Beginner’s Guide to Commercial LGBT Films

by amy · June 3, 2013

10. Gf*Bf

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Though this Taiwanese flick isn’t necessarily entirely focused on our LGBT character, he is at the heart of it all. Though Gf*Bf follows Mabel (Kwai) and her attraction to Liam (Chang), Liam’s attraction to Aaron (Vaughan) and Aaron’s attraction to Mabel, their entanglements, their growing together and growing apart. It’s devastatingly beautiful.

You can get the movie on Taiwan DVD, Hong Kong DVD, or Hong Kong Bluray with English subtitles on YesAsia.

9. Kyss Mig

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How many times do we get to see two characters that casually meet each other and feel the attraction? Though Frida (played by Mjönes) is well established and clear about who she is, it is Mia’s (Fernandez) struggling that weaves the storyline in the Swedish Kyss Mig. Better yet, there are no excruciatingly dramatic scenes to make us want to slice our wrists.

Netflix (US) | Amazon Instant | Amazon

8. Saving Face

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The US does minority within a minority stories! Or at least director Alice Wu does in Saving Face when she follows Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a Chinese American lesbian who starts a relationship with this really hot Chinese American doctor named Vivian (Lynn Chen). The problem is that Wil has to face her traditional mom, who happens to be played by the awesome Joan Chen (battling ageism!).

Netflix (US) | Amazon Instant | Amazon

7. Contracorriente

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LGBT films tend to be shockingly sexual at times, especially when we talk about Latin American (or Peruvian) films that tend to be shockingly sexual altogether — No Se Lo Digas a Nadie and Pantaleon y Las Visitadoras come to mind as being the most popular ones — so it was outright shocking to see that Peru’s latest LGBT film was nothing of the sort.

Contracorriente follows Miguel (Mercado), a fisherman from a Peruvian small town that has to deal with the death of his lover Santiago (Cardona), juggling his life as an exemplary community man and husband.

This one’s a bit on the artsy type, but it’s very accessible.

Netflix (US) | Amazon Instant | Amazon