Recent times, gender and sexuality have seen nuanced discussions in the mainstream. From literature and news prime time debates, to fashion and movies, the discussions are both welcome and potent. With its latest offerings for October, Netflix has included in the list a 2017 critically acclaimed movie on gender identity, acceptability and the crisis that ensues – both internally and with the outside world. Saturday Church has plenty of reasons why it needs to make its way to your Netflix watchlist.
The movie revolves around a young teenager, Ulysses in New York City’s Bronx. Not any young teenager, but a shy effeminate boy, who needless to say lives dealing with demons of his own. As if things weren’t challenging enough, his father passes away leaving the young teen with new found responsibilities. With his mother, younger brother and aunt for company under the same roof, life is all poised to get all the more of a struggle.
An escape for the boy comes in the streets of Manhattan’s West Village. Ulysses meets a community in the Saturday Church programme for LGBTQ youth which pushes him to not just confront questions about his gender identity but also accept who he truly is. Here is also, by the way, where young Ulysses encounters his first romantic interest.
Directed and written by Damon Cardasis, the film has been credited with being a sensitive and well constructed account of the universally-relevant story of a teenager struggling with his or her identity and gender. As a white, gay man himself, Cardasis had spoken about how he made the film to delve further into divides that exist within the LGBTQ community.
Deserves a watch. To keep you entertained and get you thinking.
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