The Grand Illusion

55th anniversary!

A key work of the Japanese New Wave and of queer cinema, director Toshio Matsumoto’s shattering, kaleidoscopic masterpiece is one of the most subversive and intoxicating films of the late 1960s: a headlong dive into a dazzling, unseen Tokyo night-world of drag queen bars and fabulous divas, fueled by booze, drugs, fuzz guitars, performance art and black mascara. No less than Stanley Kubrick cited the film as a direct influence on his own dystopian classic A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.

An unknown club dancer at the time, transgender actor Peter (from Kurosawa’s RAN) gives an astonishing Edie Sedgwick/Warhol superstar-like performance as hot young thing Eddie, hostess at Bar Genet — where she’s ignited a violent love-triangle with reigning drag queen Leda (Osamu Ogasawara) for the attentions of club owner Gonda (played by Kurosawa regular Yoshio Tsuchiya). One of Japan’s leading experimental filmmakers, Matsumoto bends and distorts time here like Resnais in LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD, freely mixing documentary interviews, Brechtian film-within-a-film asides, Oedipal premonitions of disaster, his own avant-garde shorts, and even on-screen cartoon balloons, into a dizzying whirl of image and sound.

In Japanese with English subtitles. Part of our 20th Anniversary Celebration Series!

“Definitely not for everyone. But for those who do sit through, unlike the queen who ‘harrumphed out’ when I saw it, Funeral Parade of Roses is a very strong trip.” Bebe Scarpie, Drag

“You will walk away from Matsumoto’s film with a newfound appreciation of what movies can be.” Simon Abrams, RogerEbert.com

An emotionally intense, suspense-laden tale of love, betrayal and revenge, in which one man's past comes back to haunt him. John Greyson’s acclaimed 1996 movie, LILIES, is an adaptation of Michel Marc Bouchard’s lauded play of the same name.

1952: Bishop Bilodeau visits a prison to hear the confession of Simon, a boyhood friend jailed for murder 40 years ago. However, once there, Bilodeau finds himself forced to watch a play put on by Simon and the other inmates depicting the two men’s youths. As the play progresses, the tragic truth of Simon’s crime comes to light. Through recollections and confessions, this underseen gay classic reveals a love kept secret for decades. This new 4K restoration, supervised by Greyson, brings the luster of the film’s gorgeous colors and sets. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received critical acclaim around the globe, winning Best Picture at the Genie (Canada’s equivalent of the Oscars).

“Rich in exotic visual lyricism.” Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

“A refined creation, delicate to the touch.” Steve Davis, Austin Chronicle

When filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked at as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. FLIPSIDE documents his tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years.

In the process, Wilcha captures This American Life icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, discovers the origin story of David Bowie’s ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero, and uncovers the unlikely connection between jazz photographer Herman Leonard and TV writer David Milch. This disparate collection of stories coheres into something strange and expansive—a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of trying to live a creative life.

“[It’s] about a record store in the same way that Moby Dick is about a whale… Flipside is a doc assembled out of loose ends and false starts, a jumble that can be maddening until suddenly it’s moving… It’s confounding and self-centered but damn it if it doesn’t work.” Steve Pond, TheWrap

“It’s beautiful and inspiring, and it might just spur you into some mind-f***ing self-reflection.” Kristy Puchko, Mashable

In this longitudinal observation, director Sona G. Lutherov presents an intimate portrait of a family in which one of the parents is transitioning.

Others perceived R. as a happy woman. Born and raised in the Czech Republic, R. married Ivan, a Slovak psychiatrist. The young couple settled in Sweden and had two children, and it appeared that R.’s life would follow a predictable path. R. was happy, but felt an inner emptiness. As a distraction from daily life, R. began writing fiction, eventually creating a male alter-ego and penning novels for the LGBTQIA+ community. It became clear to R. that the void they felt could only be filled by living as their authentic self and beginning their transition journey. R. is now Marvin, a man. To find true happiness, Marvin must dismantle his old life and construct a new one; a process that affects not only himself, but also his husband and children. A HAPPY MAN follows Marvin’s journey from 2019 through 2022.

In English and Czech, Slovak, & Swedish (with English subtitles).

“Tender…intimate…a surprisingly calm take on transition.” Marta Balaga, Cineuropa

After coming out as a trans woman, world-record-holding gamer Narcissa Wright loses her massive fanbase. To win them back, she attempts to set a new world record in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while live-streaming every minute of her mythic quest. Drawing from an archive of more than 3,000 hours of Narcissa’s livestreams, intimate verite, and 8-bit animation, BREAK THE GAME is a moving exploration of gamer culture, the realities of online harassment, and the mental health implications of living a digital life.

The Saturday, June 8th screening will be followed by speedrunner dannyb21892 doing a live speedrun of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with director of BREAK THE GAME, Jane M. Wagner, participating in a live Q&A in the chat!

“Truly a highlight at Tribeca [2023]. Not only does it finally give a Queer perspective in video games, but is also an important message about hope, family, and battling demons both 3D animated and in real life.” Mike Vaughn, Geek Vibes Nation

“An innovative film… probes the intriguing possibility of taking images meant for one space and repurposing them into a cogent beginning, middle and end. Put another way: Even without the pixelated bells and whistles, it’s excellent storytelling.” Natalia Winkelman, The New York Times