Mar 10
2024 SXSW Dispatch: The Festival Starts Strong by Celebrating International Women's Day
Matthew Creith READ TIME: 4 MIN.
South by Southwest returns to Austin, Texas this year with a variety of queer offerings added to its impressive lineup of independent cinematic achievements and studio productions. Though the day's big draw came from the Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor muscle-bound extravaganza "Road House," there were plenty of other options for those not looking to fight the growing festival crowds. From international flicks to U.S.-based projects looking for distribution, SXSW embodies the spirit of thought-provoking content.
This year, the lineup includes several festival favorites, including the highly anticipated Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt-led "The Fall Guy." But for those interested in more niche moviegoing experiences, the festival provides top-notch panels, conversations with well-known industry leaders, and world premieres of directorial debuts from unknown helmers. The first day of SXSW flew by quickly, and I hit the ground running with some beautiful films.
The day began with the International Premiere of "Backspot," a Canadian drama from director D.W. Waterson, in the non-binary director's feature directorial debut. The film stars queer actor Devery Jacobs ("Reservation Dogs") as professional cheerleader Riley, a determined and anxious individual looking to score a spot on the competitive Thunderhawks team. She encounters stiff competition from her girlfriend and other cheerleaders looking to keep their place on the renowned squad under the tutelage of the hard knocks coach, Elien McNamara (Evan Rachel Wood).
Aided by a supporting cast that includes Noa DiBerto, Shannyn Sossamon, and Kudakwashe Rutendo, "Backspot" transports the audience to the roles queer people play in sports while commenting on mental health along the way. Riley has a condition called trichotillomania, which manifests in her pulling hair from her eyebrows and eyelashes as a way to control the anxiety she displays on and off the mat. The pressure of the job and the intensity with which Riley wants to do well combine to produce disastrous results for the young phenom.
"Backspot" is a dramatic turn for Devery Jacobs and a welcome surprise for Evan Rachel Wood, who plays the mentor role in this film quite fiercely. At one point, she tells Riley, "I am not your mother," though she's a guiding light for the cheerleader both in queerness and in life. It's a fascinating dynamic worth exploring, and Waterson does a fine job presenting the obstacles on the screen.
It's a triumph for LGBTQ+ characters and women on film, adding to the intensity felt on International Women's Day.
The day concluded with the world premiere of Marco Calvani's "High Tide," starring an ensemble cast including Marco Pigossi, James Bland, Marisa Tomei, and Bill Irwin. (Click here for EDGE's interview with Calvani, Pigossi and Bland.) Set against the backdrop of Provincetown, we find Brazilian immigrant Lourenço (Pigossi) heartbroken after his boyfriend seemingly dumped him during their travels. Stuck in one of the gayest towns on Earth, Lourenço lies to his conservative family back in Brazil about what he's doing for a living, what his sexuality is, and what his next steps are going to be.
The problem at hand is that handsome Lourenço doesn't know what's next for him. Living with a kind widower (Irwin) for the summer while cleaning rooms in a nearby hotel, he struggles to find a business willing to extend a work visa for him to stay, as winter is quickly approaching and tourists will soon be gone. Deep in depression and waiting for his long-lost love to possibly come and rescue him from the gorgeous East Coast beaches, Lourenço meets 36-year-old Maurice (Bland), who takes the young Brazilian under his wing while Maurice and his friends visit Provincetown for a week.
"High Tide" is a coming-of-age story for adults in their 30s looking for guidance on what to do next. Lourenço and Maurice's relationship evolves from immediate friends to something beautiful... not necessarily romantic at first, but deeply personal and thought-provoking as the two men share war stories about their childhoods, religion, being gay in the modern world, and the current state of affairs. Loneliness takes many shapes, but connection is powerful in this LGBTQ+ drama.
But what happens when Maurice eventually leaves, and their days of nude ocean swimming come to an end?
The film is a sexy reminder that even when we believe our circumstances can't improve, someone can always come along to change our perspective on what we value and hold close to our hearts. Pigossi and Bland's chemistry is worth the watch, while Calvani's direction provides enough ocean views and personality to keep the story flowing in a new and interesting direction. Maurice's kindness, and the rebound nature of their relationship, is precisely what Lourenço needs during a time of great transition. Still, while their new relationship can't fix all of Lourenço's monumental problems, it encapsulates a nice escape for the two.
