Kiss of The Spider Woman

(Hector Babenco, US/Brazil 1985, 117 min., 35mm)

ImageOut of the Archives. Two men of very different backgrounds and ideologies are forced to share a cell in a South American jail. Luis (William Hurt, in an Oscar-winning performance) is a flamboyant gay man imprisoned for “corruption of a minor,” the stoically macho Valentin (Raul Julia) for his involvement with a leftist revolutionary group. To pass the time and distract from their desperate circumstances, Luis escapes into fantasy, recounting the plot of his favorite film—a Nazi melodrama—to a mostly indifferent Valentin. As Luis weaves his tale, we see the film visualized in stylish noir sequences, staring Brazilian actress Sonia Braga. Fantasy and reality blend, reflecting and coloring the ever-evolving relationship between the two men. Marking the film’s thirtieth anniversary, this ImageOut of the Archive selection for 2015 is a landmark in queer cinema that’s even more miraculous considering the politically conservative era in which it was made.

Visit http://www.imageout.org/index.php for more information on the ImageOut Rochester LGBT Film & Video Festival.

Please note the later start time.