Pick of the Month

BY EMMA SMART

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

PHOTO TEREZA CERVENOVA

The glitz and glamour quotient of the capital shall be raised considerably this month as the BFI London Film Festival hits cinema screens from 10 to 21 October. Showcasing hundreds of films from around the globe, this year’s festival has plenty of LGBTQ+ titles to enjoy. Highlights include the true story of Lizzie Borden reimagined as a passionate love story between mistress and maid in Lizzie, with queer favourites Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart in the leads. An audacious biopic of Queen Anne and the mischievous goings-on in 18th century English court is told in The Favourite. The Queen’s longtime lover, the Duchess of Marlborough, finds herself being usurped by the younger Baroness Masham. With Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone as the female leads, this has Academy Award written all over it and deservedly so. The early life of Parisian queer literary icon Colette is brought to life by a career best Keira Knightley as the eponymous Colette, booted and suited and courting the gender-fluid artist Mathilde de Morny amongst other ladies. Carmen And Lola is a tender love story between two gypsy girls in the close-knit patriarchal world of the Spanish Roma community. And, finally, make sure you are first in the queue to see the youthful and stylish Rafiki, DIVA’s highlight of the highlights if you will. This Kenyan drama is the story of Kena and Ziki falling in love and what that means for their safety and way of life in a country where gay sex is still a punishable offence. A brave and beautiful film that is not to be missed.