Schitt's Creek created a safe space for the sexuality of its characters from David's pansexuality to Ronnie's implied lesbianism. The creators of Something You Said Last Night and Solo have spoken of the need for safe spaces and how their films create these safe spaces. We agree that Something You Said Last Night has that safe space and disagree somewhat about the safety within Solo. Sophie Dupuis notes the parental support of the protagonist in Solo yet the father and stepmother are in a single scene and barely drawn as characters. Plus a major character who is gay is someone who loves gaslighting.
Where we definitely disagree is the idea that a safe space film has to be a poor film. Being positive, let's share some recent films that are safe spaces and far more enlightening than those 2 films.
Backspot A film about cheerleaders in a lesbian relationship with loving and supportive moms.
Frontières | Frontiers One of the adult sisters is a lesbian. While the other characters don't scream support, no one cares that she is a lesbian.
Seven Veils This Atom Egoyan film has a lesbian relationship between Canadian actors Rebecca Liddiard and Vinessa Antoine. No one cares that they are in a relationship.
The Five Devils This French film focuses on a woman who was in a lesbian relationship who later married the woman's brother. No one cares about her past in terms of being with a woman.
I Don't Know Who You Are The protagonist is a gay man where the film reflects on raising money for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after he is sexually assaulted. No one involved in the film cares that he is gay.
Days Of Happiness has a lesbian relationship at the core of the film. The issue might be conflict of interest with the protagonist being the conductor and the other woman being a musician within the orchestra. No one otherwise cares about them being in a relationship.
Fitting In This film doesn't feature a LGBTQIA2S+ theme but the protagonist has a very supportive mother in all things sexual.
All of these films played at the 2023 Windsor International Film Festival.
A couple of notable films from the 2022 Windsor festival (same festival as Something You Said Last Night): Rosie featured drag queens among other characters. This isn't a completely safe film because one of the drag queens is told to dress as a man for his mother's funeral. This person was loved and supported by his closest friends and loved ones. The Origin of Evil features a protagonist who is a lesbian who impersonates her ex-partner to try and get a family fortune. No one knows she is in a relationship of any kind. A good film yet maybe not too safe.
Soft feels very safe. Young people where we aren't sure where they are sexuality wise and no one cares. The foster mother is highly supportive and they are in a world in Toronto where no one truly cares who they are and how they identify. Soft played at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.
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Canadian film review: Soft
There were films that aren't safe that played in the 2023 festival. Blue Jean (UK) is a period piece from the 1980s during Margaret Thatcher's reign where a physical ed teacher sees one of her students in a lesbian bar. L'Immensita (Italy) is also a period piece in 1970s Rome. Clara (Penélope Cruz) is accepting of her oldest child Adriana, who rejects being a girl and identifies as a boy named Andrea. Her husband Felice is much harsher about what is happening. Monster (Japan) from director Hirokazu Kore-eda is subtle in revealing that the young boy Minato is gay.
These films are well done and show a sense of what was, and sometimes is, for gays and lesbians and others.
You can argue the merits of whether no one cares in a film is enough of a safe space. Something You Said Last Night is more about family acceptance, treating each of their children the same. Solo is generally accepting of being gay and a drag queen. The sister character loves her brother. Dupuis's attempt at parental love was thinner than the walls in a motel room.
Being a straight person, I don't get to define what is a safe space for LGBTQIA2S+ people. As an ally, I welcome the idea of films that are a safe place. As an advocate of film, I do like good films that share those stories, whether in a safe space or not. Penélope Cruz's character in L'Immensita is particularly encouraging and supportive at a time where that was very unlikely.
Canadian film review: Better Than Chocolate
Canadian film review: When Night Is Falling
If you are looking for an outstanding Canadian film that feels like a safe space way ahead of its time, go back in time for Better Than Chocolate (1999). A lesbian relationship, a trans character, and a bookstore owner trying to get female erotica across the border into Vancouver. Also, just an amazing film to watch, no matter where you are on the spectrum of sexual identity.
Xavier Dolan creates safe spaces in some of his films, especially the Quebec 5. J'ai tué ma mère | I Killed My Mother (2009); Les Amours imaginaires | Heartbeats (2010); and Juste la fin du monde | It's Only the End of the World (2016) would be safe space films. Laurence Anyways (2012); Tom à la ferme | Tom at the Farm (2013); and Matthias & Maxime (2019) explored intriguing issues within those films.
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Canadian films might be better at telling stories from this community. Thom Fitzgerald films may not be true safe spaces yet he creates complex and interesting characters who happen to be gay or lesbian or bisexual. These films include The Hanging Garden (1997), Cloudburst (2011), and Splinters (2018). Stephen Dunn's Closet Monster leaps into view as well as Giant Little Ones from Keith Behrman.
C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc Vallée, 2005); I've Heard The Mermaids Singing (Patricia Rozema, 1987), and Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (Lynne Fernie and Aerlyn Weissman, 1992). Guidance is the debut film from Pat Mills (2014). When Night is Falling (1995) from Patricia Rozema.
Really good Canadian films that happen to be about people who are in the LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum. Some of them are very safe. others are somewhat safe, and a few films aren't safe yet tell a good story. Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives is full of stories that aren't safe yet helpful in teaching the history of how far we have come.
Let us know a good safe space Canadian film we might have missed.
photo credits: Soft; Seven Veils
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