LGBTQ+ Film Series

Film professor and St. Bart's parishioner Anthony Perrotto hosts a bimonthly film series February 14-June 20, with an introduction, important insights, and commentary for each screening, all with LGBTQ+ themes.

Please enter through the Community House: 109 East 50th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues.

March 28 at 6 pm:

The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), starring Peter Finch and James Mason, won a BAFTA Award. The film portrays the life of Oscar Wilde, who was already a celebrated writer and celebrity when he met Oxford student Lord Alfred Douglas. Their friendship soon deepened into an infatuation, which provoked the ire of Douglas's father, the Marquess of Queensberry. After several failed attempts to publicly disgrace Wilde, Queensberry took legal action, leading to Wilde's infamous trials. The first trial ended in a hung jury, while the second resulted in a conviction and a sentence of two years of hard labor.

April 25 at 6 pm.

Querelle (1982), Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, featuring Jeanne Moreau, Franco Nero & Brad Davis. Querelle is the visionary’s final—and most daring—film. Set against the neon-lit docks of a dreamlike Brest, the story centers on the enigmatic sailor Georges Querelle (Brad Davis). From the moment he steps ashore, Querelle becomes the catalyst for a tempest of desire, betrayal, and violence. This film is an immersive experience. It remains one of cinema’s most visually striking—and uncompromising—masterpieces.

May 9 at 6 pm.

MAKING LOVE is a 1982 American drama directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin & Michael Ontkean. This is the story of a married man coming to terms with his homosexuality and the Love Triangle that develops between him, his wife and another man. Zack Elliot is a successful young oncologist & is married to Claire, an equally successful television network executive. Unknown to Claire, Zack has been struggling with feelings of attraction to men. He picks up men in his car and starts frequenting gay bars in West Hollywood. MAKING LOVE was the first mainstream Hollywood film drama to address the subject of coming out and the effect that being closeted has on a marriage.

May 23 at 6 pm

MIDNIGHT COWBOY (BEST PICTURE 1969) Directed by John Schlesinger, with  Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Sylvia Miles. Won 3 Oscars. Set in Times Square, this is a touching story with some of the best performances of all time. Dustin Hoffman, as Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo,  gives an amazing performance, as does Jon Voight, as Joe Buck, the "cowboy" who travels North to the Big Apple in the hopes of becoming a high-priced gigolo. Soon his naive ways land him in trouble and he pairs up with "Ratso," the crippled scam artist, who offers to become Joe's "manager" for a certain percentage of profits. 28 wins & 16 nominations

June 6 at 6 pm

Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice is a hauntingly beautiful adaptation of Thomas Mann’s novella. Set in 1911, it follows composer Gustav von Aschenbach  (played by Dirk Bogarde, inspired by Gustav Mahler) as he retreats to Venice to recover from personal and professional turmoil. Mahler’s music underscores the film’s emotional depth. There, he becomes mesmerized and falls in love with a young boy named Tadzio, the embodiment of ideal beauty. Without ever speaking to him, Aschenbach is drawn into an obsessive, unspoken passion, captivated by the boy’s ethereal presence.

Upcoming dates:

June 20