This June, thanks to your Livingston Library card, you can stream dozens of films for free on Kanopy that explore the dazzling spectrum of queer experience. From tender period dramas to provocative shockers to offbeat romantic comedies, there’s something for just about every movie lover to enjoy. Check out the recommended titles below, or browse Kanopy’s full Pride Month collection here.
Maurice (1987, directed by James Ivory)
Set against the stifling conformity of pre-World War I English society, Maurice is a story of coming to terms with one’s sexuality and identity in the face of disapproval and misunderstanding. Maurice Hall (James Wilby) and Clive Durham (Hugh Grant) find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. At a time when homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment, the two must keep their feelings for one another a secret. After a friend is arrested and disgraced for “the unspeakable vice of the Greeks,” Clive abandons his forbidden love and marries a young woman (Phoebe Nicholls). Maurice, however, struggles with his identity and self-confidence, seeking the help of a hypnotist (Ben Kingsley) to rid himself of his undeniable urges. But while staying with Clive and his wife, Maurice is seduced by the affectionate servant Alec (Rupert Graves), an event that brings about profound changes in Maurice’s life and outlook.
Poison (1991, directed by Todd Haynes)
This groundbreaking American Indie was the most fervently debated film of the 1990s and a trailblazing landmark of queer cinema. A work of immense visual invention, Haynes’ spectacular follow-up to his legendary Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is audacious, disturbing and thrillingly cinematic. A runaway theatrical hit and Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, which made national headlines and the network news when it was attacked by right-wing minister Donald Wildmon, Poison is unsettling, unforgettable and thoroughly entertaining.
Farewell My Concubine (1992, directed by Chen Kaige)
Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) grow up enduring the harsh training of the Peking Opera Academy, where instructors regularly beat the students to instill in them the discipline needed to master the complex physical and vocal techniques of this ancient art. As the two boys mature, they develop complementary talents: Dieyi, with his fine, delicate features, assumes the female roles while Xiaolou plays masculine warlords. Their dramatic identities become real for Dieyi when he falls in love with Xiaolou, who fails to fully reciprocate his affections and marries a courtesan, Juxian (Gong Li), creating a dangerous, jealousy-filled romantic triangle.
The Living End (1992, directed by Gregg Araki)
This take-no-prisoners story of two HIV-positive lovers on the run in 90’s America is even more powerful and politically charged than ever. Nominated for a Grand Jury Prize in Dramatic Narrative at the Sundance Film Festival.
Go Fish (1994, directed by Rose Troche)
In this romantic comedy, a young woman (Guinevere Turner) sets about finding Ms. Right and discovers that some of life’s best surprises come when you least expect it.
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995, directed by Maria Maggenti)
Randy (Laurel Holloman) is a low economic class lesbian living with other lesbians including her aunt (Kate Stafford). Evie (Nicole Ari Parker) is a wealthy, popular girl with a boyfriend. When Evie befriends Randy, she begins to feel a passion for her she’s never felt before.
Bound (1996, directed by Lana Wachowski & Lily Wachowski)
There’s two million bucks in a suitcase on a desk in an apartment in Chicago. Caesar’s (Joe Pantoliano) a guy who launders money for the mob. Violet’s (Jennifer Tilly) the woman he’s been keeping the past five years. Corky’s (Gina Gershon) an ex-con who just got out of the joint. What’s the last thing that would come between a sleazy wise guy like Caesar and that money? A couple of women with brains to die for and bodies to match. Corky and Violet are about to learn what it’s like when you trust someone with your life. And Caesar? He’s about to learn a little something about women. The thing is that women bond. In a way that no man can possibly understand. It’s ancient mythic, powerful and unspoken. For Caesar, it’s all about one thing: two million bucks. For Corky and Violet, it’s about something else entirely. And in the end, it all comes down to the question: Who do you trust?
Shiva Baby (2020, directed by Emma Seligman)
A near college graduate, Danielle (Rachel Sennott), rushes to meet her neurotic parents at a shiva. Danielle’s day takes an unexpected turn when she discovers her ex-girlfriend (Molly Gordon), her sugar daddy (Danny Deferrari), his wife (Dianna Agron), and their crying baby are also in attendance. As the day unfolds, Danielle struggles to keep up different versions of herself, fend off pressures from her family and confront her insecurities without losing it.
Titane (2021, directed by Julia Ducournau)
A Cannes Film Festival sensation and Palme d’Or winner, Titane is a feverish and jaw-dropping ride from the mind of Julia Ducournau (Raw). With a titanium plate surgically fused to her skull following a car crash as a child, car model Alexia (Agathe Rousselle) embarks on a wild and ultimately unpredictable journey that questions our assumptions about family, identity and love.
Joyland (2022, directed by Saim Sadiq)
The youngest son (Ali Junejo) in a traditional Pakistani family takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque, and he quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman (Alina Khan) who runs the show.
–Joe, Adult Services & Acquisitions