3 LGBT Films from Conservative Countries | Video Essay

[@randompersoncommenting4321]

I'm Japanese. I find that young people these days are mostly accepting of gay marriage. But we're also a very passive culture and don't do much protesting or any movements because people who are passionate about these things are seen as crazy or scary. Most of my Japanese friends have liberal values but I feel the country will stay conservative compared to other countries. The first time I saw LGBT struggles shown in a very serious way in the mainstream media was in 2001 in a very popular series back then, a school drama called Kimpachi sensei. And I was in the US until 13, so I watched both English and Japanese media. The entire 6th season was about gender dysphoria. There's even an episode where the health teacher explains to the class why some people are born like that. I know that isn't the first one in the world where LGBT issues are taken seriously in the media, or even in Japan as this video shows, but I think it was very progressive at the time. Especially because it showed not only the drama that happens around LGBT issues, but tried to teach the scientific part of it. The girl that played the character, Ueto Aya, became a very famous actor after that role.

[@erin_3569]

Do you know why it's so difficult to organize protests in Japan? Is it cultural? Due to repression? The geography?

[@theaizere]

Culture, you do not want to break the peace and harmony​ in the society @@erin_3569

[@randompersoncommenting4321]

@@erin_3569 I think mostly cultural. The way I see it, Japanese people are ingrained with the idea that we shouldn't cause noise, cause disruption, and its best to keep the harmony. We're just very non confrontational.

[@darthbakercamelia]

I was under the impression that Japan was traditionalist more than typically conservative... if that makes sense. I mean that by the few info I saw about the question, sexual minorities were not especially repressed by the government but just not given equal rights under the law, like marriage for instance. On the other hand the population might not mind the existence of the community or its "non-traditiinal lifestyle". Is what I heard right?

[@davidnguyen348]

I remember that season of Kimpachi sensei! It was great, Nao was a great character. But it did kind of feel unnecessary to have the villain of that season be a very effeminate gay boy as Nao's enemy... At least they all got along in the end haha

[@catgirlmutant]

I actually watched Monster with my conservative father, but he refuses to understand that it's about two schoolboys falling in love and being failed by the system that should've helped them, and in turn said "it was a confusing but ok movie".. it's such a shame his prejudice blinded him from recognizing the absolute masterpiece that is Monster

[@bornagainstraightedge]

Unfortunately people who are extremely homophobic will resist seeing positive depictions of homosexuality and queerness in general as much as possible. This is why in a lot of anime and video games where there are characters that are clearly written to be queer or trans will still be seen as straight and cis by these people even when it is obvious. It's really frustrating, but I know that these depictions do reach some of these people and have an impact on them, even if it's not immediate.

[@KookiesNolly]

Minato literally says that he is loving in love... This isn't a media literacy problem, it's a literacy literacy problem lmaoooo

[@Brianna-eo8nu]

The idea that just because a country or it’s government has mostly conservative values means lgbt people and culture doesn’t exist in those countries is such a stupid fallacy. I’m glad for the existence of videos like this that bring a different perspective.

[@anonymous-zs9rn]

It's like the equally stupid idea that lgbt characters can't exist in period dramas... because "back then" it could've happened, apparently, except of course it could and it did. Just because it's not accepted, or it's dangerous, or downright criminalized, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Though I think we might all have preconceptions about some countries, especially if we hear about their repressive laws often. Perhaps because we can't fathom living a queer life (not just being lgbt, but finding partner(s), community, engaging in activism even) in a place so scary. I experienced that recently, when I saw a video about queer life in Ghana (I believe it was Ghana). Oftentimes we focus so much on some aspects of a society's culture, that we forget other societies and cultures are just as diverse as the one we grew up in.

[@uanime1]

The English film Victim was made in the 1960's about the harm the anti-homosexual laws caused. Despite being X-rated in the UK and almost impossible to watch in the USA it was partially responsible for these laws being changed.

[@buried4430]

Another film with a similar message to 'Victim' is the 1919 German film called 'Different from the Others.' Sadly, much of the film was destroyed by nazis during the book burnings

[@PinkPulpito]

I came out as trans in Chile experienced emotional attacks and lost my job. I was ran off physically. I gave the finger to my old boss when leaving the botilleria and he tried to run me off the road and hit me with his car. The pacos de mierda didnt do anything. I was on a skateboard so legally i had to be in a bike path but the small pueblo there werent any lol. (Thats what i was told). There were like 6 paved roads besides the main highway to lonquimay. It was hard to know who was nice to your face and who called you m***** when you left the room. The youth is very progressive but if you want to rent a place, or have a job its hard due to the older generation controlling everything. Huasos calling everything communism.

[@mariapaz6379]

porfa dime que estás mejor ahora.

[@miyamiyadorada]

@@PinkPulpito I'm so sorry! I have seen many horrible things like this in the news or when queer/trans people tell me about their experiences. THIS type of cruel treatment is because I always try to educate my family of why things are like crap, and why the film was so revolutionary. Dangerous situations happen everyday no matter who but when you are part of the minority that don't have voice or vote, it's like playing a game that is designed to never let you have a chance to win or even trying to defend yourself it's impossible, because who makes the game, makes the rules, but people blame you if you get hurt, because it's YOU, you aren't one of THEM. Old people, heck! Even the young too, don't understand that now these people in the government "progres" or "feminazi" how they call them, AREN'T TALKING FOR THE THIS CAUSES! THEY ARE USING AND CORRUPTING THE MESSAGE! But nooooo, the conservative use it as an excuse to say "see we were right! They just want benefits and be better than us, all perverts!" It's so frustrating because if you say the tiniest thing, example: "Ehm I think that teens dress too much as sexy adults it's not age appropriate, and they are skipping their childhood because they follow fashion and parents aren't parenting, BUT that's not an excuse for old perverts adults to sexual harassment them, and even if this sexy person is an adult, we should educate people especially men to not be pigs with others not blame the adults pretty person that just wanted to be pretty, and protect our teens too" Them: "HA F*CKING COMUNACHOS! ITS BIOLOGY! IF YOU PUT MEAT THE DOG IT'S GOING TO WANT TO EAT IT! ITS A BIOLOGICAL NECESSITY! THEY ARE THE ONES DRESSING LIKE PROSTITUTES! THESE PROGRES WHINE ABOUT STUPID THING AGAIN!" I hate victim blaming, in any type of crime, how the f*ck they don't want us to be mad? We can't even fight or discuss because then we are the aggressor! WTF?! Again, I'm really really sorry, I hope ese viejo de m*erda tenga su p*to karma! Viejo weon desgraciado malvado 😡 Te mando bendiciones y todo el amor y suerte del mundo 🫂

[@melaniey.5596]

Solo puedo decir, espero que las cosas mejoren. Las ideas transfobicas nos dañan a todos y genuinamente pienso que hacen de la sociedad peor. Se que esto no vale mucho de una extraña en internet, pero te deseo lo mejor \(^_^)/

[@8o882]

Mandando amor del E.U.s 💗💗 Espero que su situación va a mejorar! :)

[@ByNaathaan]

Que triste pero la transfobia parece que es peor en ciertos lugares de Chile, considerando que Chile se considera como uno de los mejores países para las personas trans. Cómo serán los otros!

[@Liliphant_]

As a Japanese LGBT thank you for highlighting these movies

[@Hitoshihyun]

I loved Monster sm😭😭😭 My favourite queer film would have to be "Badhai Do", an Indian film where a gay man and lesbian marry to escape from their family naggings. It's funny and emotional and a masterpiece

[@AL-jg4pr]

Badhai do is pretty cute

[@ship05u]

Badhai do is a great time and it's also very well received in India so it furthers the main point made in the video.

[@saetharion]

1) Thank you for treating the community with the respect and dignity it deserves. 2) Thank you for drawing the line to queerphobia from collonialism and Christianity. 3) Thank you for highlighting that there are more allies around the world than either queer people or the bigots know. 4) Thank you for showing that queer people have been around for as long as we have been recording information. The Samurai / Apprentice situation you described sounds eerily similar to situations in Ancient Greece. 5) Thank you for sharing such beautiful movies with us and breaking them down in ways that are accessible and interesting.

[@plaza3825]

Yeah, about ancient Greece, I've heard that those icky power imbalance relationships seem to be a consequence of really misogynistic societies. Women in those times and places literally weren't allowed out of the house, like one of the words for "wife" in Japanese is 奥さん meaning "mrs. interior." So for some, dating men was more accessible than dating women, but accessibility isn't the whole reason because men were women's jailers, like men still had access. Really, a society so possessive of women is already a society rank with power imbalance, and that mindset carries over to the m/m relationships

[@saetharion]

@@plaza3825 It's a little dangerous to paint such diverse cultures across thousands of years in a single paint brush. There were periods in Japanese history that were arguably matriarchal, and certainly periods where they were treated equally (for example their prevelance as Samurai despite Western ideas). Ancient Greece was not a monolith; each city state had a very different culture, religion, and take on gender roles. Sparta is a pretty famous example where there was a point where the women were in charge of the household entirely, and were free to move around as they would. All citizens were expected to be fit, so their children would be strong. Not to say that you're statement was wrong in reference to specific groups at specific times, but it's certainly not as one note as you might have thought.

[@mil_enrama]

This video is so important because people in countries that are more accepting will often write off less accepting countries as if everyone there is guilty. Thank you for highlighting these stories which explore an underexamined part of the human experience

[@miyamiyadorada]

As an aroace Chilean woman still living in my country, you explain beautifully the film! Especially all the culture contexts, the entitlement, the harassment, the superior behavior and sadly the ignorance and how they refuse to acknowledge it because of all these things you mention. The film was such a fresh air, usually many of us... Ehm ... We aren't fans of our cinema, many films are so pretentious and try too hard to have "deep~✨" (the comedy ones are silly with dumb humor some spicy humor but at least it make you laugh a lot) but this film just feels real and shows how the experience of one person that many have, can and is unique in its own right. Also Chile has a strong classism, privileged queer people in Chile (that aren't many cuz the richest parts are even more close minded and I'm sure many still hide) are still treated as "impure" but it's more more subtle because of their social class and family name, oh especially the family name that's very powerful. Our protagonist was obviously the victim yet the police don't do shit to protect her, because she's trans, a middle class trans woman and not "important" as the people that are harassing her aka money, pay for justice, it's even more sad and realistic. Our protagonist does not just have to endure the discrimination because she's trans, also have to fight the sexist and the classism, that many chilean women have to learn to live with since birth, so it was such a shock when cis women feel so seen in her, and more curious that they show also that even to this day, a woman dating an older rich man (even if he's divorce and both are in love) is frowned upon by society, you are seen as a "gold digger" "easy legs" etc, It's a beautiful feeling and a beautiful character, that it is not just only because she's trans, that's one of the many parts of her, she has a life, fears, battles, dreams, loves, shes a person in a story, HER story. All these movies are gorgeous in their own right, but it's still so painful to see that our society still uses religion as a way to control and hurt many innocent people that just want to live their lifes, the messages that this "people of God" give it's so... different of what I read, I always thought that compassion, kindness and love was the core of religion, it was such a shock for my young self when adult started to teach me "it's us and they" like if they were evil and discussing, I'm so glad that even if I'm not always in the same page that my strict religious dad, he never even teach me to hate. "Always question daughter, God is love, not what this people are saying, even if it's a priest. Your opinion is important, treat everyone how you want to be treated, never let anyone rob you of your love, and always try to educate yourself, never be proud of the ignorance, always learn of everything, the works isn't black and white" I recommend it if anyone is interested in two Chilean films, La Casa Lobo/The wolf house and Nahuel y el libro mágico/Nahuel and the magic book. The first one is a horror stop motion film but the psychological type of horror, very unique style of stop motion too and the second in a gorgeous 2D fantasy adventure film.

[@ariace3602]

What do you thibk of cybersyn? I think that was preety by Aiinde

[@memo51x]

no

[@juegobuenoyomalo9501]

@@ariace3602 lol

[@juegobuenoyomalo9501]

How do you feel about Chile being called conservative? As a latino that sounds insane, Chile is one of the most left-wing countries by latin american standards, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay being the most left-wing countries in the region.

[@PinkPulpito]

@@juegobuenoyomalo9501if youre queer or trans the conservatism is palpable and inescapable

[@kewu313]

Japan is quite interesting that all kind of (sub)cultures can *exist* but they're treated more like fetishes, and there's the solid wall you'll hit when you try to talk about them in a "western social activity" way. It's similar but more conservative in China. The tradition doesn't support the more progressive ideas, sometimes even demonizes, but there's also not a strong church to condemn you.

[@aimee9478]

THIS. Going like 'look they had Utena and Sailormoon and yaoi manga!' is not a hot take the author thinks it is, respectfully. The way Japan sees queerness is, well, its own.

[@augustuslunasol10thapostle]

@@aimee9478 japans a weird place really its a very strange fucking country even by the standards of strange countries

[@sheenyhive]

​@aimee9478 One would think *the video title* (let alone the video itself) would give the commenters here some perspective, but apparently not.

[@iamnothale]

@@sheenyhive I think she's talking about how LGBT is being fetishized instead of being normalized. Two complete different things.

[@sheenyhive]

@@iamnothale We're actually in agreement here. I didn't communicate it too well, but what I tried to get across is that there's a lot of comments here that conflate Japanese media's inclusion of progressive ideas as Japanese media actually being progressive. They're not really considering that not only such media is in the minority compared to the 1038378 teen male power fantasy animes, but is also more often wrapped in a fetishized package for said demographic too.

[@stephenbradford8524]

"Japan doesn't care about LGBT issues!" (Shows a picture of Revolutionary Girl Utena.)

[@GameFuMaster]

you forgetting BL, Yuri and otokonoko? There's a difference between fictional content and real life.

[@SpaceElvisInc]

​@GameFuMaster don't forget Manga writers putting to pen occasionally some of the gayest shit ever than being like "yea they're just pals : ) " yea buddy no they ain't good for them tho

[@user-xp8nq5mf9y]

Say gex

[@icecreambone]

also see Our Dreams at Dusk

[@GODCONVOYPRIME]

🎶Futa futa futa futanari🎶

[@CliosPaintingBench]

"our humanity transcends border and culture. Its brilliance cannot be deterred." Beautiful.

[@gordonhong2674]

Monster hit me especially hard since it was the last soundtrack scored by Ryuichi Sakamoto before his death - he also scored Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (another beautiful queer film).

[@Romapolitan]

It always frustated me when even people that call themselves left seemed to have a shallow understanding of anime. I have literally seen some of the best queer representation in that medium, even better than the west, because they are written like people (which also means sometimes there are characters that are not necessarily written with the intend to be queer, but still can feel relatable to queer people because the characters are just written as people experiencing live). Even with positive representation western movies often feel like it seperates them from being people. Of course there are more conservative anime, but that variety goes for any medium and I am tired of people pretending that is not the case

[@aronhelios1734]

That's just people in general with animated media. "It's a cartoon therefore less valid/for children." 😞 They don't know they've been missing out on pretty amazing stuff.

[@flip1sba]

I'm from The Philippines which is also a conservative country. Our nation has no divorce and do not allow marriage of the same gender but LGBTs are accepted but has its limits. The Philippines also has various TV shows and films concerning The LGBT such as My Husband's Lover.

[@darkmikasonfire]

Even for Japan the government isn't exactly against gay marriage, it's more that it's not within the constitution which has never been amended as the government is very worried about changing it for any reason. Japan is a fairly homogeneous country. To fight to change the constitution there would be to become an outlier, to be someone who sticks out, someone who's different, and that's pretty against cultural norms.

[@ellenbaker8553]

That ending... Don't make me cry on my lunch break, man.

[@saimabdullah6933]

*You've forgot about "JOYLAND" from Pakistan, it was one of the biggest controversies ever in the country*

[@recoil53]

Given the problems that they have, it shows why they can't get their act together. But that's me and I'd rather solve real problems.

[@6Shooter28]

​@@recoil53what are you even talking about, dude

[@recoil53]

@@6Shooter28 If you know have no idea, you could always look it up. Not really my problem.

[@Idkwtmmythandle2024]

​@@recoil53you were to vague. What are they suppose to look up? Just "Pakistan" are you referring to a specific political issue? Social issue? Historical? Before telling someone to "look it up" you need to at least let them know what they're looking for.

[@recoil53]

@@Idkwtmmythandle2024 Funny thing about search engines is that you really don't need to be specific. And assuming somebody is into their teens, they should be able to divide things like you did and start there. Again, somebody's lack of education and thought is not my problem to solve.

[@flyingzone356]

Despite the fact that same-sex marriage is still illegal in Japan, unlike the only two other Asian countries Taiwan and Thailand, as stated in the video, the public's view on homosexuality in Japan is very positive, as much as in Taiwan and Thailand. One sign of such overwhelming support of homosexuality in the general Japanese public is, of course, the fact that Japan is the origin and epicentre of the BL (Boys' Love) culture which has spread not only to countries like Taiwan, Thailand, and even the Philippines but also the extremely conservative S. Korea. Had the authoritarian Chinese government not officially banned both the airing and the production of BL TV series since 2021, the BL culture would have continued to flourish there as a few BL TV series (especially two period dramas that were shown on Netflix) that were aired had gained enormous popularity not just in China itself, but also abroad. As pointed out in the video, there is a huge discrepancy between government policy and public opinion on homosexuality in Japan. In fact, a similar discrepancy also exists in Chile. While Chile still lags behind Brazil, Argentina, and above all Uruguay when it comes to the acceptance of homosexuality, the Chilean public's view is far more accepting than government policy. Chile has produced a lot of extremely high quality and innovative LGBTQ movies in recent years. That shows that being Catholic does not necessarily render a country's people being intolerant of homosexuality. Spain, for example, is one of the most LGBTQ-friendly countries in Europe, with progressive government policies that match the public's progressive opinion. Italy, on the other hand, lags behind Spain even though the Catholic traditions in both countries are equally strong.

[@Jim_mears]

I think it’s worth keeping in mind that, historically, homosexuality was perfectly quotidian and accepted as part of everyday life in Japan, to the point that any person of means would be the odd one out if they WEREN’T entertaining a beautiful boy somewhere. The prohibitions on it are relatively recent (possibly as late as the Occupation, I forget), and most people don’t consider it particularly unusual, in my experience. Gay identities and their attendant politics of the sort found in the Western countries are not so much part of the Japanese experience, but there doesn’t seem to be much active prejudice against it as far as I can tell in my 20 years living here. It seems to be regarded more as a subculture, like being a Rockabilly or a Goth.

[@augustuslunasol10thapostle]

I find that strange saying “even the Philippines” is rather strange as though its harder for queer media to get in, arguably queer media gets in far easier in the Philippines i mean ffs one of the top celebrities here is a queer person openly switching from masculine to feminine roles in movies tv and such queer media is very alive in the Philippines homophobia is still very alive but the majority of it is a surface level facade of homophobia even in highly religious catholic families homophobia is seen as a taboo thing that only elders get a semi pass on

[@derivate_lang]

@@Jim_mears There has actually been no prohibitions on same sex relationships aside from during a short period (less than a decade) during Meiji (1890-1914). The Western homophobia came to Japan (and China a bit earlier) with the efforts to modernize and westernize during the same period. There has been no right to marry, but no restrictions on having relationships. To go a little deeper, it was the theories of sexuality and sexology that was growing in Europe at the time (late 19th century and early 20th century) that was the main cause, with its pathologisation of same sex attraction (which the Western ideas of sexual orientation is actually still based on). Before that, same sex attraction had been view as a perfectly normal part of human sexuality in Japan. In Europe it had also been seen as something anyone could "succumb" to, only it was seen as a sin here (which was probably why the early European psychologists like Krafft-Ebing and Freud tried to find that it was the result of something being wrong, and what caused it, rather than starting from the standpoint that it's a normal part of human sexuality).

[@Jim_mears]

@@derivate_lang Right. To be clear, I meant ‘social prohibitions’ and should have phrased it differently.

[@derivate_lang]

@@Jim_mears Oh, right. I think the way Japanese history differs from European and how it affected how same sex relationships are viewed is so interesting. It opens up a whole new perspective.

[@stevendc83]

"It was the U.S. that made Sailor Moon weird" said it all.

[@iamnothale]

Everyone hates the Censors.

[@ALIN-mb2gn]

​@@iamnothale im late but yeah i agree like imagine try to censored lesbian couple only for you to make them incestuous😭

[@zainmudassir2964]

and KZbin reviewers like Doug walker making the school girls weirdly sexual. Very creepy

[@MarkPag]

I'm italian 🇮🇹, and although I don't like to generalise, it is clear that in my country there is a widespread (often justified and even normalised) transphobic culture. I want to mention the DDL Zan of 2021, a law that was supposed to introduce rules to protect the LGBT community but which was shamefully scuttled. We have done several movies about homosexyality and transgender people: Un bacio (2016), Croce e delizia (2019), Maschile singolare (2021), L'immensità (2022), Il signore delle formiche (2022) and Stranizza d'amuri (2023); this last one is inspired by a 80s case, the Giarre crime: a event that put the basis for LGBT movement in Italy; the film is dedicated to the two victims, Giorgio Agatino Giammona and Antonio Galatola.

[@lorenckotini]

culatone

[@aronhelios1734]

We are still a very homophobic, transphobic and xenophobic country, sadly...

[@cyancat8633]

It quite literally makes sense of why Italy is like this the patriarchy of Rome literally controlled parts of Italy

[@MarkPag]

@@cyancat8633 Sorry, I don't understand

[@ezrafriesner8370]

What do you mean “justified” transphobic culture? 🤨

[@bistander]

The amount of boys and girls love content coming out of Japan, not to generalize, but that's pretty accepting culturally

[@sambeawesome]

It's a huge loss and shame that colonialism destroyed and negatively impacted so many cultures that we still feel it to this day, but I'm glad there is growing progress of healing and empathy. Fantastic list of films, thank you as always for sharing your thoughts and analysis :)

[@GODCONVOYPRIME]

Colonialism is the reason why you're here right now. Do you regret existing? You're right colonialism is bad because of that we got people like you complaining about colonialism.

[@recoil53]

I have a hard time understanding why countries that are rejecting colonialism are embracing cultural colonialism. Why would they not research their own pre-colonial societies? Why embrace the negativity?

[@ezrafriesner8370]

@@GODCONVOYPRIME………tf are you talking about

[@icecreambone]

this video is awesomely well-researched. another video about transgender characters in japan basically just said "well the government hates gay marriage but it allows gender transition so japan as a whole must perceive transgender as more conformist" when really it's just divide and conquer by the extremely conservative government. there is ALWAYS internal pushback within the culture in question and unless you actually ask the people in question you just miss this nuance

[@ElBandito]

Japan is still incredibly conservative, despite all the tech advances.

[@flyingzone356]

If you are here long enough, you will notice that every video produced by this channel is meticuloulsy researched. It is the trademark of Accented Cinema.

[@recoil53]

I believe in general Asian societies have traditionally had some spaces for queer people. Marriage wasn't necessarily one of them, but being gay or crossdressing was. But in a sense being trans merely changes what side of a binary somebody is on. Depending on how society sees the world it's not a difficult jump. In the West, I believe one of the Balkan countries let's women live as lesbians and have the same rights and duties as a man who is the head of a household, but they also cannot marry. That seems like a wink and a nod.

[@ElBandito]

@@recoil53 Marriage is so overrated. I'm glad more and more people see that as time goes on.

[@Aeriall.]

Right away this is one of my favourite videos you've made and I've never wanted a sequel more! Not just because I love all three of these movies but it's so important to remind people that no country is a monolith to be defined entirely by government policy. There's definitely so many more movies from so many other countries worth highlighting.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Idk if you’ve already mentioned ‘Joyland’ on your channel. Everyone should watch it.

[@zerikane]

Quatro Lunas or Four Moons (2014) is a film of people under the LGBT+ umbrella. Personally, it was interesting with the older man's story. A lot mature than the rest. The other stories are slow-burns. It was an interesting anthology.

[@tohawk30]

As a chilean filmmaker there is such a gorgeous variety of queer cinema. You have Empana de Pino, a riotous cross between Pink Flamimgos and Sweeney Todd. Naomi Campbell, in which a trans tarot reader plays herself in a fictional documentary about getting cast in a reality show to win gender reassingment surgery. Vendra la Muerte y Tendra tus Ojos, a lesbian couple preparing for one of their deaths due to illness as reality unwinds. Not to mention a large variety of smaller proyects like short films which are of a queer nature due to the style and narrative employed in them

[@moazennie0403]

kenyan recognition 😭😭 let's goooo

[@uiio7644]

Another more interesting Chilean pick is "Tengo Miedo, Torero" (My Tender Matador) based on the book written by Pedro Lemebel, one of our most important cultural figures (that doesn't belong to the upper class). Lemebel lived through our dictatorship as a gay man who sympathized with marxist ideology, but wasn't quite welcomed by the party. He was close friends with the leader of the communist party and bravely stood up for lgbt rights in a time when both communists and lgbt people were persecuted by the dictatorship, he helped in making the communist party question their own homophobia and how they preferred to press their own comrades than accept the reality of diversity within their ranks. When he gave a speech before the communist party against the homophobia they didn't want to deal with, he did it in drag with the sickle symbol painted on one half of his face. HE is the reason why the communist party changed for the better in terms of lgbt rights. HE is the reason why the communist party and its adjacents became allies of lgbt issues. HE is the reason why our society evolved from that authoritarian regime. My Tender Matador is about a trans woman living in dictatorship, trying to live as best as possible while watching her friends be murdered by the police, who falls in love with a communist guerrila member from the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (a real life communist organization) that attempts to assassinate the dictator (a real life event)

[@TheBoringAddress]

La Donna E' Mobile! As a Chilean Millennial, it has been an intense but rewarding process to see our country transition from deep-seated conservatism to something approaching your average EU-Nording country in terms of progressivism, at least in terms of gender and Queer topics. Boy do we have a looooong way ahead of us. The interesting thing is that it has happened gradually, and then by leaps and bounds. And ours is a country that has always been very isolated and provincial, literally as far away from the outside world as a country can be. One thing that has helped is that in Chile, historically, it is just the white elite that has always been very parochial and reactionary, but society overall has always been relatively open minded and pragmatic. For example, ours is a country made by single mothers and "bastard" children, including our very own founding father. As well, though conservative in the lower case sense, as in, "fearful of changing things", Chile is a relatively Left-leaning country, or at least it has a very solid third of the population which are steadfastly Leftist. That's no guarantee of someone being socially and culturally liberal, but certainly more open to new ideas and changing norms. And of course, that third is the one making Culture, not just arthouse like "A Fantastic Woman", but the telenovelas, which in Chile were usually influenced by the Brazilian model: Made up of a wide spectrum of characters, focused on relevant social issues and generally progressive in its values. It was in our telenovelas had the first respectful depictions of gay characters (though they chickened out on gay kisses at first). All things considered, I think we've undergone a very, very similar process to that of Ireland in terms of social progress, with the same collapse of the Catholic Church's prestige and influence, for the same reasons, and with many of the same problems and unfinished social issues. We are a country made of many mums and dads that are still... processing things. Remarkable video as always.

[@TheBoringAddress]

On an unrelated note, "A Fantastic Woman" is also a great example of how to make a love letter to a city that has always been looked down upon, Santiago in this case, which has always been deemed the ugly, rizzless sibling among Latin America's big capitals.

[@dduong2269]

what you say about governments not necessarily reflecting the views of the regular people is so true. also i absolutely died at 4:53

[@bistander]

I find that homophobia is strongest in religious countries. Not necessarily conservative ones. These can be mutually exclusive

[@gloriathomas3245]

LGBTQ mass media is very widespread in Japan especially in manga, anime and videogames

[@6Shooter28]

how are "religious countries" and "conservative countries" mutually exclusive? Do you know what those words mean?

[@augustuslunasol10thapostle]

@@6Shooter28 japan isn’t religious its the least religious conservative hegemony in the world

[@seighartmercury]

​@@6Shooter28 I think they meant "these aren't necessarily mutually inclusive" instead of "these can be mutually exclusive".

[@AD-dg3zz]

​@@seighartmercuryyeah, calling them mutually exclusive doesn't make much sense

[@HanGook512]

I highly recommend House of the Hummingbird, Bungee Jumping of Their Own, The Housemaiden, and The King and the Clown for Korean queer movies

[@filip6994]

Idk about the housemaiden, it seems like a lesbian-themed male gaze movie to me

[@BunjiBee]

0:00 Intro 1:02 Monster 6:06 Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) 10:18 Rafiki

[@stryflon1433]

"The best part is, you can say cisgender on your own website." LMFAO!!!

[@Elementa2006]

There are also LGBT films produced in some parts of the Muslim majority regions, particularly in places like Lebanon. Not very common obviously but they still exist despite the negative stigma LGBT concepts have within Muslim culture. There's website called the Arab Film and Media Institute that published an a list of lgbt films titled Queer Arab Films to Watch During Pride Month, which they update every June.

[@keta2222]

Pakistan also had joyland I will say in particular pakistan and Lebanon seems to be the most "liberal" in a sense of muslim countries (not counting gulf bc their liberal populace is the related to their high non arab population)

[@ratsock]

This is easily one of the best movie video essay channels on KZbin. Bringing perspectives and insight from beyond the normal “Marvel bad, but Deadpool funny”. Film has the ability to say a lot about the underlying culture that produced them.

[@hugazo]

Hey thanks for giving the spotlight to Chile! Been a fan of your channel for a while :)

[@lankyjuggler]

One of your best, I think. I really appreciated all the angles and commentary and context you packed in to a piece that also celebrated the films themselves

[@Arrrrrrrrrrbbbbbbbbbb]

This video was so damn good; you just GET it. Queer and trans people have always existed; it is not a new western phenomenon (Chile IS in the west, of course, but Latin American countries don't get the 'western' label typically). I appreciated your distinction between government policy and the actual opinions of people within a country in the section discussing Rafiki. Also, thanks for contextualizing "Taboo" because I found the power dynamics incredibly gross in that film. I found it unsettling that the young guy was framed as this sort of...femme fatale when he's barely 18 and both decades younger AND multiple rungs down the hierarchy from the men who are chasing him around. It's possible that was the point of the film, but it felt very icky. Anyway, fantastic video! Thank you for making it.

[@12Tecpatl]

Rafiki is such a good movie, it's full of joy and heart while it does not shy away from addressing societal issues

[@iamnoimpact]

beautiful video, man. i immediately added these to my queue. i love the power that you mentioned in knowing that The People who exist within a state/nation is the more important opinion and stance than the government who presides over it. very simple yet impactful thought to give to everyone!

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

"Close Knit" is a great Japanese film about a couple including a trans person taking in a child whose mother can't take care of her. It's by Naoko Ogigami, who has made many other great films

[@mamasitas3566]

Your videos always feel like coming home after school. Thank you for this wonderful video!

[@KookiesNolly]

Thank you so much for this video! Monster is one of my favorite movies that i saw last year and I don't see enough people talking about it. It had me crying both times i saw it. At first I was scared it was gonna be one of those "oh they're really just friends haha" type stories even though Yuri's character has clear queer undertones and as a queer audience member I was gonna have to explain the coding to everyone but then they fully committed to it! The scene in the music room where Minato clearly states that he is in love is so touching (it's where i started crying then I just never stopped until the credits were over). Queer kids deserve so much more love and protection than what this world offers them. It made me check out the rest of the director's filmography and yeah watching Monster and Shoplifters in a row was very bad for my tissue box. This needs to be said tho, the other kids were clearly jealous of Yuri's fits. He had the best drip in the whole school and it got people mad. Sigh, that's just what it's like sometimes, when you're too stylish and adorable. As a side note : I FEEL SO BAD FOR THEIR TEACHER !!!!!!

[@Ke0h298]

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO COVER MONSTER!!! I LOVED THE MOVIE AND HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE SINCE THE START OF THIS YEAR! i relate to Minato on such an unhealthy level. from the "why was i born?" scene to his story with Yori (that i found similar to how my relationship with my first love went) ㅠㅠ

[@jpolt1317]

I was brought to tears multiple times while watching these. I am just in awe of the strength and resilience of LGBT people. It's never easy going against the norm. I really can't imagine how tough it all might be. For any of you out there reading, I love you and I pray you find happiness x Keep fighting 💪

[@thestraltheundead4093]

Omg you guys have to watch Badhai do, its not exceptional but its funny and creative. I cant believe since its a bollywood movie I wouldnt have expected this but its surprising that the movies like this and Shubh Mangal zyada savdhan (another lgbt movie with really famous bollywood caste, has proper gay kiss as well). is well received in india also there has been several lgbt acts on national tv as well. The thing with my country is that people often think lgbt culture as a western culture and the people from the community is often considerd too obnoxious and perverted as per the western media and if it becomes a trend here it would not sit well since it has a lot of islamic population as well. One funfact in india there are lots of transgenders and we treat them as gods whenever a good news happens, its a sad and humbling story.

[@Paulxl]

I'm gay and Monster made me cry like crazy. As I asked for the Blu-ray as a birthday present. Lovely movie. ❤

[@DarthCody700]

"Gods Laws don't change like the laws of your country" Except when the Catholic Monarch declares something to be so, and it is made doctrine.

[@dajex16]

I may not like majority of modern day media, but it has nothing to do with the LGBTQ community. Rather, it's the lack of skill or work put into the characters, leading execs and studios believing will earn them a quick rather than actually representing the LGBTQ community imo. I love the community, just wish there was more effort put into the writing and development of characters than just saying 'they're gay'.

[@illium_kc]

i think this mostly can be seen in incredibly mainstream media. for ex, we have the problem with marvel and disney saying these characters are gay and that's their whole personality. this is a problem and has led to the lgbt chars having a bad rep. if you look past that though, you'll find a plethora of lgbtq+ media. from indie games to film to novels, its genuinely there if you want a story that's just beyond 'theyre gay'. a p big animated show "Arcane" features gay characters with Vi and Caitlyn. there's Bottoms a romcom abt loser girls trying to get with girls. interview with the vampire, she-ra, so on and so forth. not to mention, if you step out of the western space, you do get even more such type of media. revolutionary princess utena, bloom into you, the films mentioned in the video, revue starlight, until then, happy together. i will say though, in countries that do not have this representation, where the government is still pretty ass, having gay films where the main character simply exist and explore what it means to be queer is a big step (obviously i do hope the writing is good and explores lgbtq+ themes properly). you can get the silent accepting majority to be more vocal on gay issues and lead to conversations that could give gay people the rights that they deserve.

[@mil_enrama]

yeah as a trans person i totally agree. a lot of "queer representation" movies just bore me because they don't feel true.

[@flyingzone356]

You should not rely on the mainstream media to find quality LGBTQ movies. The best LGBTQ movies are produced independently, with a few exceptions (e.g. Brokeback Mountain). And most of the best LGBTQ movies aren't made in the U.S. Many extremely high-quality and innovative LGBTQ movies are produced in Latin America (e.g. Argentina, Mexico, Brazi, and Chile), Europe (e.g. the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, and ESPECIALLY Spain), and East Asia (e.g. Taiwan and Japan). Even India has managed to produce a few high quality and non-clichéd LGBTQ movies recently outside of Bollywood.

[@dajex16]

@flyingzone356 I'm not part of the LBGTQ community, but love movies. I don't limit myself to just Hollywood and try to find any film that I may like. So far, one of my favorite films happens to be Moonlight. Great film and so happy that it won movie of the year as it deserved it. Although, unnecessary graphic sex scenes like in The Handmaiden or Blue is the Warmest colour felt like it was more of a pron to appease male audiences that kinda damped the movie for me. The stories were not too bad in those and keep an eye out for good films, regardless of where they come from or whom is in them.

[@sugarzblossom8168]

I personally can't think of anything where being gay is someone's whole personality or is made a big deal

[@zoeyc5851]

Japan has the best aroace representation in tv shows in the whole world right now. Koisenu futaru, bloom into you, etc.

[@raikaschieck1634]

Monkey D. Luffy XD

[@clintonfernandes1139]

I loved monster, i liked how it explores the sexuality of young boys more nuancely. At first it was confusing what they were doing but slowly as movie progressed I understood. And it's such a beautiful movie.

[@samaburime]

Thank you for these videos, how you frame queer issues, media and films always brings a smile to my face. It's always very real, but also very hopeful.

[@theaizere]

Even if the laws and the government (and some dinosaurs) do not support lgbt people in Japan the majority of the public has a positive outlook on Lgbt

[@funkystyle7249]

Monster made me so sad, my heart was bleeding for those 2 children, made me want to protect them.

[@kodama279]

I love your videos!!! Greetings from Brazil

[@Embrinna]

Calling Japan is not open with LGBTQ is weird, since genre called Yaoi and Yuri starts there. LOOOOONG before people use "LGBTQ" in the tag

[@kebosangar]

I'm sorry to break it to you. But you do realize that in Monster, both boys died? 😬 If you noticed in the previous scene, there was a gate blocking the bridge. When they died, you can see the gate is gone, and they are "crossing the river".😢 Would like to add another movie from Indonesia that has a strong lgbt story. "Memories of my Body" was beautifully shot by Garin Nugroho and I highly recommend it for viewing.

[@goranisacson2502]

I am vaguely familiar with the symbolism you refer to, but that also sounds like something so vague that it can freely be read in any way you'd like it. Like when a plot is so vague you kinda ask yourself if it's an intentional choice that the gate is gone or did they just shoot it while the gate happened to be open in the background?

[@kebosangar]

@@goranisacson2502 well the director mentioned that it's open to interpretation. But seeing the scene, I think it's hard to argue that the 2 boys survived. Cinematically during this scene, the camera work was changed and the scene was more ethereal compared to the whole movie. Plot wise it doesn't make sense since the scene of the 2 boys showed it was already morning. Symbolically also, as I mentioned, they crossed a bridge that was on top of a river. The Japanese has their own river Styx called Sanzu Kawa (Sanzu river) where they believe spirit of the dead cross it to go to the spirit realm. And finally narratively speaking, I think it makes sense with the theme of the movie where society (and at an extent, us the viewers) are the Monsters by dismissing, ignoring and failing to understand what is happening to the 2 boys. The 2 people who was looking for them were the parent and the teacher; the authority figure of your inner circle, and an authority figure of outer circle (public). With the 2 boys being dead, it shows that both significant figure has failed; society has failed, we are the monster. The gate that was missing at the end (which let them pass the bridge) can also be seen as a barrier that is now gone and the 2 boys are free to become whatever they could've become. Which I find to be a very sad scene overall.

[@melaniey.5596]

He might have not mentioned it to avoid spoiling the ending thou

[@godlessyuri]

Thank you for helping encourage a more nuanced understanding of other cultures.

[@aronhelios1734]

I kinda feel that the audiences from North America and Europe are too overexposed to Hollywood productions, really. It creates this idea that "we're better and since other do not talk about these themes on the same page as us, they are not valid". Non-Hollywood productions provide tons of interesting conflicts and thoughts. Also because the art is the product of artists who live in a specific environment. Yes, Japanese population is pro-lgbt but the government isn't and this reflects in people's everyday life, thus impacting artists who create art to tell a story and pass a message. But since these movies don't get exported much into western countries, people should actively search for them. Which isn't a given. Stereotypes simplify our lives by not challenge our view of the world, but we should fight them sometimes otherwise we remain stuck in a loop. Sorry if this wasn't much of an articulated thought. Anyway amazing job as usual, Accented Cinema. I'm so grateful to have found your channel, the videos are always well researched and interesting. It reignited my passion for cinema.

[@Qwarky]

Close-Knit from Naoko Ogigami is also lovely!

[@zakuraiyadesu]

Love the videos, man. Keep it up!!!

[@Letsjustnot9597]

I’m surprised that people think people in Japan don’t care about LGBT rights when they have like the biggest industry in BL and it’s distributed around the world, even in Barnes and Nobles (a big bookstore chain). Sure it’s looked down upon, a bit problematic and it’s hard to get anime on those mangas but they’re very popular.

[@jtilton5]

I have gotten another KZbinr, Bushido Blues, to talk about Gohatto, which you showed in your video. You should talk about Nagisa Oishima's final film also.

[@Cross3dPoisons]

Great video once again ^_^

[@euansmith3699]

This channel is tip-top; great stuff in every video.

[@paritoshpanda9271]

A suggestion - just like how you are doing the series of worst movies from every country, do a series of 'Best movies from every country'. Theres nothing wrong in appreciating isnt it?

[@kniveskitt8511]

My favourite of your videos yet!

[@bastianl9163]

As a Chilean I must say, we're not THAAAAT conservative. Gay marriage and name change are legal here.

[@darkroninmarvel]

I'm Chilean, and back at college, none of my classmates were less than impressed by a fantastic woman because you take away the trans lead, you get a run-of-the-mill Chilean drama, you've seen one, you've seen all of them. I have nothing against the actress, so please don't take this the wrong way

[@Gomezli16]

@@darkroninmarvel shills will shill

[@OfelialaLoca]

Somos el mejor país de Chile

[@JosephFlores-yn4yi]

Que es algo bueno no te parece ? Es bueno que las nuevas generaciones normalicen estos temas y dejen de lado los prejuicios Ver una Película con una actriz trans y no pegar el grito en el cielo me parece un paso hacia adelante en mí opinión

[@darkroninmarvel]

@@JosephFlores-yn4yi absolutamente de acuerdo

[@PinkPulpito]

No weiii, i came out as trans in chile ☠️

[@gloriathomas3245]

When it comes to Japan LGBTQ media is quite widespread especially in anime and manga so its nothing new. In fact Japan is actually one of the most tolerant countries when it comes to LGBTQ mass media and this is due in large to the fact that its a Buddhist and Shinto country.

[@imli700]

Finally a video about Monster!

[@rujerez]

Excellent video. I'll check all three movies.

[@dien3745]

This came at a perfect time, I've just been doing a thing where every night I find a queer film from a different country to watch. I love seeing queerness in a variety of cultures, and it's especially powerful when it's from conservative countries. I will be adding all of these to my list, thank you for the great recommendations!

[@tryomama]

The same case in Malaysia. I have a friend where the government will not recognise her fiancee/wife. I have long vowed to changed that. Equal marriage for all is the right of humanity. Either I am successful or I die not seeing it happen. There is no other way.

[@cornhater82]

This was such a wonderful video. Thank you for posting!

[@MrMo-zf4ul]

Wohoo🎉... representing from Kenya. Rafiki is an iconic lgbt film here.

[@sid_gm1949]

This reminds me of a kannada film "nanu avanalla avalu" which was made in 2015 , and got national awards.

[@mikael_tan]

Excellent video as always. Thank you for sharing. I will definitely check out these movies

[@uiio7644]

I appreciate the research on our history with the dictator, the consequences of that period are still felt today as wounds that never heal. Thank you for informing people about it

[@Lil-Britches]

Wow these look amazing, some tear jerkers for sure. Rafiki is wild they had yo fight for a 7day window to even show it. Peoples everyday reality for just existing can be incredibly difficult. As a queer man in America under Trump we fighting still and still.

Ooohhh mi país 🇨🇱, me encantaría poder hacer los subtitulos de este video para que más gente de aquí pudiera ver este video 😊

[@Daniella162]

I never expected an African film to land here You surely did homework really well Xie Xie

[@goranisacson2502]

Being familiar with none of these movies, I thank you for at least making me aware of them... and a generally well-written and fine-flowing script.

[@ragerteenager968]

monster healed me fr

[@csredmond518]

Your best work yet. And that's saying something.

[@originaozz]

Monster was such a good film. Best used of Rashomon's technique since the name sake. It really questions many of the social facade we put in front of each other, which led to more harm than the actual truth. Honestly, one of the greats. Ps. Japan, while culturally conservative, I believed has the most influence on LGTBQ+ media in the world. At the very least in Asia, with Boy's Love and Girl's Love genre steady growth. Why these are mostly romanticized versions of the reality, it does bring forth a change in attitudes.

[@oeleos6730]

A simple but well-documented video. Thanks !

[@TalaySeedam]

About 70% of Japanese view same-sex relationships as normal and positive, and support gay marriage. However, changes in Japan come very slowly. From a Western point of view, Japanese values are rather progressive.

[@willc3900]

Great as always

[@allot5530]

I apologize if this is off-topic but Are you interested in other forms of media like games visual novels books or is it just film just curious

[@travonte97]

really touching video essay!

[@recoil53]

Nothing shows how good of a writer you are than how you consistently smoothly segue into the sponsor. The hook is always related to the video you are doing instead of the same one every time or just abruptly transitioning.

[@JimmyLamStudio]

the thumbnail made me do a double take since Monster is labeled Chile

[@evan5539]

Excllent work on this one.

[@GabrielGonzalez-mw9cg]

This is awesome. Going to make sure i watch each of those.

[@kb3146]

Beautiful video. Loved it ❤