Lists are hot: Best European LesBian Movies

By Natazzz on Thursday, August 13, 2009 - 12:52

Lists are hot is a monthly column for all those who think lists are hot. Every month the focus is on a different queer related list.

We all spend a lot of time complaining about the lack of lesbian or bisexual storylines in movies. Even with those movies that do have clear queer plotlines, we still cannot help but mention how bad some of these movies are. Granted, there are a lot of bad lesbian movies out there. In fact, I almost considered writing a Lists are hot column about the worst lesBian movies ever made. But then I thought to myself, why be so negative?

Therefore, this month’s column is all about some of the best European lesBian movies. This is by no means an exhaustive or an objective list, but just a selection of five really good queer movies that I think you should check out. I even listed them in order for you. Enjoy!

5. Fremde Haut/Unveiled (Germany, 2005)

Fremde Haut(Unveiled) is the 2005 movie by Angelina Maccarone about an Iranian woman named Fariba who has to flee her country to avoid prosecution. Fariba tries to seek asylum in Germany, but she is denied residency. To avoid being send back to Iran and risk being killed for being a lesbian, she takes on the identity of an Iranian man from the refugee camp who has committed suicide.

Now Fariba finds herself living as a man in a small town in Germany. She knows the only way she will be able to stay in the country long term is if she can arrange for some fake identity papers. Fake papers cost a lot of money and therefore she finds herself a job in a cabbage factory. It is here where she meets Anne, a beautiful blonde German woman who catches her eye from day one. They get on famously and slowly fall for each other. Of course, it is only a matter of time until Anne will find out Fariba’s true identity.

Fremde Haut/Unveiled trailer

Fremde Haut is about the harsh reality of life as a queer Iranian, as well as the hard life of asylum seekers in general. Yet at the same time, it is also a love story. It makes you think, about life and about how we as a society decide to treat other people. Bust most of all, it makes you realize that love is love no matter what form it takes.

You can read our full review of the movie here.

Tags: columns, entertainment, Lists are hot, movies

Tipping the Velvet

Submitted by Caisa on August 13, 2009 - 13:48.

is my absolute favourite. Both as book and as movie. In the closing scenes I cried rivers.

And Itty Bitty Titty Commitee, not primarily for the lesbian content but because, being an old anarchist I fondly recognised the way small "outlaw" groups work.

great!

Submitted by frosch411 on August 13, 2009 - 14:05.

natazzz... great approach.. I'd gone of course down the route of worst lesbian movies, haha!

not seen but vaguely heard of the German movie The Edge of Heaven.

Was pleased to see Coup de Foudre.. I loved it when I first saw it aeons ago (stumbled into a screening on TV.. you gotta love the German channel WDR).. it's very sweet.. a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. not explicit though but that's ok (would have loved to see a little intimacy, but it would be misplaced in the movie).

IM&Y .. sigh... so sweet!

Tipping the velvet should have been on the list .. I agree with the poster above me :) A MUST LESBIAN SEE!

Other EU productions... OMG.. so many to pick from.. my mind's gone blank actually... maybe that speaks volumes though..the EU productions have always an either angsty or dramatic or some other negative-ish connotation to it.. it's good of course, makes for great viewing and we can all relate.. but it's also good to sometimes just have something to switch off.. and watch something that gives you cavities....I should watch me some more IM&Y again :D

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great list

Submitted by Infinity on August 13, 2009 - 20:30.

I´m glad you went for the Best movies instead of the worst movies list. Instead of five films I dont´t have to see, now I have 2 I want to see. Thanks for that :-)

And let me be the third person recommending Tipping the Velvet. I LOVED it! Love story and drag. Excellent!

I agree with Tipping The

Submitted by luna81de on August 14, 2009 - 07:54.

I agree with Tipping The Velvet, but other than that I am happy with your list. :) OK, I would've changed the order but that doesn't really make a difference since they are all recommendations.
btw, the director's name of Auf der anderen Seite is Fatih Akin (not Faith Akin). All of his films are great, even without lesbian storyline ;)

Oh, on a sidenote: isn't it odd that three of these films (Auf der anderen Seite, IM&Y and Fucking Åmål) were directed by men?

Tipping the Velvet

Submitted by Natazzz on August 14, 2009 - 08:49.

I agree with all your comments, Tipping the Velvet definitely should've made the list. How I loved that film when I accidently stumbled upon it on BBC.

Caisa, I agree IBTC is a great movie, but not European, so therefore it didn't make the list.

Luna81de, there are so many more male than female directors so it really isn't that surprising. As much as I like all or mainly female productions, I think men can sometimes do lesbian storylines just as well. Just look at Bound.

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I have only seen number 1

Submitted by Embla on August 14, 2009 - 10:06.

I have only seen number 1 and 2 on your list, and totally agree with you - they rock!!!

Especially Fucking Åmål is my all time favorite lesbian movie. They are soooo cute together and the script is well written with great dialogue. And it is well directed and superbly casted! Great movie...want to see it over and over!!!

IM&Y was also very cute and I totally adore both Lena Headey and Piper Perabo in it!

I totally trust your taste in film, so looking forward to checking out numbers 3, 4 and 5 :)

Enjoy!

-Em

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Love the life you live, live the life you love...

Alles wird gut...

Submitted by Obermaier on August 14, 2009 - 13:15.

Hakuna matata ;)
well, pretty old & only TV, but...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XK5y-W6l48&feature=channel

The entire film is on youtube... unfort only in German.

Shamim Sarif

Submitted by Michelle Paris on August 14, 2009 - 15:16.

I'm a big fan of her films, "The world unseen" and "I can't think straight"

For "Entre nous", it's the story of the mother of Diane Kurys, not herself, and the "lesbian side" of the story is really hidden very well (deep in the closet) !

Bobbi's Girl

Submitted by DutchCJ on August 15, 2009 - 14:51.

I like "Nina’s Heavenly Delights".

These probably don’t count as they are movies made for tv:

A while back I discovered "Bobbi’s Girl". Looked for ages to find a copy and one week after I did and paid a lot for the tape Dutch television broadcasted the movie :-)
Bernadette Peters (love her, she is so cool) and Rachel Ward together make my day any day.

Enjoyed "Die Konkurrentin" although first time round I couldn’t really understand all of the German. Found it later with English subtitles on YT. It is no punishment to watch Ann-Kathrin Kramer for 90 minutes.

Very disturbing to watch but an important story to tell "The Investigator". And I have to admit I could watch Helen Baxendale in anything :-).
Detail: her character’s girlfriend is played by Laura Fraser who plays Nina's girlfriend Lisa in Nina’s Heavenly Delights.

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The film, here...

Submitted by lucebian on August 18, 2009 - 16:33.

http://l-greece.blogspot.com/2009/04/bobbies-girl-2002_14.html

IMAY et al.

Submitted by lucebian on August 18, 2009 - 16:27.

IMAY changed my life, even if it was not the first lesbian movie I watched in my life (actually, it was Desert Hearts)... IMAY had something so sweet and moving! I can watch it again and again and again...

I loved Tipping the Velvet, great tv production. And all the movies of Fatih Akin are worth watching, he's a great director!

"Nina's", "The world unseen" and "I can't think straight" are nice films too, but something lacks... good acting, perhaps? Just my thoughts ;-)

Vivere

Submitted by Pascale on August 18, 2009 - 22:34.

Vivere, last movie from Angelina Maccarone, is one of the most impressive movies I've ever seen. As desperate as life. As beautiful...

I Can't Think Straight/The World Unseen-by Shamim Sarif

Submitted by digitalbabeusa on August 25, 2009 - 20:10.

Causing international hysteria with their central characters "Leyla and Tala", Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth.

UK eds here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cant-Think-Straight-World-Unseen/dp/B002HH9ER4/r...

More info here: www.enlightenment-productions.com. Filmmaker Shamim Sarif, independent writer/director is amazing. 30+ awards worldwide. Please support legitimate dvd purchases-they help support these films and future projects. Also available in Novels (even more background info on Indian/Jordanian characters!), and sexy soundtrack. 2 amazing films-one romantic comedy set in London/Jordan and one 1950's period piece, beautifully shot, in apartheid South Africa. Enjoy!