Top 20 Alternative Picks for TIFF 2013: Bruce Labruce’s Gerontophilia

Bruce LaBruce – Gerontophilia

Section: Vanguard
Dates: Monday 9th, Wednesday 11th, Friday 13th

Buzz: What to do with Bruce LaBruce, whose titles will most likely always reside on the tenuous cusp of porn vs. art? That’s exactly why he’s an important and oft neglected voice relegated to the ghetto of gay cinema enthusiasts—he’s been challenging boundaries and ideas for well over twenty years without cashing in on anything remotely mainstream. While some titles may not always seem worthwhile (a dip into less sexually explicit waters resulted in 2010’s Otto: Or Up With Dead People, which in turns seemed to have inspired a more experimental sexy undead project, LA Zombie, a film that had few champions), he’s back with more taboo subject matter (a young boy likes sex with old guys—oh my!) and is bound to cause divisive critiques. In its developmental stages, Beatrice Dalle had been listed as part of the cast (sadly, she didn’t stay with the project) but Walter Borden, a notable theatrical star, as well as an infrequent presence in the cinematic realm, is of considerable note for this Locarno Film Fest entry.

The Gist: Lake is an unusual boy: he is a young man with an old soul who discovers he has an odd fixation on the elderly. Realizing that some day, if fate allows, he will be one himself, he is particularly fascinated by old men. He imagines their age to be a beautiful thing and recognizes how these men where once young and vibrant and attractive, as he is now.