I not only wonder what life is like for the masculine gay man in the more rural, non-urban areas of my country (U.S.) but also the rural, non-urban areas in other countries.
The short film COWBOY FOREVER at least gave me some insight into what life may be like for a gay gaucho in Brazil.
The short film was created by Jean-Baptiste Erreca and comes from a movie titled “Not Gay” which is a collection of four short films.
The docu-drama starts off a little slow; however I did enjoy the movie for several reasons. First the movie is about Brazilian gauchos (cowboys) on a ranch in South America.
The main character “Govinda” and his love interest “John” are both masculine men. Even though John is not gay, he is secure with his sexuality and has no problem accepting Govinda. The two form a very close friendship which is a true show of tolerance.Some of the back drops and landscapes of the Pantanal area of Western Brazil are very beautiful. I also enjoyed how the other gauchos know about Govinda’s sexuality and don’t seem to care. It seems to me they care more about his work ethics and pulling his weight around the ranch than his sexuality.
This is a very simple film showing how Govinda goes through his own self discovery and acceptance. It is a snapshot of friendship, understanding and love between two men, one straight and one gay and how that relationship expands both men’s relationships with their fellow cowboys and the world around them.The movie “Not Gay” is streaming on Netflix and can be rented from there as well.
You can watch the trailers below (Sorry but both are a little blurry)
Ocky you should watch the Spanish language film “Contracorriente (Undertow).” It deals with gay/bi relationships and the implications of masculinity/machismo in the Latino community. It’s a little bit different than your typical gay/bi film though. It takes on a supernatural element, but I believe it’s something worth checking out. I saw it online a year or two ago, but I bet it’s on Netflix.