Love can be a tricky thing. But it needn’t be. People set rules, boundaries and limitations that make love out of the social norm to be questioned or worse, outcast.
Every year, Pink Dot Singapore get together to celebrate and support the freedom to love. Because this freedom is being suffocated, scrutinised and in some cases, shunned. This year marks Pink Dot SG’s tenth year anniversary, and like always, they aim to bridge the barrier between the LGBTQ community with the rest of the community.
In the spirit of Pink Dot, here’s a look at five movies that show us that simply, Love is Love, and how it has evolved through the different eras, regardless of challenges and obstacles.
Carol- a Love to remember in the 1950s
Therese (Rooney Mara) is an aspiring photographer and Carol (Cate Blanchett) is a lonely woman going through a divorce. They meet by chance, but while Carol already knows she prefers women, Therese doesn’t. She’s in a relationship with a man but is ambivalent about it. When situations bring Carol and Therese together and obstacles tear them apart, Carol must decide what she must do. Bearing in mind that this is in the 50s, coming out as a lesbian is deeply frowned upon, Carol stands to lose everything of she admits to the relationship with Therese. Can love conquer all?
Stonewall- Stand up for your right to love in the 1960s
In this coming-of-age film, we see a blend of fiction and reality coming together to tell the story of the Stonewall riots in 1969, New York. Young Danny (Jeremy Irvine) had come out to his father but was met with disgust. Back in the 1960s, this is considered a major humiliation for his father. He flees to New York after his dad refused to sign for his scholarship. Then, on the streets of the Big Apple, Danny chances upon the Stonewall Inn, and gets entwined with its guests and finds himself a victim of the gay sex trade. Destitute and desperate, Danny sees how gay men like him are badly treated, and this ignited a political awakening in him. Danny decides to stand up for his right to love and for all the gay men by being involved in Gay Liberation activities.
Pride- In the name of love in the 1980s
Inspired by a true story, Pride is a movie about how two camps of very different people come together to stand for their rights. It’s the summer of 1984 and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike. They’re not being treated nicely by the press and the police, and their situation draws the sympathy of a group of gay and lesbian activists who understand their plight all too well. Before the unsympathetic press and police turn on the miners, they unleashed all their aggression on the gay and lesbian community. This prompted the group to raise funds to support the strikers’ families. Although initially sceptical, the miners and the activists come together to fight for their rights.
Dallas Buyers Club- Love makes you see pass prejudices in the 1980s
This is loosely based on the true story of Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), whose wild ways came to a disrupting halt in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive. This was the early days of the AIDS epidemic, where no one is sure of how to combat the virus. Given only 30 days to live, Ron decides to take matters in his own hands to hunt down alternative treatments, both legal and illegal.
In his quest to prolong his life, Woodruff meets with people from different walks of life, especially the LGBTQ community, who had been spurned by society and shares a bond with them, especially Rayon (Jared Leto). A fictional character introduced in the movie to represent society’s outcasts, Rayon is a transgender who’s seen her fair share of rejection from life. Initially prejudiced against the LGBT community, Rayon and others like her changed Ron’s perceptions and in fact, made a profound impact on his life.
120 BPM (Beats Per Minute) – love, Joy and righteousness in the 1990s
1990s France is a period of sexual exploration and the AIDS epidemic. And this brought together a group of activists who take inactive government agencies and major pharmaceutical companies to task in order to help those stricken with HIV/AIDs. 120 BPM is based on the real-life activist group called ACT UP, whose members are either gay or HIV-positive. They’ve come to terms with their conditions, but instead of giving up, they decide to embrace life instead and not just fight for themselves, but for others like them for a chance to live longer. Part personal, part political and all energy, 120 BPM is an inspiring story about how love, passion and hope conquer all.
★ Pink Dot Movie Treat
Enter promotional code【PINKDOT18】to enjoy one of the movies listed below. SIGN UP FOR FREE!
- Stonewall
- Carol
- Blue Is the Warmest Color
- Dallas Buyers Club
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- Murmur of Youth
- The Wedding Banquet
- 2nd Life of Thieves
- Albert Nobbs
Note: The code is valid from now till Aug 15th. Select any of the above movies and click Watch Now to redeem the promo code at checkout point. Only ONE promo code may be redeemed per user account for any one movie. Users can start watching the movie from a personal computer, tablet or mobile; can also be cast on TV using Chromecast or AirPlay for better viewing experience!
