Singapore : Hainan Ji Fan (Rice Rhapsody) (2004)

Is this the first ever Singapore's gay-themed film?

Rice Rhapsody is a gay-themed film about the relationship between  Jen Fan and her three sons, particularly the youngest one, Leo, who is still living under her roof. Her first two sons, Daniel and Harry, are out as gays, Jen Fan are hoping strongly that her third child will not be so. Confused by Daniel's gay marriage and Harry's frequent change of boyfriends, Jen Fan wants something of the conventional from the youngest.

When a foreign exchange student, Sabine, arrives, Jen Fan sees this an opportunity to stir Leo's interest in girls. She hopes to accomplish this with her business rival, Kim Chui, who is interested in Jen Fan.

However, time reveals that Leo has interest in his best friend from school and this devastates Jen Fan, causing her relationship with her youngest son to deteriorate. It is up to Kim Chui to help to save that family.

It was certainly nice to see Sylvia Chang back in acting, after several positions behind cameras as a writer and director. She did definitely add a charm to the film, and I thought the effort to pick up the local slang was admirable - with the 'lah's. I personally thought the casting was done well, with Sylvia Chang to attract her personal fans, and the boys of the show.. hmmm.. eye-candies. Even Allan Wu was in the movie, as Harry's new boyfriend. Yummy.

Although the story was not developed well, it did not fail to be convincing. It was, to a certain extent, a reflection of the lifestyle of some Singaporeans. The background was realistic enough when the camera focused on the business neighbourhood. The dilemma Jen Fan faced is quite a common reflection on any mothers who are learning to accept their children's sexual orientation.

Well, with a Singapore background, I am seeing this film as the first gay themed film of Singapore, although I am aware of Bugis Street (1996), but the latter portrayed the life of a girl, living in a red district area, with some transvestites and transexuals. I find Rice Rhapsody, directed by Kenneth Bi, deals directly with the homosexuality issue.

Rice Rhapsody has a family-theme, nothing as daring as Solos (2007). There was hardly any necking or kissing between the male leads. Perhaps it was too early for the movie to be too bold. Still, it was refreshing to see the homosexuality issue addressed.



After all these years, I am still wondering the need to have Sabine in the film. The movie would have progressed well, even without a female diversion in the film.

Awards:
Won -

• Worldfest Houston (2005) - Platinum Award
• Newport beach Film Festival (2005) - Jury Award Best Actress
• Hong Kong Film Award (2006) - Best New Director

Nominated -

• Golden Horse Film Festival (2004) - Best Actress and Best Original Score
• Tokyo International Film Festival (2004) - Tokyo Grand Prix
• Hong Kong Film Award (2006) - Best Actress

Portugal : O Fantasma (The Phantom) (2000)

Is this the first Portugal's gay-themed film?

João Pedro Rodrigues directed one of the most intriguing  gay-themed films of all time - O Fantasma. It was so, for several reasons. It won a few awards. It introduced to us Ricardo Meneses, in his only appearance in a film. It should be the first gay-themed film (or perhaps  arguably, just like Brokeback Mountain, a bi-film) from Portugal. The film has explicit contents. And it has an ending that kept many puzzled, and frustrated.

Sergio worked as a garbage collector in the city. It might looked like any other ordinary life of a young man in the city, except that Sergio had a strong sex appetite. He roamed around looking for means to end his quest, and some of his conquests were not for the faint of heart. Fatima had shown interest in him, but Sergio was more obsessed with a young man whom he had met once, when he picked up the trash from the man's garage. Since then, Sergio stalked the young man.

Ricardo Meneses did for this film what Steve Sandvoss and Wes Ramsey did for Latter Days (2003). Charming and gorgeous enough to attract the attention of movie and hunk lovers to sit through the film. Story-wise, the director did justice to this film.. from the beginning to the middle. At the end, I was personally frustrated with the choice of the direction the movie had taken. It was not a twist like in some suspense show, but more like a chicken-out attempt.  I personally felt the director did not dare to end the movie the way audience would have been curious about, but to make the actor acting psycho at the wasteland. Was it an attempt to trash at gays, making it looked like that would be how gays would and should end up being? Nuts? Although this film did include Sergio's involvement with a woman, the film was focusing more on Sergio's romp with the other men, which was how I could easily conclude this film as a gay-themed and not bi-themed. 

Awards:

Won -

• Entrevues Film Festival (2000) - Grand Prix Foreign Film.
• New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (2001) - Best Feature

Nominated -

• Venice Film Festival (2000) - Golden Lion
• Golden Globes, Portugal (2001)- Best Actor

Thailand : Satree Lek (Iron Ladies) (2000)

Is this the first ever Thailand's gay-themed film?

When Satree Lek was released, it was labelled as Thailand's Titanic film based on the wave of box office smash it was becoming.  Directed by Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, Iron Ladies was based on a true story of a group of gay / transgender who played volleyball and won national championship. The movie portrayed the hardship for this group of good volleyball players to be accepted in the circle of the sport management team, but they prove to be extremely popular eventually among the Thai commoners.

Mon was rejected from the volleyball team because he was gay. Together with Jung, they heed the call for the district re-try-out for volleyball team. Being selected by a new coach, this selection did not prove to be a popular decision with the other homophobic players who left the group, leaving Mon, Jung and team Captain (and a straight guy) Chai to look for new players. Their search let them to Mon and Jung's old friends - Pia, Nong and Wit, plus a triplet introduced by Coach Bee.

Their hardship was not only to be accepted by the sport council, but their own personal problems too. Wit's parents did not know that he was gay, and was insisting him to get married soon. Pia was having relationship problem with his boyfriend - Chat. Nong and Jung fought over the same attached guy. Chai was working hard to accept his new friends, despite his discomfort. Mon was having trouble with Chai's discomfort.



The film painted the gay community as a comical group, but did a good job too to disclose the fears of the characters of their acceptance into the community. This film is such a feel-good movie.

Awards:
Won -

• Berlin International Film Festival (2000) - Reader Jury of the "Siegessäule" and Teddy - Special Mention
• Toronto International Film Award (2000) - 2nd Placing Discovery Award
• Dallas OUT TAKES (2001) - Best Feature and Outstanding Cast Ensemble
• Dublin Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (2001) - Audience Award
• New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (2001) - Audience Award
• San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (2001) - Audience Award
• Thailand National Film Association Awards (2002) - Best Supporting Actor 

Nominated -

• Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (2001) - Best Film
• Political Film Society, USA (2002) - PFS Award (Expose)

IMDB : Satree Lek

Taiwan : Nie Zi (The Outcasts) (1986)

Is this the first ever Taiwan's gay-themed film?

In 1986, Kan Ping Yu directed what could be the first gay themed film from his country, Taiwan. Nie Zi, which means, Outcasts, was made based on the popular gay themed novel from the same country - Crystal Boys (1983) translated to English in 1990, which was written by Pai Hsien-Yung.

The success of the book prompted the film to be produced, which demonstrated the life of gays in Taipei. Ah-Ching ran away from home, after being abused physically by his father, who had learned of his son's sexual orientation. Ah-Ching was found by an older guy, Ah Yang, who offered Ah-Ching shelter in his own home. There, Ah Yang and his lady companion took care of Ah-Ching and three other gay homeless gay boys.

This movie worked around Ah-Ching's memory of his deceased young brother, his reunion with his runaway mother and confrontation with his father. At the same time too, Ah-Ching found a love interest in a young adult, who held a dark secret.

For a country of the east, it is remarkable how Taiwan matured ahead of the other countries in the same region, by its openness to the world of gays, and willing to accept the portrayal of homosexuality in the silver screen. Although Outcasts was the first released in 1986, it took some time for Taiwan to produce even more gay themed related media. In 2003, Crystal Boys was remake again, but this time into a 21 episodes of a tv series, and it was a huge success among the tv viewers and went on to win several awards. In 2004, Formula 17 caught the attention of the media by being a huge box office success, winning the main star Tony Yang an award, and this was continued by other gay themed films produced and released - Eternal Summer (2006) and Go Go G-Boys (2007).

Nie Zi did not draw much attention nowadays, due to the huge influx of gay themed films, but it should always be remembered fondly as the first gay themed film from Taiwan which started the wave.

IMDB: Nie Zi