Frameline is thrilled to partner with guest bloggers from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire during this year's festival! We've invited students from the LGBTQA Studies: San Francisco Travel Seminar at UWEC to share their experiences of Frameline and their thoughts on San Francisco's queer community. As they attend Frameline and experience San Francisco, they will be creating LGBTQ-themed documentaries, as well as vetting films for their second Eau Queer Film Festival in the fall. For more information about the contributors, click here.
"Deciding to see Four More Years was a no-brainer. For one, I was already in the theatre since I had just seen Wish Me Away. Secondly, it’s a queer foreign film with an emphasis on politics. And unlike many Americans, I actually like politics- especially foreign politics. The way other countries operate on a political level is something find fascinating. However, I don’t think an interest in politics is a requirement to see this film. Four More Years was much more about a same-sex relationship that developed over the course of the film, and the transformation of the main character.
Perhaps the first thing I noticed about Four More Years was the strong sense of irony in the film- which I something I enjoy and find amusing. For example, during depressing moments the character may be shown to be pouting in the corner of the room. However, the music in the background is an upbeat blend of jazz and pop. Another aspect of the irony was how the filmmakers presented a scene in one way, to make the audience expect a certain thing. When in reality, it was something completely different and not what you were expecting.
I do think the film started a little slow, the main relationship didn’t develop for quite some time. However, once it got going it kept my attention through the use of uncommon camera shots and angles. For example, on occasion we got to see the view directly above the character, or the reflection in a window or a car mirror. Another thing that helped keep my attention was the symbolism in this film. For example, a lamp going out signalized death, and an individual wandering around the basement of a hotel was a physical representation of the feeling of being lost in one’s own life.
During the question and answer session I was surprised to hear that Four More Years got a very mixed reaction in Sweden, a country I typically think of as liberal and open-minded. For example, the big cities and the university centers loved it, but smaller country towns were less thrilled. Which I think is really the same reaction that Four More Years would get in the United States." -Katy Cobb