52 Tuesdays is centered on the relationship between James (Del Herbert-Jane), a mother undergoing gender transition, and their precocious teenage daughter Billie (Tilda Cobham-Hervey). Looking forward to starting their gender transition but wary of how the process might affect their daughter, James asks Billie to move in with her father Tom (played by Beau Travis Williams). To make up for the abrupt separation, mother and daughter make a commitment to meet every Tuesday afternoon, no matter what. As the year progresses, James and Billie watch each other change in ways that sometimes threaten their once-unshakable relationship. As both individuals explore deep personal issues and struggle to remain connected, a complex tale of human desire and ultimately, physical and psychological transformation, emerges.-Beamafilm

Happy Together

Year:1997
Length: 93 Minutes
Director: Kar-Wai Wong



Watch the full film here on Beamafilm.

Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing arrive in Argentina from Hong Kong and take to the road for a holiday. Something is wrong and their relationship goes adrift. A disillusioned Yiu-Fai starts working at a tango bar to save up for his trip home. When a beaten and bruised Po-Wing reappears, Yiu-Fai is empathetic but is unable to enter a more intimate relationship. After all, Po-Wing is not ready to settle down. Yiu-Fai now works in a Chinese restaurant and meets the youthful Chang from Taiwan. Yiu-Fai’s life takes on a new spin, while Po-Wing’s life shatters continually in contrast.-Beamafilm

Circumstance

Year:2011
Length: 102 Minutes
Director: Maryam Keshavarz



Watch the full film here on Beamafilm.

Maryam Keshavarz’s lusty, dreamy take on the passionate teenagers behind the hijabs. Risking jail and worse are the sassy, privileged Atafeh and the beautiful, orphaned Shireen. They’re under constant, unnerving surveillance, in a country where more than 70 percent of the population is younger than 30. Nevertheless, within their mansion walls and without, beneath graffiti and undulating at intoxicating house parties, the two girls begin to fall in love with each other, as Atafeh’s handsome, albeit creepy older brother Mehran gazes on… Filmed underground in Beirut, with layers that permit both pleasure and protest.-Beamafilm

Geography Club

Year:2013
Length: 80 Minutes
Director: Gary Entin



Watch the full film here on Kanopy.

Based on Brent Hartinger’s best-selling critically acclaimed novel, Geography Club is a smart, fast, and funny account of contemporary teenagers as they discover their own sexual identities, dreams, and values. While finding the truth too hard to hide, they all decide to form the Geography Club thinking nobody else would ever want to join. However, their secrets may soon be discovered and they could have to face the choice of revealing who they really are. -Kanopy

We hope you enjoy our selection of fine feature films! Part One, our selection of documentaries , is right here. Stay warm!

Imparare l’inglese sarà facilissimo con Mango Languages

wclstaff

Parli italiano? Sei appena arrivato a Wellington e vuoi imparare l’inglese senza spendere troppo? Puoi farlo gratis con la tessera delle biblioteche pubbliche di Wellington e il nostro nuovo programma Mango Languages. Imparare l’inglese sarà facilissimo grazie al nostro metodo intuitivo con spiegazioni in italiano. Guarda il video qui sotto per saperne di più.

Do you know an Italian speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in Italian and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.

惠灵顿市立图书馆 学英语用嘅 芒果语言 (汉语普通话)

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Do you know a Chinese Mandarin speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in Mandarin and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.

您是讲中文的吗？ 您是刚到惠灵顿，想要找学习英文又不用花很多钱的地方吗？您可以通过惠灵顿图书馆网站提供的Mango Languages数据库免费学英文。
在有中文解释和指导下的直观学习方法使学英文就像孩子玩游戏一样简单。
想要了解更多信息，请看下面的录像。

Bibliotecas de la Ciudad de Wellington – Lenguajes Mango para aprender inglés

wclstaff

¿Eres hispanohablante? ¿Eres nuevo en Wellington y te gustaría aprender inglés sin gastar mucho dinero? Puedes hacerlo de forma gratuita con una tarjeta de las Bibliotecas de la Ciudad de Wellington y nuestra nueva base de datos Mango Languages. Aprender inglés se ha convertido en un jugo de niños con este intuitivo método donde las explicaciones e instrucciones están en español. Mira el siguiente video para aprender más.

Do you know a Spanish speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in Spanish and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.

マンゴランゲージで楽々英語学習

wclstaff

ウェリントンに来られたばかりでしょうか。あまりお金を使わず英語を学びたいと思っていませんか。ウェリントン市立図書館のカードをお持ちなら、「マンゴランゲージ」という英語学習のデータベースを無料で使うことができます。説明が日本語なのでわかりわすく、子供がゲームを楽しむような自然なかたちで学べるものです。詳しくは下のビデオをご覧ください。

Do you know a Japanese speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in Japanese and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.

Οι βιβλιοθήκες της πόλης του Ουέλλιγκτον – Γλώσσες Mάνγκο για να μάθετε Αγγλικά

wclstaff

Μιλάτε Ελληνικά;
Φθάσατε πρόσφατα στή πόλη του Ουέλλιγκτον και θέλετε να μάθετε Αγγλικά;
Άν γίνετε μέλος της Βιβλιοθήκης τής πόλης του Ουέλλιγκτον, με τη κάρτα σας, μπορείτε να χρησιμοποιήσετε τη νέα Βάση Δεδομένων των Γλωσών Μάνγκο και να μάθετε Αγγλικά χωρίς κανένα κόστος!
Η μάθηση Αγγλικών είναι σαν παιχνίδι, που προσφέρετε με μία διαισθητική μέθοδο, όπου επεξηγήσεις και οδηγίες είναι στήν Ελληνική γλώσσα.
Γιά περισσότερες πληροφορίες, παρακολουθήστε το παρακάτω βίντεο.

Do you know a Greek-speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in Greek and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.

Bibliotecas Públicas da Cidade de Wellington – Mango Languages para aprender Inglês

wclstaff

Você fala Português? Você é novo em Wellington e gostaria de aprender Inglês sem gastar muito dinheiro? Você pode fazê-lo gratuitamente com o seu cartão de membro das Bibliotecas Públicas de Wellington e nossa nova base de dados, o Mango Languages. Aprender Inglês tornou-se brincadeira de criança com este método intuitivo onde explicações e instruções estão em Português. Assista ao vídeo abaixo para saber mais.

Do you know a Portuguese-speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in Portuguese and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.

Английский будут легче выучить пользуясь Манго

wclstaff

Вы говорите по-русски? Вы только что приехали в Веллингтон и хотите улучшить знания английского языка бесплатно? Вы можете это сделать,если у Вас есть библиотечная карточка Городской Библиотеки города Веллингтона.Наша библиотека предлагает новый веб сайт “Манго” . Пользоваться этим веб сайтом очень просто, потому что все инструкции Вы найдете на русском языке. Смотрите видео внизу , чтобы получить больше информации.

Do you know a Russian-speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in Russian and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.

学英语用嘅 芒果语言 惠灵顿市立图书馆 (在粤语)

wclstaff

您是讲中文的吗？ 您是刚到惠灵顿，想要找学习英文又不用花很多钱的地方吗？您可以通过惠灵顿图书馆网站提供的Mango Languages数据库免费学英文。
在有中文解释和指导下的直观学习方法使学英文就像孩子玩游戏一样简单。
想要了解更多信息，请看下面的录像。

Do you know a Cantonese-speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in Cantonese and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.

Apprendre l’Anglais, c’est facile avec Mango Languages!

wclstaff

Vous êtes francophone? Vous êtes nouveau venu à Wellington et vous souhaitez apprendre l’Anglais sans trop dépenser d’argent? Vous pouvez le faire gratuitement avec une carte des Bibliothèques Publiques de Wellington et notre nouvelle base de données Mango Languages. Apprendre l’Anglais est devenu un jeu d’enfants avec cette méthode intuitive où les instructions et explications sont en Français. Regardez la vidéo ci-dessous pour plus d’explications.

Do you know a French-speaker who’d like to learn English without spending much money? Let them know about our Mango Languages database which will allow them to practise English in an intuitive manner, at their own pace. Instructions are in French and they can even record their own voice and compare it to a native speaker. Also it’s free with a Wellington City Libraries membership card! Give them the link to the video below for more details.