1 Jun 2019 | Excerpts from Different From the Others (Anders als die Andern) (Germany, 1919), which was preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive as part of the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project. Funding provided by The Andrew J. Kuehn Jr. Foundation and the members of Outfest.
Synopsis
The concert violinist Paul Koerner takes a student under his wing, much to the worry of the boy’s parents. Koerner is meanwhile being blackmailed by a former lover, since in Germany any homosexual relations at that time were punishable under the law, codified in Article 175, which was not removed from the books until the 1960s. The German film, Different From the Others is, as far as we know, the first fiction feature film to address a specifically gay audience. Fortunately, even though more than 90% of all German silent films have disappeared, this film exists today in at least half its original length. When the film was first shown in 1919, gay and lesbian audiences must have been amazed that a mainstream fiction feature film would portray their situation as a fact of nature, rather than a perversion. Today, this film celebrates the brief opening of that door, before it slammed shut for another 50 years.
The film was produced and directed by Richard Oswald, at that time one of Germany’s most prolific independents, who made films cheaply and premiered them in a Berlin cinema he owned, where his wife would often handle the office box. Oswald had earned a fortune in 1917/18 with a number of “educational” feature films about sexually transmitted diseases, which were approved by the censorship authorities, simply because syphilis was rampant in the trenches. Oswald would continue to produce controversial films, like his acknowledged masterpiece, The Captain from Koepenick (1931) based on Carl Zuckmayer’s anti-authoritarian play. The Nazis never forgave Oswald for Anders als die Andern or Koepenick, forcing Oswald into exile and eventually to Hollywood, where he directed several films and television shows. Although long underappreciated in Germany, recent critical reappraisals have valued his in-your-face aesthetic and modern subject matter.
Only a severely truncated version of the film has survived, with Ukrainian titles, as Gosfilmofond in Russia. It was restored previously to a semblance of the original 1919 release by the Munich Film Museum. The UCLA restoration is based on that Munich reconstruction, with some changes and additions made.
Credits
Richard-Oswald-Produktion. Screenwriters: Magnus Hirschfeld and Richard Oswald. Cinematographer: Max Fassbender. With: Conrad Veidt, Leo Connard, Ilse von Tasso-Lind, Alexandra Willegh, Ernst Pittschau, Fritz Schulz.
WIKIPEDIA: Magnus Hirschfeld »
Showing posts with label gay films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gay films. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2026
Sunday, January 11, 2026
A Moving Scene from the Gay Movie Call Me By Your Name
6 Nov 2020 | Call Me By Your Name takes place in northern Italy in 1983. It stars Timothée Chalamet as Oleo and Armie Hammer as Oliver. The film is directed by Luca Guadagnino.
In this late scene, after seeing off his 24-year-old lover, Oliver, who is from America, and who had been in Italy on a student program, the seventeen-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet), feeling a bit confused about his profound connection with Oliver, is given a pep talk by his father, who is played by Michael Stuhlbarg.
If you haven’t seen this film, I would recommend that you do. I watched it when I was myself grieving for the loss of my American partner. It therefore hit the spot, making a huge impression on me at the time. In fact, so much so that I lost count of the number of times I watched it!
Because of the way the movie was filmed, you feel as though you are in Italy with the characters. Call Me by Your Name is at one and the same time both extremely moving and very fulfilling. Also, as films go, it is very unusual. The scenery is delightful as is the villa it is set in, and the message is profound. For many reasons, it is an unforgettable movie. I believe this was the first truly gay movie I had ever watched. I stumbled upon it by chance: an ad for the film showed up on a web page I was viewing, so I clicked on it. I’m glad I did, otherwise I'd have missed the film altogether. I'm so glad I didn't. If you like films that move you, this is the film for you.
In this late scene, after seeing off his 24-year-old lover, Oliver, who is from America, and who had been in Italy on a student program, the seventeen-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet), feeling a bit confused about his profound connection with Oliver, is given a pep talk by his father, who is played by Michael Stuhlbarg.
If you haven’t seen this film, I would recommend that you do. I watched it when I was myself grieving for the loss of my American partner. It therefore hit the spot, making a huge impression on me at the time. In fact, so much so that I lost count of the number of times I watched it!
Because of the way the movie was filmed, you feel as though you are in Italy with the characters. Call Me by Your Name is at one and the same time both extremely moving and very fulfilling. Also, as films go, it is very unusual. The scenery is delightful as is the villa it is set in, and the message is profound. For many reasons, it is an unforgettable movie. I believe this was the first truly gay movie I had ever watched. I stumbled upon it by chance: an ad for the film showed up on a web page I was viewing, so I clicked on it. I’m glad I did, otherwise I'd have missed the film altogether. I'm so glad I didn't. If you like films that move you, this is the film for you.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Tomer and Michael - Their Story [Sublet]
ABOUT THIS FILM: Sublet is a 2020 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Eytan Fox. It explores intergenerational themes within the gay community, following a New York Times travel writer who visits Tel Aviv following a personal tragedy. Film Overview
Plot: Michael, a middle-aged journalist, travels to Tel Aviv to write a column. He sublets an apartment from Tomer, a younger, carefree film student. Despite their initial personality and age differences, the two men form an unexpected bond over five days as Tomer acts as Michael's guide to the city's local culture. [Source: Google]
The official trailer is on YouTube here.
Monday, August 04, 2025
A Single Man (2009) | Full Crime Drama Movie | Colin Firth | Julianne Moore
Mar 1, 2024 |Drama set in Los Angeles in 1962, as a British college professor mourns the death of his long term partner, Jim, and tries to learn whether there is meaning to his life.
Director: Tom Ford
Writers: Christopher Isherwood, Tom Ford, David Scearce
Stars: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode
Director: Tom Ford
Writers: Christopher Isherwood, Tom Ford, David Scearce
Stars: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Marco (2019) a Film by Saleem Haddad | Reupload
BEWARE: This short gay film is unsuitable for children. – Mark
Sunday, August 07, 2022
I Was Straight until I Met Him | Gay Romance | 4 Moons
Viewer discretion is advised. – Mark
Sunday, July 24, 2022
Michael & Thomas | Man in an Orange Shirt | Perfect | Movie Clip
This is a clip from the film. I have not watched the film yet, but I shall certainly try to do so sometime soon. It looks superb. This film clip, despite being very beautiful, is pretty graphic, so viewer discretion is advised. It is not suitable for children. – Mark
Sunday, July 17, 2022
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