08 Jul Queer Films to watch this NAIDOC Week
This year marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week, celebrating and recognising the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Join us in celebrating this year’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, by watching some of these films currently available to stream that centre LGBTIQ+ Indigenous voices and the stories of queer and trans First Nations people from around the world.
Heart of the Man (2024)
Australia, screened at MGFF25 | Trailer
Butchulla filmmaker and actor David Cook set out to address the underrepresentation of queer Indigenous stories on our screens, with family drama Heart of the Man. Aspiring boxer Chris (Parker Little) lives in the shadow of his father Sammy (Cook), a one-time champ in the ring. Haunted by his wife’s death, Sammy pushes Chris to pursue the boxing career he failed to achieve. But when Chris finally accepts his attraction to the handsome Jamie, and spends more time with theatre gays than at the gym, he realises he may be destined to walk another path entirely.
Heart of the Man participated in Queer Screen Goes to Cannes 2024
Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra (2021)
Australia | Trailer
Celebrating Bangarra’s 30th Anniversary, Firestarter tells the story of how three young Nunukul and Munaldjali brothers turned a new dance group into a First Nations cultural powerhouse. Through the eyes of the Page brothers (Stephen, Russell and David, who was gay) and company alumni, it explores the loss and reclaiming of culture, the burden of intergenerational trauma and crucially, the extraordinary power of art as a messenger for social change and healing.
Kumu Hina (2015)
Hawai’i, screened at MGFF15 | Trailer
Kumu Hina is about the struggle to maintain Pacific Islander culture and values within the Westernised society of modern day Hawai’i. It’s told through the lens of a Native Hawaiian who is both a proud and confident Māhū, or transgender woman, and an honoured and respected kudu, or teacher, cultural practitioner and community leader. Hina longs for love and a committed relationship; will her marriage to a Tongan man fulfil her dream?
Punch (2022)
Aotearoa New Zealand, screened at MGFF23 | Trailer
Coached by his demanding father (Tim Roth), a teenager prepares for his first professional boxing match, while grappling with his sexuality, in this hard-hitting drama. In a small New Zealand town, 17 year-old Jim has little prospects and a future that rests on his promising boxing career. Under his alcoholic father’s guidance, he’s able to blend in with the hypermasculine culture, at least from the outside. Whetu, who’s targeted by the community for being proudly takatāpui (queer) and Māori, isn’t so lucky. When the two young men forge a hopeful connection, Jim must confront the cost of fitting in, in a world hostile to difference.
Pure Grit (2021)
USA, screened at MGFF22 | Trailer
Native American life on the Wind River reservation is a life on the fringes. Pure Grit gently focuses its lens on reservation life through Sharmaine, a rising extreme bareback horse riding star in a world dominated by men. As one of the few lesbians on the reservation, Sharmaine is already something of an outlier and possesses a deep understanding of how she needs to heal, succeed, and foster the culture that keeps her alive. Framed by the stunning wilderness of Wyoming, Pure Grit is a groundbreaking, optimistic documentary that highlights the power of self determination and cultural connection.
Rūrangi (2021)
Aotearoa New Zealand, screened at MGFF21 | Trailer
Starring, written, and produced by members of New Zealand’s queer, Māori, and gender-diverse communities, this touching dramedy is about the power of embracing one’s identity in all its forms. When transgender activist Caz returns to his isolated hometown in Aotearoa, he must confront his past and move forward from the regrets he’s been running from. Although former best friend Anahera is quick to embrace him, the same can’t be said of his estranged father, while his reappearance raises more questions than answers for ex-boyfriend Jem. Winner of the Audience Award at the world’s largest LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, Frameline, Rūrangi is a crowd pleaser that perfectly balances drama, humour and heart.
Kapaemahu (2020)
Hawai’i, screened at QSFF20 | Trailer
This short depicts the legend of four individuals with dual male and female spirits who brought their healing arts from Tahiti to Hawai’i. Brought to life through beautiful animation, this short got a Special Jury Mention at Tribeca 2020.
The Rogers (2020)
Samoa, screened at MGFF21 | Trailer
This mini doc follows the first visible group of transgender men in Samoa as they navigate the complexities of their lives. From loneliness, cultural expectations, and rejection from family, they find a sense of community through church, dance and cooking.