A Moment in the Reeds

Great to see intelligent scripts and good production and direction in GLBTQI Cinema. A Moment In The Reeds, while obviously a Gay Love Story I think could an should be seen by any audience of any sexual orientation.

It's a 2017 Prize Winner from Finland , partly in subtitles but mostly In English. The three actors are Janne Puustinen as Leevi the Art Student returning home from Paris to assist his moody disapproving father renovate the family and his childhood cottage in Finnish Midsummer.

Boodi Kabbani is Tareq a handsome Syrian refugee who's been employed by Leevi's Dad Jouko as a labourer, even though in his own country he's a qualified architect and it's eventually obvious to Jouko not only that Tareq is highly skilled but also that Levi and Tareq have more in common than carpentry.

There's much more to this film than the attraction of the young men , anyone worried about the male sex scenes note the ratings . Sex and Nudity :moderate Violence and Gore :None Profanity : None Alcohol and Drugs /Smoking :mild Frightening/Inttnce scenes : none

It's contemporary setting shows the difference and difficulty of refugees trying to start a new life in a very foreign and suspicious culture and the deep rift that many Gay men experience with a parent or parents that just won't accept their children for who the are. It's interesting to me that with a some good exceptions European GLBTQ1 films are of a much higher quality and able to reflect stories that while obviously are aimed at The Queer film audiences also can resonate with any open minded progressive audience

The truth is that this movie is part of a trend in gay European cinema of handsome refugees falling in love or lust with a local they've been hired to work with or for. This movie came out the same year as God's Own Country, which is raised by magnificent acting, editing and a story that went beyond the basics. Unfortunately, while this is not an awful movie, it pales in comparison. The actors do their job but the lead up to their first kiss is clumsy and everything after it is just badly paced and boring and you lose interest in the story, the characters. Instead of telling the story of gay refugees in Europe, it kind of fetishizes it in a weird way. It's not unwatchable but not as good as it should have been .

This is a film about two young guys oppressed by the society, and their attempts to struggle free. It is an emotional journey to feel and be touched by it.

A Moment in the Reeds is a well written, well directed and well acted story, full of sparking tensions, alluring contrasts and painful realities. The story of an intense connection, forged in an uncomfortable, imperfect setting, is deeply affecting and compelling. As the characters navigate their blossoming relationship, they are forced to confront deep-rooted issues in their lives, the differences and similarities of their personal situations, and a reality that the bubble of bliss they occupy is as transient as it is passionate. This is no PG feature - the sex scenes sizzle; the leads have chemistry that could set asbestos on fire. This is a film not afraid to dive in and own its convictions. Well worth a watch.

(post review-reading rant) Too many IMDBers are projecting their politics, hangups and ideals onto this film. Watch the furking film, people, instead of reinterpreting it through an Instagram filter. Sometimes I think too many people live in their sanitised PC white-bread InstaGrindr bubble and don't actually realise that different people engage with life and the world around them in different ways, and derive meaning and pleasure quite validly whilst operating within this "different" frame. The queer community is becoming a pasteurised, limp-dicked anaemic clone of its superior antecedent. If you want an idealised fantasy tailored to your over-sanitised sensibilities, go hire a celibate, gender ambivalent, emotional support quasi-romantic de-triggered missionary-sex-bot (/post review reading rant). Have a nice day.

I consider entering the world of gay movies as one of the most important points in my life and I feel like this movie now has a very special place in my heart. As someone who has watched many movies of this kind I I'm very critical when it comes to story telling as it usually tends to repeat itself over and over again with many clichés. This movie shows us once again how less is more. Every dialog is well put together and has it's purpose in storytelling, developing characters and explaining their experiences, therefore there is no unnecessary babbling that would take away the beauty of the moment. Director somehow manage to trick us not to feel the lack of conversation perhaps by bringing them together quickly, like they known eachother forever or they understand eachother at some level we can't comprehend. Yet when they do talk, it's overwhelming and we can learn so much about the different worlds they live in and also about passion they have for one another. Thing that bothers me is how easily this affection that seemed so strong broke at the end leaving us with that weird feeling of being deceived to believe in something that doesn't exist, which is why I think this story needs a sequel.