NUBIAN KNIGHTS NETWORK

ROD PATRICK RISBROOK Photographic|Imagery

2011-12-30T01:09:00.009-05:00

Greetings FAMILY!!

Today, I PURPOSEFULLY choose to launch and announce my new website ROD PATRICK RISBROOK Photographic|Imagery; the 4th day of KWANZAA in which we reflect on Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah-AH): Cooperative Economics. The ROD PATRICK RISBROOK Photographic|Imagery website http://www.rodpatrickrisbrook.com features the mixed media of still photography and motion pictures (videos).

This marks a new foundation and path for me in which I can promote my photography and videography/cinematography work and take more control of an independent entrepreneurial lifestyle.

High profile clients of mine have been the likes of R&B music artist Nhojj, the BLOOM Party events, and THPAC (Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center) with dance theater. Additionally, my nature photography work is featured in a newly released book called Words of Simplicity For Life by Willifred S. James. Please pick up a copy of the book at http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000420143/Words-of-Simplicity-For-Life.aspx

or at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Words-Simplicity-Life-Willifred-James/dp/1467076589/

The home page of my website greets, graces and treats you to a 5 minute montage of my photography portfolio with percussion music (turn those speakers on!!!). You can also see my complete CROSS-SAMPLING PORTFOLIO at your leisure by navigating the easy menu (orange lettering) on the home page ---> Photographic|Imagery | CROSS-SAMPLING PORFOLIO where I have 10 different galleries hi-liting the various genres of my work.

You can also create a "favorites" list and also purchase prints of any of the images on my website and have them shipped to you. Simple click and buy.

Next, my first (experimental short) film TWO (2008) is featured on my website also, BUT -- this time around it is REMASTERED in a LETTER-BOXED HI-DEFINITION 720P presentation with a newly added stereo sound EFX track layer and new titles... so if even if you already saw the film back in 2008 please check out the slightly newer version. TWO is set in 1970 Vietnam and about an African-American soldier (code named "Pocket Knife") where his platoon of men are killed in a surprise ambush by enemy Viet Cong forces. Armed with just his training, his wits, his weapon and a mysterious photograph, Pocket Knife is determined to complete the vital mission alone. Or can he? --

As a complementary piece to TWO, on the home page under Motion|Picture Imagery | Behind-The-Scenes EXTRAS there is a 64-page PDF that is available for downloading and viewing which explains in detail the behind-the-scenes production of TWO from the conceptual storyboards to principal photography to the post-production workflow in the digital domain. It's a nice convergence of still photography and video, especially with the explosion of DSLR cameras offering both art forms in one.

Additionally, my videography reel (which will be uploaded shortly - just after new year's) showcasing my video work is under the orange menu ---> Motion|Picture Imagery | Videography Reel so be sure to check that out. I'm working with up & coming young artist Doice John (doicejohn.carbonmade.com )

My biography is available on the website and I am based in New York City. Currently I am working on a documentary about the Black same gender loving (SGL) organization ADODI.

I look forward to working with anyone in the future to create some photographic|imagery (still images) and motion picture|imagery (videos/films) magic for your project or event.

You can easily contact me about discussing a project or event, and price quotes by using the CONTACT link on my website's home page.

Finally, for those wanting to create their own website, please visit my multi-media hosting partner www.zenfolio.com/
and hold onto and use my REFERRAL CODE: SHM-PWP-RJZ to receive a 10% discount. Because I also get an accredited discount whenever you use my Zenfolio discount REFERRAL CODE it benefits both of us...

So, on that note I come full circle and end with the spirit of Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah-AH): Cooperative Economics.

THANKS FAM!

ROD PATRICK RISBROOK
http://www.rodpatrickrisbrook.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND SUPPORT
Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah-AH): Cooperative Economics

Her Word As Witness: Portraits of Women Writers of the African Diaspora December 1st, 2011 (6 to 8pm) - March 31st, 2012 - Brooklyn, NYC

2011-11-24T18:10:00.016-05:00

Image: Sonia Sanchez, poet, educator, activist
Philadelphia, 2011
(c) Laylah Amatullah Barrayn

Skylight Gallery of the Center for Arts & Culture
of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation

presents

Her Word As Witness:
Portraits of Women Writers of the African Diaspora
Curated and photographed by Laylah Amatullah Barrayn

Opening Reception: Thursday, December 1, 2011 (6 to 8pm)
On View: December 1, 2011 - March 31, 2012

Her Word As Witness is an exhibition of photographic portraits of a diverse group of contemporary women writers, celebrating their ability to incite our imagination, to expand our vision, to investigate, and to document. Novelists, poets, journalists, and songwriters, these women of letters are also daughters of the Diaspora; cocoa, crimson, amber, ginger-toned. Their stories are born in tongues of Kreyòl, English, patois, Spanish, Twi, Gullah/Geechee. They use the pen to witness for their lives and the lives of those around them.

The Writers: Malaika Adero ■ Elizabeth Alexander ■ Tomika Anderson ■ asha bandele ■ Kristal Brent Zook ■ Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond ■ Raquel Cepeda ■ Kandia Crazy Horse ■ Edwidge Danticat ■ Tananarive Due ■ Coco Fusco ■ Carolina González ■ Karen Good Marable ■ Farah Jasmine Griffin ■ Tayari Jones ■ Juleyka Lantigua-Williams ■ Demetria L. Lucas ■ Dominga Martin ■ Kierna Mayo ■ Bernice L. McFadden ■ Nekesa Moody ■ jessica Care moore ■ Joan Morgan ■ Jill Nelson ■ Liza Jessie Peterson ■ Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts ■ Sonia Sanchez ■ Danyel Smith ■ Akiba Solomon ■ Esperanza Spalding ■ Mecca Jamilah Sullivan ■ Susan L. Taylor ■ Hanifah Walidah ■ Terrie Williams ■ Ibi Aanu Zoboi ■ Nana Camille Yarbrough

Skylight Gallery
1368 Fulton Street
(between Brooklyn & New York Avenues in Bed-Stuy)
Brooklyn, New York 11216
"A" or "C" train to Nostrand Avenue
GOOGLE MAPS

Presented with The Institute for Research in African-American Studies of Columbia University (IRAAS)/Towards An Intellectual History of Black Women Project

With special thanks April R. Silver of AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc.

For more information, contact the gallery at 718.636.6949 or 646.573.2422. www.restorationplaza.org

Detroit Police Search For Transgender Teen Missing For 2 weeks

2011-11-09T17:30:00.001-05:00

PRESS RELEASE
November 9, 2011

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Your friends at KICK!
(313) 285-9733
KICK - The Agency for LGBT African-Americans

Detroit police search for transgender teen missing for 2 weeks
We at KICK humbly requests your help ...

As posted in the Detroit Free Press, by staff writer Tammy Stables Battaglia, dated November 8, 2011:

Detroit Police investigators are searching for a transgender teen who has been missing for two weeks.

Henry Hilliard, Jr., 19, also known as Shelley or Treasure, was last seen at 1:20 a.m. Oct. 23 in the 900 block Longfellow wearing a silver dress, according to request for help issued by the Detroit Police Monday.

A cab driver that Hilliard often used for rides dropped Hilliard off at a home where three men were waiting for her, his mother, Lyniece Nelson, said today.

But Hilliard immediately called the driver back, voicing concern about the situation, Nelson said.

The driver "started to hear her say, 'What are you doing,' then scream out loud 'No,' then her phone dropped, a few muffling noises, then the phone went dead," Nelson said. "By the time he got back around the corner, there was no one in sight."

Hilliard, who models and does hair, hasn't contacted family members or posted on Facebook, both which typically happen every day, Nelson said.

Hilliard has a piercing on the left eyebrow and several tattoos including a design of cherries on the upper right arm, according to police.

We at KICK humbly request that anyone with information pertaining to the disappearance of Shelley aka Treasure please come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detroit Police at 313-596-2200 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP.

KICK - The Agency for LGBT African-Americans' mission is to increase awareness of and support to Detroit's dynamic LGBT culture through education and advocacy with integrity and pride. Always visit us at www.e-kick.org.

# # #

THE REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE Part II of III: REEL Productions Featuring Black & Latino SGL Persons or Characters(20)

2011-11-08T08:02:00.017-05:00

ROD PATRICK RISBROOK
Presents

THE REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING
FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE
(version 8.0)

No copyright infringement of the words and pictures used in this compilation of work are intended. It is the sole purpose of the author of this reference and resource compilation to enlighten, educate and make exciting FUN for the public the body of film and television work out there depicting the lives of Same Gender Loving (SGL) people of African descent.

SGL is a culturally affirming and coined term that emerged in the early 1990s to offer Black women who love women and Black men who love men (and other people of color) a way of identifying that resonated with the uniqueness of Black life and culture. SGL was created to affirm, embrace, reference and lovingly umbrella homosexual, bisexual and transgender people of African descent.

Please reference and take note of this electronic blog edition if you wish, and go happy DVD (and maybe Blu-ray disc) shopping. A few reputable e-commerce web links have been provided below for your shopping convenience!

This compilation is meant to ACKNOWLEDGE, APPRECIATE, AFFIRM, ACCEPT & ACHÉ all same gender loving people of the African Diaspora! LOVE!

SPREAD THE ENLIGHTENMENT
BY LETTING THIS COMPILATION BE KNOWN TO OTHERS!

You can contact me (ROD) to suggest a film I missed, ask a question or send me comments to: BIG.ROD02[at]GMAIL.COM

A SPECIAL THANKS TO DAMON J. MURPHY
WHO BECAME THE SPARK, THE LIGHT
AND THE INSPIRATION FOR ME TO BEGIN THIS PROJECT

A FEW LINKS FOR PURCHASING
SOME OF THESE MOVIE TITLES ON DVD

Amazon.com: www.amazon.com

CD Universe: www.cduniverse.com

Deep Discount: www.deepdiscount.com

DVD Empire: www.dvdempire.com

DVD Planet: www.dvdplanet.com

Netflix.com: www.netflix.com (Rental Only)

TLA Video: www.tlavideo.com

Wolfe Video: www.wolfevideo.com

Rare Black Video and DVD Fair (Harlem, New York City):
www.moaac.org
Ph: 212-749-5298 (Call For More Information)

Sisters in Cinema:
African American SGL Women Produced Film, Video, and Multimedia www.sistersincinema.com/forum/lesbianfilms.html

PART II of III:
REEL Productions Featuring
Black & Latino SGL Persons or Characters

PART II looks at film or television productions where the stories feature real life Black and Latino same gender loving persons or fictitious characters, however, they are NOT the primary focus of the story or their same gender love experiences.

SKIP TO
PART I of III:
REEL Black Same Gender Loving Films

SKIP TO

Part III of III:

REEL Asian, Indian and Latino Diasporic SGL Films

Throughout this REEL Black Same Gender Loving Filmography Resource, there is a DVD logo next to certain movie titles which means those titles are available for rental/sale on the DVD format. I provide a bunch of links (above) to reputable Internet/on-line resources.

Badass Supermama (1996)
Running Time: 16 minutes
Genre: Documentary/Lyrical Video
Badass Supermama is a playful, but questioning personal exploration of race, gender, sexuality, and adolescent notions of beauty and representation. These multi-layered, inter-connected issues are intimately examined through 1970ís "blaxploitation" movie goddess Pam Grier and her characters, particularly Foxy Brown. The videomaker tries on the powerful badass supermama role of Foxy Brown while exploring the space between body and image. This lyrical video is gently critical, playing with the idea of masquerade, as well as childhood and adolescent fantasies of black womanhood.

DVD Sales:
http://cart.frameline.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=T421

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003)
Running Time: 83 minutes
Genre: Documentary

Bayard Rustin was a civil rights leader who was the architect of the 1963 March on Washington. He was also marginalized by other Black civil rights leaders because of his homosexuality, and asked to take a back seat on the very march he was asked to put together.

Car Wash (1976)
Running Time: 97 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Richard Pryor, Antonio Fargas (Starsky and Hutch), Bill Duke (Predator) and George Carlin.

A hilarious day-in-the-life tale set in modern day Los Angeles. At Sully Boyar's car wash, a juvenile, motley crew of city dwellers "work their fingers to the bone" waiting on the eccentric and sometimes haughty clientele. Throughout the day, the young men find time to indulge in personal pursuits: one fellow fantasizes about the pretty waitress working at a local restaurant, a militant preaches politics, while more disgruntled workers find a way to justify their laziness. As the day wears on, the many levels of oppression that control each individual's lives gradually become apparent.

Color Purple, The (1985)
Running Time: 154 minutes
Genre: Drama
Whoopi Goldberg stars in the film based on the novel by Alice Walker. Goldberg plays Celie, a shy, withdrawn woman who secretly writes to her sister after they are seperated. She goes from an abusive marriage with her husband Albert (Danny Glover) into a loving, nurturing same gender loving relationship with blues singer Shug (Margaret Avery).

Get On The Bus (1996)
Running Time: 120 minutes
Genre: Drama
Directed by Spike Lee. Starring Ossie Davis, Andre Braugher, Richard Belzer, Hill Harper, Wendell Pierce, Roger Guenveur Smith, Isaiah Washington, Charles S. Dutton and Thomas Jefferson Bryd.

Get on the Bus follows several Black men on a cross country bus trip to the Million Man March. On the bus are an eclectic set of characters including a laid off aircraft worker, a former Gang Banger, a Hollywood actor, a cop who is of mixed racial background, two Black same gender loving men, and a white bus driver, all make the trek discussing issues surrounding the march, manhood, religion, politics, sexuality and race.

James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket (1990)
Running Time: 87 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Directed by Karen L. Thorson

A biographical video of writer James Baldwin, covering his entire life history. Opening and closing scenes are of his funeral, and there are numerous flashbacks (both in color and black-and-white) of his homes, his friends, and his family. The intent of the production is to reveal to the viewer the hardships imposed on Baldwin and others of his race during his lifetime. Baldwin never tried to hide the facts that he was black, impoverished, or homosexual, and many of his books are written about these very personal subjects. A serious documentary about the lifetime of this author, lecturer, and teacher.
DVD Sales: http://newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0049

L.A. Complex, The (2012)

Running Time:
13 minutes
(per episode - approx.)
Genre: Drama
(ensemble tv series)
Season 1:
6 episodes
Produced in Canada

Starring Benjamin Charles Watson (as hip-hop producer Tariq Muhammad) and Andra Fuller (as hip-hop artist Kaldrick "KING").

Full of new relationships, salacious temptations and make-it-or-break it decisions, THE L.A. Complex's coming-of-age dwellers grapple with life's defining moments as they deal with the unreality of the show-biz industry.

NOTE: Still scenes are from season 1, episode 3: "Do Something"

La Mission (2009)
Running Time: 117 minutes
Genre: Drama
Written and directed by Peter Bratt
Starring Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order) and Erika Alexander (Living Single)

Growing up in the Mission district of San Francisco, Che Rivera (Benjamin Bratt) has always had to be tough to survive. He's a powerful man respected throughout the Mission barrio for his masculinity and his strength, as well as for his hobby building beautiful lowrider cars. A reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic, Che has worked hard to redeem his life and do right by his pride and joy: his only son, Jes, whom he has raised on his own after the death of his wife. Che's path to redemption is tested, however, when he discovers Jes is homosexual. To survive his neighborhood, Che has always lived with his fists. To survive as a complete man, he'll have to embrace a side of himself he's never shown.

M & M Smith: For Posterity's Sake (1997)
Running Time: 57 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Eartha Kitt cameo
Narrated by Ruby Dee

Morgan and Marvin Smith, twin brothers and prolific African American artists, boldly moved from Kentucky to New York in 1933 to pursue artistic careers. By 1937 they had opened a photo studio next door to Harlem's renowned Apollo Theater. Thus began 50-year-long careers as still and motion picture photographers, painters and sound recordists. The Smiths captured events large and small within Harlem: street corner preachers, political rallies, Easter parades and the thriving theater and club scene. The Smiths also contributed their work to numerous community concerns such as the "Don't Buy Where you Can't Work" campaign and the Anti-Lynching Bill and eloquently photographed the training ground of the great Joe Louis, world heavyweight champion and African American symbol of hope. This story is richly visualized through the Smiths' photos, films and paintings and poignantly told by Morgan and Marvin Smith and friends such as Eartha Kitt. M & M Smith: For Posterity's Sake is a presentation of the Independent Television Service (ITVS).

Maestro (2004)
Running Time: 77 minutes + 146 minute additional supplemental bonus disc
Genre: Documentary

Maestro is a feature length documentary on the origins of the New York City dance music underground. Maestro takes you deep into the world of Larry Levan's Paradise Garage and David Mancuso's Loft as they became the center of underground culture, which evolved into the dance music of today. Through rare footage and interviews, Maestro brings out a true, candid understanding of the lifestyle and the music that went on to influence future generations. This documentary features appearances by Larry Levan, David Mancuso, Frankie Knuckles, Nicky Sciano, Francois K, Francis Grasso, Jellybean Benitez, Danny Tenaglia, Tony Humphries, Tee Scott, Dimitri From Paris, Danny Krivit, Pete Tong, Joe Claussell, Little Louie Vega, Keith Haring, and many of the original Loft and Garage club members.

Mississippi Damned (2009)
Running Time: 120 minutes
Genre: Drama
Written and directed by Tina Mabry
Starring D.B. Woodside and Malcolm David Kelley

Based on true events and spanning between 1986 and 1998, Mississippi Damned follows three young African Americans in the rural south as they suffer through the devastating cycles of poverty, addiction and abuse. Leigh is a same gender loving sistah with an unhealthy, and long-lasting, obsession with her girlfriend. Sammy gives up his youth, innocence and body for a shot at his basketball dreams. Kari, the most promising of the three, has aspirations to attend New York University to further develop her musical talents, but fights to keep her head above water as her relatives and circumstances drag her down.

Above Picture
Left: Tina Mabry (Writer-Director)
Right: Morgan Stiff (Producer-Editor)

DVD Sales: http://www.mississippidamned.com/store

Rent (2005)
Running Time: 135 minutes
Genre: Drama/Musical/Romance
Starring Jesse L. Martin and Rosario Dawson

This film adaptation of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning rock opera tells the story of one year in the life of a group of bohemians struggling in modern day East Village New York.

Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story (2005)
Running Time: 87 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Featuring Emile Griffith as himself

A story of violence, love, sex, politics and media centered around the life of Griffith, a six-time world welterweight champion. Within this documentary, Emile’s sexuality is called into question.

Ritual (2000)
Running Time: 78 minutes
Genre: Drama
Directed by Stanley Bennett Clay

This psychological domestic drama tells the story of the Becker family, a seemingly shining example of the American dream. Leon Becker is a wealthy attorney at the head of his flawless household: beautiful wife, doting daughter, and son in attendance at an ivy league college. But while he views his achievement as an example that success is possible for all in the black diaspora, he is becoming increasingly alienated from that community. All is not so well at home, either, as his wife descends into an alcoholism he refuses to recognize, and his daughter's affections seem less innocent than they should be. When Leon's SGL son Mason drops out of college to come home in an attempt to redeem his family, he is forced to confront the issues head-on.

Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
Running Time: 112 minutes
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Comedy
Starring Will Smith and Donald Sutherland

Fifth Avenue socialite Ouisa Kittredge (Stockard Channing) and her purveyor of high-art husband Flan (Donald Sutherland), are pedigree parents of "two at Harvard and one at Groton." But the privileged insular world inhabited by the Kittredge family, as well as their public status as distinguished arbiters of culture, makes them easy prey for a consummate con-artist like Paul (Will Smith). One night, he mysteriously shows up at their front door injured and bleeding claiming to be Sidney Poitier's son and a close college crony of the Kittredges' Ivy League progeny. Impressing Ouisa and Flan with his articulate literary expositions, Paul proves to be a sharp-witted, learned young man with epicurean taste and surprising culinary skill. His highbrow facade is so charmingly persuasive, Paul soon has the Kittredges loaning him money, putting him up for the night and taking satisfaction in his appraisal of their posh lifestyle. Paul’s world begins to unravel in one instance where he is caught in bed with another man in the Kittredge’s guest bedroom.

Star Maps (1997)
Running Time: 86 minutes
Genre: Drama
Written and directed by Miguel Arteta
Starring Doug Spain

After spending two years with relatives in Mexico, a young man with grand visions of stardom returns to Hollywood, only to have his sadistic, world-weary father force him into the family business: he becomes a male prostitute posing as a vendor of maps to the stars' homes. While resignedly turning tricks (both male and female), he never loses sight of his dream despite the turmoil surrounding him.

Stranger Inside (2001)
Running Time: 97 minutes
Genre: Drama
Written and directed by Cheryl Dunye

Treasure Lee has been serving time for her crimes since her teenage years. Reaching adulthood she is now being transferred to an adult maximum security prison. Here she is taken in by Brownie, a woman who has been hardened by a life behind bars. Treasure joins Brownie and a sisterhood of female inmates who protect one another from the harsh realities on the inside. Entering this world, Treasure is about to discover that being in a protected family can also bring an individual closer to danger.

Trois (2000)
Running Time: 93 minutes
Genre: Drama

A man convinces his wife to have sex with a bisexual woman which leads to disaster in their relationship.

Wire, The (2002 — 2007)
Running Time: 60 minutes (60 episodes / 5 seasons total)
Genre: Drama
Created by writer/producer and former police reporter David Simon (“Homicide: Life On The Street”)

One of the most critically acclaimed programs on air, the Peabody Award-winning drama series 'The Wire' continues to challenge viewers with a "cop show" unlike anything on television. Set in Baltimore, this show centers around the city's inner-city drug scene. The show depicts the lives of every part of the drug "food chain", from junkies to dealers, and from cops to politicians.

Women of Brewster Place, The (1989)
Running Time: 200 minutes
Genre: Drama
Starring Oprah Winfrey, Mary Alice, Robin Givens, Moses Gunn, Jackee Harry, Leon, Lonette McKee, Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson.

Based on the novel by Gloria Naylor, in which a group of strong-willed women who live in the same rundown housing project located on Brewster Place, and tells about their lives as they struggle against racism, poverty and troublesome men through three decades. Two of the women who are same gender loving struggle to maintain their relationship in their environment.

Please be advised that any title on the market may have a tendency to become DISCONTINUED by the home video publisher at any time. Since the SGL (Same Gender Loving) Africentric experience is unique and a sub-genre/sub-culture within the larger African Diaspora, and not always fiscally supported by the larger movie viewing population due to lack of interest, demand or marginalization, I suggest that you buy an SGL title that you come across and want as soon as possible to insure you have it in your collection.

I have a SGL title such as Blind Faith on VHS Tape that is DISCONTINUED and no longer available and is still not published on DVD (yet!). Hopefully they will! You will have to do further research to see if a title is available on the new high definition Blu-ray Disc format.

As you navigate the Internet and do your own detective work regarding SGL DVD titles, some DVD titles are available (from) outside or imported into the United States but may have been encoded with a different REGION CODE and may NOT be playable on your DVD player or DVD-ROM/RW computer player.

Each DVD-Video disc contains one or more region codes, denoting the area(s) of the world in which distribution and playback are intended (see below). The commercial DVD player specification dictates that a player must only play discs that contain its region code. In theory, this allows the motion picture studios to control the various aspects of a release (including content, date and price) region-by-region. In practice, many DVD players allow playback of any disc, or can be modified to do so. Entirely independent of encryption, region coding pertains to regional lockout, which originated in the video game industry.

Check and verify the DVD REGION CODE before you buy from non-familiar independent merchant sources!

Region 0: Informal term meaning "playable in all regions" - aka "region free"

Region 1: Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, United States and U.S. territories

Region 2: The UK, Middle East, Iceland, Western Europe, Central Europe, Egypt, French overseas territories, Greenland, Japan, Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland

Region 3: Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, and Taiwan

Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Oceania, and South America (except French Guyana)

Region 5: The rest of Africa, Former Soviet Union, the Indian subcontinent, Mongolia, and North Korea

Region 6: Mainland China

Region 7: Reserved for future use (found in use on protected screener copies of MPAA-related DVDs, and "media-copies" of pre-releases in Asia)

Region 8: International venues such as aircraft, cruise ships, etc.

A COMPLETE FILM INDEX LISTING (PARTS I, II & III) - 163 Films
Affirmations (1990)

After Nine (2007)

Alma's Rainbow (1993)

All God's Children (1996)

Anthem (1991)

B.D. Women (1994)

Badass Supermama (1996)

Bangkok Love Story (2007)

Batty Man (2006)

Beautiful Boxer (2003)

Before Night Falls (2000)

Being Proud Black & LGBT in America (2007)

Beneath The Surface (2004?)

Billy Turner’s Secret (1990)

Black Aura On An Angel (2004)

Black Beulahs (2006)

Black Men and Me (2006)

Black Nations/Queer Nations? (1995)

Black./Womyn.:Conversations with Lesbians of African Descent (2008)

Blind Faith (1998)

Blood (2005)

Blueprint (2007)

BMX-NY: What is Our Relationship To “Black Pride” in the New Millennium? (2006)

Broken Sky (2006)

Brooklyn’s Bridge To Jordan (2005)

Brother Outsider: The Life Of Bayard Rustin (2003)

Brother To Brother (2004)

Burnt Money (2000)

Butch Mystique (2003)

Car Wash (1976)

Chocolate Babies (1997)

Christopher Street TV (2007)

Closet, The (2004)

Color Purple, The (1985)

Cover (2007)

Dakan {Destiny} (1997)

Dani & Alice (2005)

Darker Side of Black, The (1993)

De Colores (2001)

Desperate For Love (2005)

Did I Just Look At Her (2004)

Different Image, A (1982)

Different Kind of Black Man, A (2001)

Dirty Laundry (2007)

DL Chronicles, The (2005)

Dos Patrias Cuba y La Noche (2007)

Dream Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project (2008)

Dreams of Passion (1989)

East Palace, West Palace (1996)

Epidemic Chronicles, The (2010)

Everything Must Come To Light (2002)

Finding Me (2008)

Finding Me: Truth (2010)

Fire (1996)

Fleeing By Night (2000)

Fluidity (2006)

Four Rent Boys and a Sangoma (2004)

Get On The Bus (1996)

Happy Hookers (2006)

Happy Together (1997)

Harsh Beauty (2006)

Holiday Heart (2000)

Homoteens (1993)

How Do I Look (2005)

If I Wuz Yo Gyrl ( 2001)

Immaculate (2004?)

It’s Me, It’s Me (2005)

James Baldwin: The Price Of The Ticket (1990)

Jihad For Love, A (2007)

Journey, The {Sancharram} (2004)

Jumpin’ The Broom: The New Convenant (2006)

Just (2007)

Just Between Us (2006?)

Karmen Gei (2001)

Kevin’s Room (2001)

Kevin’s Room II: Trust (2004)

L.A. Complex, The (2012)

La Mission (2009)

Lan Yu (2001)

Legacy (2006)

Life on Christopher Street (2002)

Litany For Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde, A (1995)

Living With Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100 (1999)

Looking For Langston (1988)

Luv Tale, A (1999)

M & M Smith: For Posterity's Sake (1997)

Madame Satã (2002)

Maestro (2004)

Make A Move (2006)

Markova (2001)

Masseur, The {Masahista} (2005)

Mississippi Damned (2009)

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

My Brother… Nikhil (2005)

Naked-Boy Business, Part I, The (2006)

NIA Project, The: Image of African American Lesbians (1993)

Night (2005)

Noah’s Arc (tv series) (2005—2006)

Noah’s Arc: Jumping The Broom (2008)

No Regret (Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien) (1992)

No Regret (2006)

Normal Daughter: The Life and Times of Kewpie of District 6, A (1998)

Norman… Is That You? (1976)

Odds and Ends: A New-Age Amazon Fable (1993)

Of Men and Gods [Des Hommes et Dieux] (2002)

On The Downlow (2004)

On The Downlow (2007)

On The Low (2005)

One On One (2010)

Our Lady Of The Assassins (2001)

Out. The Glenn Burke Story (2011)

Pariah (2011)

Paris Is Burning (1990)

The Polymath, or The Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman (2007)

Portrait of Jason (1967)

Princesa (2001)

Punks (2000)

Rag Tag (2006)

Reception, The (2005)

Rent (2005)

Right By Me (2005)

Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story (2005)

Ritual (2000)

Rivers Wash Over Me (2009)

Rude (1995)

Sarang Song (2006)

Saving Face (2004)

Shades of Love: Black Homosexuality Volume 1 (2007)
Shades of Love: Black Homosexuality Volume 2 (2007)
Shades of Love: Black Homosexuality Volume 3 (2007)

She Hate Me (2004)

She Wasn't Last Night (2009)

Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

Ski Trip, The (2004)

Slow (2011)

Songs of Freedom (2002)

Star Maps (1997)

Storme: The Lady of the Jewel Box (1987)

Strange Fruit (2004)

Stranger Inside (2001)

Summer Heat (2006)

Sunshine Boutique (2006)

Surrender (2000) Taboo (1999)

Testify (2006)

Thousand Clouds of Peace, A (2003)

To Be Happy In Chile (2006)

Tongues Untied (1990)

Trois (2000)

TWO (2008)

Two Faces of Janus, The (2008)

U People (2007)

Underneath (2007)

Via New York (1995)

Vintage: Families of Value (1995)

Way We Write, The (2006)

White Shadows (2006)

Wire, The (2002 — 2007 cable tv series)

Women of Brewster Place, The (1989)

Woubi Cheri (1998)

Young and Evil, The (2008)

Young Soul Rebels (1991)

ALSO SEE...

THE REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE

PART I of III:
REEL Black Same Gender Loving Films

PART I looks at film and television productions where the stories' main focus centers on the same gender love experiences of real life persons or characters specifically from the African Diaspora.

THE REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE

Part III of III:
REEL Asian, Indian and Latino Diasporic SGL Films

PART III looks at film and television productions where the stories' main focus centers on the same gender love experiences of real life persons or characters from the Asian, Indian (Middle East) and Latino Diasporas.

THE REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE Part III of III: REEL Asian, Indian and Latino Diasporic SGL Films (33)

2011-11-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

ROD PATRICK RISBROOK
Presents

THE REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING
FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE
(version 8.0)

No copyright infringement of the words and pictures used in this compilation of work are intended. It is the sole purpose of the author of this reference and resource compilation to enlighten, educate and make exciting FUN for the public the body of film and television work out there depicting the lives of Same Gender Loving (SGL) people of African descent. SGL is a culturally affirming and coined term that emerged in the early 1990s to offer Black women who love women and Black men who love men (and other people of color) a way of identifying that resonated with the uniqueness of Black life and culture. SGL was created to affirm, embrace, reference and lovingly umbrella homosexual, bisexual and transgender people of African descent.

Please reference and take note of this electronic blog edition if you wish, and go happy DVD (and maybe Blu-ray disc) shopping. A few reputable e-commerce web links have been provided below for your shopping convenience!

This compilation is meant to
ACKNOWLEDGE, APPRECIATE, AFFIRM, ACCEPT & ACHÉ
all same gender loving people of the African Diaspora!
LOVE!

SPREAD THE ENLIGHTENMENT
BY LETTING THIS COMPILATION BE KNOWN TO OTHERS!

You can contact me (ROD) to suggest a film I missed, ask a question or send me comments to: BIG.ROD02[at]GMAIL.COM

PART III of III:
REEL Asian, Indian and Latino
Same Gender Loving Films

SKIP TO
PART I of III:
REEL Black Same Gender Loving Films

SKIP TO

Part II of III:

REEL Productions Featuring Black & Latino SGL Persons or Characters

Running Time: 90 minutes
Genre: Action/Drama/Romance
Language: Spoken in Thai (w/English subtitles)
Written and directed by Poj Arnon

Steamy Thai nights provide the backdrop for unbridled romance, crime and action as two men unexpectedly brave forbidden love. Maek, a cold assassin-for-hire, is sent to knock off Iht, a police informant, when in a twist of fate the killer is shot for refusing to pull the trigger. After making their escape, an indelible bond is forged when the vulnerable assassin is nursed back to health by handsome, married Iht. But as taboo feelings of desire swell between the swarthy new lovers, their relationship is discovered. Now there s no turning back as enemies, friends and lovers are pitted against each other.
http://www.bangkoklovestorymovie.com

Beautiful Boxer (2003)
Running Time: 118 minutes
Genre: Action/Drama

This acclaimed debut of Thai director Ekachair Uekrongtham brilliantly captures the intensity of an underdog sports saga and weaves it with the poignant, impassioned drama of finding one's identity in the telling true-life story of Parinya Charoenphol, a transgendered kick boxer whose winnings from fighting in the ring funded his sex-change operation. The film tracks Charoenphol, affectionately known as Nong Toom, from his childhood, where he first discovered his feminine side, to his youth in a monastery to an arduous training program and eventually his championship bouts, where he would don makeup and drag. Spectacularly choreographed kickboxing scenes are interspersed with the sometimes funny and always touching story of Toom in his quest to realize his dream of sexual reassignment.

Before Night Falls (2000)
Running Time: 118 minutes
Genre: Action/Drama

Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arenas's life (1943-1990) is narrated by him, in an inextricable mix of his memories, dreams, nightmares and pure fiction. He grew up as poor, naked illegitimate child, joined Castro's Cuban revolution and became an intellectual, employed in the public library. After discovering his gay sexuality, he soon shares in the regime's inconsistent persecution. His work and life become dominated by the mix of temptation, fear, betrayal and man-hunting in both senses. Finally he makes it to Manhattan, only to get caught in another trap for which there is only one tragic escape in the end.

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Broken Sky (2006)
Running Time: 140 minutes
Genre: Drama/Art House
Directed by Julián Hernández

Two university students, Gerardo and Jonás, meet on campus and fall passionately in love. They enjoy a blissful romance until Jonás becomes obsessed with another boy and drives Gerardo into the arms of Sérgio. The young men become entangled in a hypnotic dance of love, longing, rejection, validation, and sexual expression. Spoken in Spanish with English subtitles. Drama

Burnt Money [aka Plata quemada] (2000)
Running Time: 125 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Spanish (w/English Subtitles)

Nene & Angel and their accomplice Cuervo participate in a botched bank robbery in 1965 Buenos Aires, then hide out from the police in Uruguay while the gang breaks down.

De Colores (2001)
Running Time: 28 minutes
Genre: Documentary

A bilingual documentary about how Latino families are replacing the deep roots of homophobia with the even deeper roots of love and tolerance. Through moving personal stories we learn about how families are breaking cultural barriers and how love always prevails.

View The Complete Film Online Here:
http://www.womanvision.org/de-colores.html

De Colores is part of the Unlearning Homophobia series which is available on DVD:
http://www.womanvision.org/purchase.html

Dos Patrias Cuba y La Noche (2007)
Running Time: 84 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Written and directed by Christian Liffers

The director travels with his team to Cuba to search for evidence. Part of his luggage are poems and prose texts of the Cuban author Reinaldo Arenas. Texts, which describe the desire for love, sexual freedom and the proud and unbending attitude in the fight against discrimination. Are these desires and attitudes still to be found in Cuba? And which desires, clichés, and projections of Cuba attract the producer and many more people? Poems and prose texts are the reference points for the protagonists and their personal stories of present-day Cuba, which are always the center of attention. Six men with different backgrounds and of different ages describe their life, afflictions, desires, longings and joys in Cuba. They have some things in common: homosexuality (with the exception of Isabel, the transsexual) and the daily social exclusion on the part of the Cuban "Machismo-society" and the Cuban government. However they differ heavily concerning their social status and their opinions of the topic.

East Palace, West Palace (1996)
Running Time: 94 minutes Genre: Drama
Directed by Yuan Zhang.
Language: Spoken in Mandarin with English subtitles

East Palace, West Palace is Chinese slang for the bathrooms located on the edge of Tiannamen Square, favorite spots of Beijing homosexuals. A young homosexual writer, A-Lan, drifts in and out of China's hidden homosexual haunts, where he is beaten, humiliated and harassed along with other homosexuals. When a handsome policeman busts him for "cruising" the grounds of the Forbidden Palace, A-lan starts to see his behavior as a dangerous obsession. When he is caught by the officer a second time, A-lan undergoes a loaded overnight interrogation laced with barely sublimated erotic tension in which he talks about his life as a homosexual to the enraptured officer. As A-lan describes the sometimes tortuous conditions of being a homosexual in China, which he proudly proclaims "make life worth living," the master and servant relationship slowly evolves into one of curious attraction and fear. Zhang slyly uses the chamber drama taking place between A-lan and the officer to create a stunning metaphor for the sado-masochistic relation that Chinese people have with their own authority figures. As the drama is played out, Alan's dreamlike, tragedy-laced past mingles with symbolic images from Chinese opera. Each of A-lan's stories deftly seduces the officer and further illuminates A-lan's complex hidden courage.

Fire (1996)
Running Time: 108 minutes
Genre : Drama
Written and directed by Deepa Mehta
Language: Spoken in Hindi (w/English Subtitles)

In New Delhi Sita, a beautiful and intelligent young woman embarks on an arranged, loveless marriage to a Faithless husband, Jatin. However, Jita and Radha (the two women) develop a physical relationship which is far more emotionally sustaining than they have found with their husbands. India.

Fleeing By Night (2000)
Running Time: 119 minutes
Genre: Romance
Language: Spoken in Mandarin (w/English Subtitles)

Set in China in the 1930s, the film is about the unsettling relationship between three characters. Ing'er, the daughter of a theatre-owner, welcomes the return of Shao-dung, her fiancee and a fine cellist from America. Shao-dung soon finds himself captivated by the opera "Fleeing By Night" and its celebrated actor, Lin Chung, whose voice seems to articulate something within himself. While Shao-dung attempts to blend eastern and western music, Ing'er becomes torn between her affection for both men, and an awareness of the growing intimacy between them.

Happy Hookers (2006)
Running Time: 54 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Language: Spoken in Hindi (w/English subtitles)
Directed by Ashish Sawhny

Happy Hookers follows three male sex workers in India as they negotiate their public and private lives. Though homosexual behavior is still illegal, these three men defy antiquated laws and social customs to express their sexualities or to simply make a living. Produced in India.
Amazon.com Key Search Words: “HAPPY HOOKERS”

Happy Together (1997)
Running Time: 96 minutes
Genre: Drama
Produced, written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai

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.

Harsh Beauty (2006)
Running Time: 53 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Language: Spoken in Hindi & Tamil (w/English Subtitles)
Directed by Alessandra Zeka
Produced in India

Explore the secretive world of India’s hijras, eunuchs who are considered to be a third gender, neither male nor female - many willingly choosing castration. The three subjects, followed for three years, support themselves by performing religious rituals, dispensing blessings to the superstitious, and engaging in prostitution. In a changing society, the hijras challenge Western perceptions of gender identity.

Jihad For Love, A (2007)
Running Time: 81 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Written and directed by Parvez Sharma

In a time when Islam is under tremendous attack-from within and without “A Jihad For Love”' is a daring documentary filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. Muslim homosexual filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is strongest, filming with great risk in nations where government permission to make this film was not an option. This film explores the complex global intersections of Islam and homosexuality. With unprecedented access and depth, Sharma brings to light the hidden lives of same gender loving Muslims from countries like Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, France, India, and South Africa. The majority of gay and lesbian Muslims must travel a lonely and often dangerous road. In many nations with a Muslim majority, laws based on Quranic interpretations are enforced by authorities to monitor, entrap, imprison, torture and even execute homosexuals. Even for those who migrate to Europe or North America and adopt a Western personae of homosexuality, the relative freedoms of new homelands are mitigated by persistent racial profiling and intensified state surveillance after the terrorist attacks in New York, London and Madrid. As a result, many homosexual Muslims end up renouncing their religion. But the real-life characters of A Jihad for Love aren't willing to abandon a faith they cherish despite its flaws. Instead, they struggle to reconcile their ardent belief with the innate reality of their being. The international chorus of homosexual Muslims brought together by A Jihad for Love doesn't seek to vilify or reject Islam, but rather negotiate a new relationship to it. In doing so, the film's extraordinary characters point the way for all Muslims to move beyond the hostile, war-torn present, toward a more hopeful future. As one can imagine, it was a difficult decision for the subjects to participate in the film due to the violence they could face. However, those who have come forward to tell their stories feel this film is too important for 1.4 billion Muslims and non-Muslims around the world for them to say no. They are willing to take the risk in their quest to lay equal claim to their profoundly held faith.

Journey, The [Sancharram] (2004)
Running Time: 107 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Malayalam (w/English Subtitles)
Written and directed by Ligy J. Pullappally

Kiran, a reserved intellectual child, moves from Delhi with her parents to the big ancestral house. She becomes fast friends with the playful, mischievous Delilah and Rajan, a neighborhood boy. As their friendship grows into adulthood, Kiran comes to terms with her changing feelings for Delilah. Uncomfortable with her physical desires, she agrees to help Rajan woo Delilah by sending passionate letters. Delilah, unconvinced by Rajan's efforts, discovers Kiran's true feelings for her and what follows is a romance that liberates both woman. When the relationship is uncovered, it sends Delilah's family into panic mode, as they quickly plan for an arranged marriage.

Just (2007)
Running Time: 12 minutes
Genre: Drama/Romance
Starring Keo Woolford, Edward Gunawan and Jeffrey Walker (deleted scenes)
screenplay by Edward Gunawan
Directed by David Maurice Gil

The short film begins as the two strangers who met online engage in a slow and awkward dance of getting to know each other after a passionate hook-up. Clyde, the older of the two and the owner of the house, attempts to make Wayne comfortable. Out of politeness, Wayne obliges him in small talks before picking up his clothes and leaving. Upon discovering commonalities between the two, their attraction in each other grows. They flirt and share laughs, and they gradually let their guard down. The turning point of their relationship happens when Wayne finds a photograph of Clyde and his boyfriend. Shocked and incensed, he relentlessly interrogates Clyde, and their exchange deteriorates into a heated and explosive debate as the two men stake out their positions on love, trust and monogamy. As Wayne puts on his final piece of clothing, covering himself up completely, he finally reveals his recent past that explains his impassioned disdain for infidelity...

Official Website: http://www.adelantetv.com/just/

Lan Yu (2001)
Running Time: 86 minutes
Genre: Drama/Romance
Language: Spoken in Mandarin (w/English Subtitles)
Directed by Stanley Kwan

Beijing, 1988. On the cusp of middle-age, Chen Handong has known little but success all his life. The eldest son of a senior government bureaucrat, he heads a fast-growing trading company and plays as hard as he works. Few know that Handong's tastes run more to boys than girls. Lan Yu is a country boy, newly arrived in Beijing to study architecture. More than most students, he is short of money and willing to try anything to earn some. He has run into Liu Zheng, who pragmatically suggests that he could prostitute himself for one night to a homosexual pool-hall and bar owner. But Handong happens to be in the pool hall that evening, and he nixes the deal. He takes Lan Yu home himself and gives the young man what turns out to be a life-changing sexual initiation. Handong and Lan Yu meet often, and the boy is soon very secure in his love for the man. But Handong insists that he wants a play-mate, not a lifelong companion, and warns Lan Yu that they will eventually break up.

Markova [Comfort Gay] (2001)
Running Time: 97 minutes
Genre: Drama
language: Spoken in Tagalog (w/English Subtitles)
Directed by Gil Portes
Produced in the Philippines

A drama based on true events of a Phillipino homosexual man imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II and forced to be a sex slave.

Masseur, The [Masahista] (2005)
Running Time: 80 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Tagalog and Pampango (w/English Subtitles)
Directed by Brillante Mendoza

Iliac spends his days pleasing men at a Manila homosexual massage parlor. Like most of his co-workers, he hails from the Filipino countryside. After finishing one particular night shift, Iliac ventures back to his family’s home for a somber occasion: his father’s funeral. But there are complex, unhappy emotions at work here between Iliac and his family -- emotions he must confront. Produced in the Philippines.

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
Running Time: 97 minutes
Genre: Drama

A exploration of marginalized cultures in Thatcher-era London. Set in the Pakistani community of South London in the 1980s, the film focuses on two youths, friends from schooldays. Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a working-class white whose friends belong to the National Front, a fascist group whose members extol "white power" and bash immigrants. Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a homosexual Pakistani, lives with his leftist father who spends most of his time in bed drinking. Omar's wealthy uncle, Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey), is determined to give one of the family a (small) step up, and at first gives him a lowly garage job, and then hands Omar a rundown launderette (laundry mat). Omar and Johnny become lovers and decide to convert the laundrette into "a Ritz among laundrettes," a gaudy, neon-lit storefront called "Powders" complete with aquarium, video games, potted plants and piped classical muzak. Johnny looks upon the laundrette as a lifeline on which to salvage his self-respect, while Omar sees it as just the beginning step on the long road toriches. A thoughtful and innovative portrait of modern contrasts in class, race, and sex, this film defined a generation of Londoners.

My Brother...Nikhil (2005)
Running Time: 118 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Hindi
Written and Directed by Onir

This film is set in Goa, a small costal state in India between 1989 and 1994. Nikhil Kapoor is the state all round Swimming champion. His father Navin Kapoor has raised his son to be a sports man... a dream that he never achieved for himself. His elder sister Anamika teaches in a primary school and loves him dearly. His mother Anita Rosario Kapoor adores him and from her he inherited his artistic side to his personality. One fine day he is arrested. The reason being…that he is HIV positive. He is kept in forced isolation by law. The Goa public health act allowed the government to isolate HIV positive people. His parents desert him and his friends move away. The only two people who stand by him are his sister Anamika and boyfriend Nigel. This film would probably be the first main stream Indian film where the main protagonist is homosexual. This film deals with the trauma of this man and his fight for dignity; a film about how a closely knit family falls apart when faced with a crisis; about a sisters unconditional love for her brother; about a love that withstood social disapproval; a film about a man's desire to achieve something in life and finally it’s a film about acceptance.

No Regrets (2006)
Running Time: 114 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Korean (w/English Subtitles)
Directed by Leesong Hee-il

When Su-min, an orphan from the country, comes to Seoul to further his studies, he has no idea that he will have to work as a prostitute in a homosexual bar to support himself. When he attracts the attention of an upper-class man, Jae-min, initial resistance gives way to genuine feelings. Can these two men, from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds, find love together? When familial obligations rear their ugly head, is tragedy and heartache far behind? No Regret is a sensitively handled story of unexpected love that crosses social class and gender. Produced in South Korea.

On The Downlow (2004)
Running Time: 90 minutes
Genre: Drama
Written by Roger B. Domian and Tadeo Garcia; directed by Tadeo Garcia

Set along Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, On The Downlow is the explosive story of the relationship between Isaac (Tony Sancho) and Angel (Michael Cortez), two young Latinos involved in a Southside Chicago gang. The decisions these men make and the paths they each take create a trap for them in a community where rules can't be broken and secrets are forbidden and won't be tolerated.

Our Lady Of The Assassins (2001)
Running Time: 98 minutes
Genre: Drama/Romance
Language: Spoken in Spanish (w/English Subtitles)
Written by Fernando Vallejo (novel and screenplay); directed by Barbet Schroeder

The tempestuous love story between Fernando, an older man who has recently returned to his crime-ridden drug capitol hometown of Medellin, Colombia and the gun-happy16 year old assassin Alexis, who murders all too easily. When Alexis himself is fatally gunned down, grief-stricken Fernando hunts for his young lover's killer in the Medellin slums, but instead encounters Wilmar, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Alexis.

Princesa (2001)
Running Time: 94 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Italian (w/English Subtitles)

Fernando/Fernanda, a 19-year-old Brazilian transvestite, travels to Milan and becomes a prostitute to finance a sex-change operation. Fernanda dreams of becoming a "real" woman but in Milan is transformed instead into Princesa, a mysterious figure of allure. She then meets Gianni, a straight-laced, married businessman who falls in love with her. It all seems to good to be true.

Right By Me (2005)
Running Time: 100 minutes
Genre: Drama
Directed by Thanyatorn Siwanukrow

Three college students in Thailand navigate coming out and first love. Handsome, bookish Tat attends coming out support meetings with his out and proud friend Nat. The two boys are surprised when Tat’s crush, the hunky athlete Ek, shows up to a meeting. Questioning his sexuality, Ek turns to Tat for advice, and a sweet romance gradually develops, creating an awkward situation between Tat and Nat. In contrast to typical stereotypical depictions of gays in Thai films as clownish, Right By Me features well-rounded, realistic portrayals of young gay Thai men. (Sadly, because of this positive representation, local censors banned the film for being “against Thai cultural values.”)

Saving Face (2004)
Running Time: 96 minutes
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Language: English, Mandarin and Shanghainese (w/English Subtitles)
Co-produced by Will Smith
Written and directed by Alice Wu

A Chinese-American surgeon, living in Manhattan, is shocked when her single mother shows up on her doorstep pregnant. To help her mom save face and avoid the taboo in the Chinese community of an unmarried woman pregnant, the doctor helps her mom find Mr. Right. Cultures clash in this film that explores culture shock.

Summer Heat (2006)
Running Time: 96 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Tagalog (w/English Subtitles)
Directed by Brillante Mendoza.
Produced in the Philippines

In this sensitively directed family drama, three sisters care for their widowed father in a small Filipino town while dealing with their own personal issues. The youngest, Grace, is a newlywed, but already disenchanted with the realities of married life. Middle child Lourdes is cheating on her husband. And then there’s Jess, the oldest, a quiet but powerful butch SGL women who wears male clothes to religious ceremonies and moves her girlfriend into the family home. The heart of the story, Jess shepherds the family through the trials and tribulations of one long summer.

Taboo (1999)
Running Time: 100 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Japanese (w/English Subtitles)

Set during Japan's Shogun era, this film looks at life in a Samurai compound where young warriors are trained in sword fighting. A number of interpersonal conflicts are brewing in the training room, all centering around a handsome young samurai named Sozaburo Kano. The school's stern master can choose to intervene, or to let Kano decide his own path.

Thousand Clouds of Peace, A (2003)
Running Time: 80 minutes
Genre: Drama
Directed by Julián Hernández
Language: Spoken in Spanish (w/English Subtitles)

Gerardo, a homosexual teenager, roams the streets of Mexico City in search of someone able to reveal the secret hidden between the lines of a goodbye letter from his ex-lover. In his journey through barren alleys and roadways, he is haunted by images: each masculine body he sees reminds him of his lover.

To Be Happy In Chile (2006)
Running Time: 49 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Spanish (w/English Subtitles)
Directed by Heidi Lloyd
Produced in Chile

Though she loves her homeland, Veronica leaves Chile's repression to explore her sexuality in the US. She returns with a girlfriend who finds it hard to fit in even as Veronica sees new possibilities of living a full and happy life - witnessing the gradual opening up of public acceptance of homosexuality.

Two Faces of Janus, The (2008)
Running Time: 90 minutes
Genre: Drama/Mystery
Screenplay by Gilberto A. Rodriguez. Directed by Edmundo Rodriguez

It’s December, but the citizens of San Juan are not full of Christmas cheer. A serial killer known as “The Angel of Bachelors” has ended the lives of some of the most notable bachelors in town, picking up closeted homosexual men and stabbing them to death after a sexual encounter. Private Eye Isabelo Andújar takes the case and begins to piece together parts of a
jigsaw that don’t quite paint a full picture, treading into the veiled world of love between men. A world explained to him by the two faces of the Roman God Janus; one man staring calmly ahead, while another one looks back, shunted from the sunlight. “The Two Faces of Janus” is the fourth novel in the Isabelo Andujar, Private Eye series written by Wilfredo Mattos Cintrón.

Way We Write, The (2006)
Running Time: 79 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Spoken in Taiwanese (w/English Subtitles)
Directed by Amy S Y Wen

Retired newspaper editor and part-time calligraphy instructor Liu invites his young student Zhen-Zhen and her mother to become his tenants. He doesn’t suspect the little girl will be the catalyst to reunite him with his estranged homosexual son, Zhi-Zhi, who left Taiwan for China after Liu rejected him. The Way We Write is a touching film about family relationships that was sponsored and broadcast on Taiwanese public television. Produced in Taiwan.

Please be advised that any title on the market may have a tendency to become DISCONTINUED by the home video publisher at any time. Since the SGL (Same Gender Loving) Africentric experience is unique and a sub-genre/sub-culture within the larger African Diaspora, and not always fiscally supported by the larger movie viewing population due to lack of interest, demand or marginalization, I suggest that you buy an SGL title that you come across and want as soon as possible to insure you have it in your collection.

Check and verify the DVD REGION CODE before you buy from non-familiar independent merchant sources!

Region 0: Informal term meaning "playable in all regions" - aka "region free"

Region 1: Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, United States and U.S. territories

Region 2: The UK, Middle East, Iceland, Western Europe, Central Europe, Egypt, French overseas territories, Greenland, Japan, Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland

ROD’s All-Time Favorite SGL Films
1) Rag Tag (2006)
2) Brother To Brother (2004)
3) Blueprint (2007)
4) The DL Chronicles (2005-2007)
5) Dakan (1997)
6) Four Rent Boys And A Sangoma (2004)
7) Surrender (2000)
8) The Reception (2005)
9) Rude (1995)
10) Billy Turner’s Secret (1990)
11) Blind Faith (1998)
12) Looking For Langston (1988)
13) Before Night Falls (2000)
14) Our Lady of the Assassins (2001)
15) Batty Man (2006)
16) Living With Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @ 100 (1999)
17) Happy Hookers (2006)

A COMPLETE FILM INDEX LISTING (PARTS I, II & III) - 163 Films
Affirmations (1990)

After Nine (2007)

Alma's Rainbow (1993)

All God's Children (1996)

Anthem (1991)

B.D. Women (1994)

Badass Supermama (1996)

Bangkok Love Story (2007)

Batty Man (2006)

Beautiful Boxer (2003)

Before Night Falls (2000)

Being Proud Black & LGBT in America (2007)

Beneath The Surface (2004?)

Billy Turner’s Secret (1990)

Black Aura On An Angel (2004)

Black Beulahs (2006)

Black Men and Me (2006)

Black Nations/Queer Nations? (1995)

Black./Womyn.:Conversations with Lesbians of African Descent (2008)

Blind Faith (1998)

Blood (2005)

Blueprint (2007)

BMX-NY: What is Our Relationship To “Black Pride” in the New Millennium? (2006)

Broken Sky (2006)

Brooklyn’s Bridge To Jordan (2005)

Brother Outsider: The Life Of Bayard Rustin (2003)

Brother To Brother (2004)

Burnt Money (2000)

Butch Mystique (2003)

Car Wash (1976)

Chocolate Babies (1997)

Christopher Street TV (2007)

Closet, The (2004)

Color Purple, The (1985)

Cover (2007)

Dakan {Destiny} (1997)

Dani & Alice (2005)

Darker Side of Black, The (1993)

De Colores (2001)

Desperate For Love (2005)

Did I Just Look At Her (2004)

Different Image, A (1982)

Different Kind of Black Man, A (2001)

Dirty Laundry (2007)

DL Chronicles, The (2005)

Dos Patrias Cuba y La Noche (2007)

Dream Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project (2008)

Dreams of Passion (1989)

East Palace, West Palace (1996)

Epidemic Chronicles, The (2010)

Everything Must Come To Light (2002)

Finding Me (2008)

Finding Me: Truth (2010)

Fire (1996)

Fleeing By Night (2000)

Fluidity (2006)

Four Rent Boys and a Sangoma (2004)

Get On The Bus (1996)

Happy Hookers (2006)

Happy Together (1997)

Harsh Beauty (2006)

Holiday Heart (2000)

Homoteens (1993)

How Do I Look (2005)

If I Wuz Yo Gyrl ( 2001)

Immaculate (2004?)

It’s Me, It’s Me (2005)

James Baldwin: The Price Of The Ticket (1990)

Jihad For Love, A (2007)

Journey, The {Sancharram} (2004)

Jumpin’ The Broom: The New Convenant (2006)

Just (2007)

Just Between Us (2006?)

Karmen Gei (2001)

Kevin’s Room (2001)

Kevin’s Room II: Trust (2004)

L.A. Complex, The (2012)

La Mission (2009)

Lan Yu (2001)

Legacy (2006)

Life on Christopher Street (2002)

Litany For Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde, A (1995)

Living With Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100 (1999)

Looking For Langston (1988)

Luv Tale, A (1999)

M & M Smith: For Posterity's Sake (1997)

Madame Satã (2002)

Maestro (2004)

Make A Move (2006)

Markova (2001)

Masseur, The {Masahista} (2005)

Mississippi Damned (2009)

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

My Brother… Nikhil (2005)

Naked-Boy Business, Part I, The (2006)

NIA Project, The: Image of African American Lesbians (1993)

Night (2005)

Noah’s Arc (tv series) (2005—2006)

Noah’s Arc: Jumping The Broom (2008)

No Regret (Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien) (1992)

No Regret (2006)

Normal Daughter: The Life and Times of Kewpie of District 6, A (1998)

Norman… Is That You? (1976)

Odds and Ends: A New-Age Amazon Fable (1993)

Of Men and Gods [Des Hommes et Dieux] (2002)

On The Downlow (2004)

On The Downlow (2007)

On The Low (2005)

One On One (2010)

Our Lady Of The Assassins (2001)

Out. The Glenn Burke Story (2011)

Pariah (2011)

Paris Is Burning (1990)

The Polymath, or The Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman (2007)

Portrait of Jason (1967)

Princesa (2001)

Punks (2000)

Rag Tag (2006)

Reception, The (2005)

Rent (2005)

Right By Me (2005)

Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story (2005)

Ritual (2000)

Rivers Wash Over Me (2009)

Rude (1995)

Sarang Song (2006)

Saving Face (2004)

Shades of Love: Black Homosexuality Volume 1 (2007)
Shades of Love: Black Homosexuality Volume 2 (2007)
Shades of Love: Black Homosexuality Volume 3 (2007)

She Hate Me (2004)

She Wasn't Last Night (2009)

Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

Ski Trip, The (2004)

Slow (2011)

Songs of Freedom (2002)

Star Maps (1997)

Storme: The Lady of the Jewel Box (1987)

Strange Fruit (2004)

Stranger Inside (2001)

Summer Heat (2006)

Sunshine Boutique (2006)

Surrender (2000) Taboo (1999)

Testify (2006)

Thousand Clouds of Peace, A (2003)

To Be Happy In Chile (2006)

Tongues Untied (1990)

Trois (2000)

TWO (2008)

Two Faces of Janus, The (2008)

U People (2007)

Underneath (2007)

Via New York (1995)

Vintage: Families of Value (1995)

Way We Write, The (2006)

White Shadows (2006)

Wire, The (2002 — 2007 cable tv series)

Women of Brewster Place, The (1989)

Woubi Cheri (1998)

Young and Evil, The (2008)

Young Soul Rebels (1991)

ALSO SEE...

THE REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE

Part I of III:

REEL Black Same Gender Loving Films

PART I looks at film and television productions where the stories' main focus centers on the same gender love experiences of real life persons or characters specifically from the African Diaspora.

THE REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE

Part II of III:

REEL Productions Featuring Black & Latino SGL Persons or Characters