Narrative Films

The films on this page are fictional or contain significant fictional elements.

To find these resources through your local library, please use the invaluable Worldcat.org and search by Title or Director or use the search box below!

Appropriate Behavior. Dir. Desiree Akhavan, 2014. 84 minutes

Hilariously and completely inappropriately, this engaging indie comedy explores the unique tribulations in the life of Shirin, a directionless Brooklynite struggling to navigate: dating as a modern bisexual woman, professional limbo, moving on and growing from a tumultuous breakup, and wrestling with how to come out as bisexual to her Persian family. Besides its wicked sense of humor, the strengths of this movie lie in its disinterest in cliché, its utterly lived-in, believable relationships between family, friends, and lovers, as well as the fresh perspective offered by the director/star on living at so many intersections of culture, ethnicity, and sexuality. Shirin is pulled in more directions than it seems she can bear but in the end, though nothing is “solved,” the viewer is left with the impression that Shirin will be able to handle what life throws at her next – she’s growing, as all queer people must, in order to survive and thrive. A must-see…for mature audiences.

Bessie. Dir. Dee Rees, 2015. 111 minutes

Veteran lesbian filmmaker Dee Rees’s excellent direction and Queen Latifah’s electrifyingly charismatic performance elevate this overdue biopic of blues legend Bessie Smith. Smith overcame strict and destitute origins to become one of bestselling musical acts of the 1920s, despite her outspokenness, the crushing racism and sexism of the time, the unabashed expression of female sexuality in her music, and her not-particularly-discreet bisexual love affairs. Though Smith’s life was often difficult and tragic, this film’s hopefulness shines through while also providing visibility to bisexual people of color, often rendered completely invisible on screen.

Brincando El Charco: Portrait of a Puerto Rican.  Dir. Frances Negron-Muntaner, 1996. 58 minutes

This stylish, poetic, boisterous film breathlessly weaves heartfelt interviews with dramatic, documentary, and avant-garde elements to explore the complexities and intersections of Puerto Rican identity. LGBT issues such as the AIDS epidemic and culturally rooted homophobia are explored at length but what sets this film apart is its deep understanding of how those issues intersect with manifestations of racism, such as colorism and cultural and linguistic snobbery. This film is far ahead of its time in its holistic portrayal of queer Puerto Ricans specifically and QPOC broadly.

Brother to Brother. Dir. Rodney Evans, 2004. 94 minutes

This moody and ambitious drama breathlessly explores a number of intersectional issues facing Black gay men historically and in the modern day. In his breakthrough performance, Anthony Mackie plays a college student struggling with homophobia from the Black community and racism from other gay men. He befriends a transient man who turns out to be Bruce Nugent, a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance. They discover the same kinds of prejudice and inequity in the early twentieth century are mirrored in the modern Black gay experience. This film’s effortless employment of interweaving flashbacks make for a uniquely insightful meditation on how some intersectional concerns are more readily renewed than resolved.

Chutney Popcorn. Dir. Nisha Ganatra, 1999. 91 minutes

In this delightful and well-observed comedy, Sarita and Reena, two sisters with a devout and pious Indian mother, navigate the struggles of not following the cultural and religious expectations of them. Sarita is a newlywed, to her mother’s great satisfaction, but discovers she is medically unable to conceive. Reena is the black sheep of the family – a family that has never come to terms with the fact that she’s a lesbian, happily living with her Caucasian girlfriend, Lisa. An unlikely solution, with unforeseen complications and turmoil, arises when Reena offers to carry Sarita and her husband’s child to term. With a keen eye for family and relationship dynamics, this funny, wise film presents a crowd-pleasing story of an Indian family marrying tradition and modern life to reinvent itself stronger than ever.

Desi’s Looking For a New Girl. Dir. Mary Guzman, 2000. 71 minutes

In this groundbreaking comedy, widely acknowledged as the first feature film in America centering on Latinx lesbians, Desi is reeling from a devastating breakup and her close-knit circle of family and friends make it their mission to help her get back on her feet again. Through charmingly rendered scenes of warm and energetic friendship, bold artistic choices like occasional animated interludes, and hilarious dating mishaps, this film draws the viewer in to its characters’ lives. This genuinely heartwarming film is a joy to watch.

Drunktown’s Finest. Dir. Sydney Freeland. 2014. 93 minutes

A rare example of an ensemble drama that gives significant screen time to its QTPOC character, this Sundance Festival hit focuses on the intersecting lives of three Navajo 20-somethings trying their best to achieve their dreams in spite of poverty, transphobia, and alienation. One of the three major plots focuses on Felixia, a Trans woman seeking to be a model. Despite some harrowing scenes, this film is ultimately an uplifting rumination on modern lives of indigenous people.

Front Cover. Dir. Ray Yeung, 2015. 87 minutes

A strong cast and disarmingly heartfelt moments propel this fast-paced comedy about Ryan, a gay fashion designer struggling with internalized racism about his Chinese heritage, so much so that he is far more comfortable around white people, despite the constant microaggressions he endures from them. He is paired with a flippant and homophobic Beijing superstar actor looking for a makeover ahead of his big Western crossover however the two bond in many surprising ways, helping them both to grow. This film offers a unique examination of characters who haven’t sought to find balance in the intersections they live in, instead only making peace with one aspect of themselves. That the profound unhappiness the results from that can be explored so well in a film so cheerful makes this a real gem.

Greetings from Africa. Dir. Cheryl Dunye, 1994. 9 minutes

A gorgeous, wryly hilarious, quietly revolutionary slice of life. Cheryl Dunye’s penchant for storytelling, which made another of her short films, Janine, so excellent, is once again on display. She becomes romantically entangled with a woman known only as L, who is endlessly intriguing, but clearly nothing but trouble. Up to this point, this was Dunye’s most polished film by far, and seeing such an early example of a film this well produced exploring a type of relationship mostly unseen before that time is quite a revelation. Her effortless interweaving of black-and-white and color, and her narrative skill are an exciting predictor of her future success with The Watermelon Woman. Watch for the cameo by young future-legend Jacqueline Woodson.

Gun Hill Road. Dir. Rashad Ernesto Green, 2011. 86 minutes

With an uncommonly empathetic tone, Gun Hill Road examines the relationship between Enrique (Esai Morales), a volatile parolee trying to navigate life outside of prison, and his daughter Vanessa, a gifted young trans woman, who Enrique, due to his long incarceration, has previously only known as his son, Michael. Enrique’s ideas of masculinity put him at odds with Vanessa (the first ever Trans Independent Spirit award nominee, Harmony Santana), often with traumatic results, but he painstakingly comes to turns with how the mistakes of his past are playing out in his familial relationships. This film strikes a delicate balance between hopeful and realistic, right up to its wrenching conclusion.

In the Family. Dir. Patrick Wang, 2011. 169 minutes

Patrick Wang’s utterly absorbing, quiet, humanist masterstroke is an essential queer film that, despite being the longest film in this canon, earns every minute of its runtime and even leaves you wishing you could spend more time with these characters. Wang himself plays Joey, a Chinese-American contractor who lives with his partner Cody and co-parents Cody’s son, Chip, from a previous marriage. They seem to have found peace and happiness as a family unit, even with Cody’s extended family, until Cody dies in an accident. Chip, whose mother died in childbirth, continues to live with Joey and they grow and recover together from this trauma, until the extended family contests custody, throwing all lives into turmoil. This uniquely astute character study examines what happens next when all parties, who clearly want the best for Chip, try to find a way to navigate to the best possible solution. Joey’s ethnicity and his sexuality are not always explicitly centered, but they are clearly undercurrents, gently affecting characters’ motivations. The subtlety and wisdom of this film are truly something to behold, all the way up to its emotional, pitch-perfect final shot. A must-see.

Janine. Dir. Cheryl Dunye, 1991. 9 minutes

Quietly, concisely and powerfully, this early film of Cheryl Dunye’s spins a riveting story of her teenage friendship with an upper-class, very different, Caucasian classmate, the titular Janine.  There’s a bittersweet tinge to her riveting monologue as Dunye takes us through her idolization and tenuous attraction to Janine. This is only to discover her positive feelings toward Janine morphing, almost curdling as Dunye begins to become more true to herself and gains a more mature understanding of her identities as an African-American woman and a lesbian woman, as well as Janine’s hopeless lack of understanding of either. The staging and editing techniques, such as a motif involving two candles and the interjection of on-screen text at a couple of key moments could come across as amateurish by a lesser filmmaker but here they breathe even more life into a fascinating anecdote of coming-of-age. Dunye’s casual skill at storytelling and the chance to witness the early seeds of a great filmmaker make this a must-see. It’s a true gem.

La Mission. Dir. Peter Bratt, 2009. 117 minutes

Benjamin Bratt stars as a tough-as-nails Che Rivera, respected in his mostly Latinx community for his strength, his mechanical know-how and his perseverance in overcoming a past that included alcoholism and time in prison. However, when he discovers his son Jes (fiercely played by Jeremy Ray Valdez) is gay, the tension between them explodes and Che realizes there are limits to what his hypermasculinity has prepared him for in life. Though one wishes Jes’s story was a little more fleshed out, this film crafts a fascinating narrative about the internal duel of love and hate and the devastation that can arise from letting hatred guide one’s actions.

Moonlight. Dir. Barry Jenkins, 2016. 111 minutes

At long last, QPOC coming-of-age stories went mainstream with this artistically-daring, barrier-smashing, Academy Award-winning drama following the sensitive and withdrawn Chiron through three difficult stages of his life. With uncommon compassion, Moonlight traces Chiron’s slow, tumultuous journey towards emotional and sexual maturity in an unforgiving and cruel world. The quality, importance, impact and aesthetic triumph of this film simply cannot be overstated. QPOC and African-American gay men especially have been invisible, peripheral, tragic, pathologized, feared, mocked and otherwise discounted for most of cinema history. This film’s beautifully sympathetic portrayal of Chiron is the largest blow yet struck against the shortchanging of QPOC lives on the big screen. This quintessential film is required viewing.

Mosquita y Mari. Dir. Aurora Guerrero, 2012. 85 minutes

One of the most endearing cinematic female friendships is at the center of this warm and empathetic coming-of-age tale. Mosquita is a driven straight-A high schooler with strict parents who hold fast to the idea that education is her ladder out of the poverty that has devastated their mostly Latinx community. When hard-edged Mari joins the school, they feel an unexpected magnetism for each other. The film wisely does not apply too many labels to the protagonists’ romantic friendship, but the two young women learn a great deal about themselves and each other as this beautifully shot exploration of young attraction unfolds.

Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom. Dir. Patrik Ian-Polk, 2008. 101 minutes

Patrik Ian-Polk has long been an expert at incorporating serious and important issues into wildly farcical situational comedy. In this much-anticipated follow-up film to his groundbreaking QPOC-focused television show, Noah’s Arc, he crafts a hilarious soap opera that could easily be dismissed if one focuses too hard on the absurdist humor, risible plot twists, catty friendships, petty betrayals and umpteen examples of men having badly. What makes this film important is how Polk is able to use these situations to springboard into serious conversations about crucial issues facing Queer people of color. These conversations ran the gamut from the HIV crisis, to domestic violence in queer relationships, to commitment, to coming out, to the perils of promiscuity, to varying generational attitudes towards relationships to, importantly, how to give the kind of love that hasn’t necessarily been modeled for our communities. This film is easy to dismiss as little more than a piece of entertainment, but it’s truly impressive just how much this film has to say.

Pariah. Dir. Dee Rees, 2011. 86 minutes

Adepero Oduye commands the screen as 17-year-old Alike, a burgeoning young poet whose gender non-conformity alarms her devoutly religious mother (a career-best performance by Kim Wayans), causing family tension, as her father is far more permissive and supportive. Alike has increasingly begun embracing and living her identity as a more butch lesbian, but isn’t quite ready to come out. This film’s authenticity, lived-in characters and relationships, and powerfully poetic artistry (highly characteristic of veteran lesbian filmmaker Dee Rees) make it one of the most impactful QTPOC narrative films ever released. Consider it essential viewing.

Saturday Church. Dir. Damon Cardasis, 2018. 83 minutes

This disarming coming-of-age story follows the tumultuous story of the aptly-named Ulysses, a queer Black teenager, bullied by his classmates and by his strict, religious aunt who comes to live with him after the death of his father. During this traumatic time, he finds refuge in a group of gay, trans, and drag queen friends, who initiate him into the world of the ballroom circuit. This film’s fusion of music and narrative storytelling results in some of the most heartwarming and exhilarating shots in recent queer cinema.

Saving Face. Dir. Alice Wu, 2004. 97 minutes

The romantic farce is a very difficult subgenre to execute well, but Alice Wu’s beloved comedy manages to knock it out of the park. Wilhelmina “Wil” Pang, a skilled Chinese-American surgeon but closeted lesbian, is constantly pressured by her more traditional mother to settle down with a man. Wil has grown used to living with this pressure, but her life is turned upside down when, in quick succession, she is charmed and romanced by gorgeous dancer Vivian (Lynn Chen) and her mother scandalizes her community by becoming pregnant out of wedlock at age 48. Despite the madcap hijinks that follow, this film succeeds in its clever and lived-in depictions of a close-knit Chinese-American community (indeed, at least half of the dialogue is in Mandarin) and the infectiously warm romance at its center.

The Skinny. Dir. Patrik-Ian Polk, 2012. 99 minutes

Patrik Ian-Polk’s wild, raunchy, explicit dramedy shines a light on modern concerns facing queer Black people, mostly men, such as exploitation, the thrills and perils of promiscuity, the vital importance of friendship, and the continuing, insidious specter of HIV/AIDS in the community. Continuing the unflinching, camaraderie-focused legacy of Polk’s legendary TV show Noah’s ARC, this presentation quickly initiates us into a group of hilarious friends who reunite a year after college for NYC Pride Weekend. Revelations and grudges, however, cause their rapport to fray over the course of the trip. This film is a wild ride that successfully walks the tightrope: bawdy but not repellant, surprisingly educational but not didactic, fun but never frivolous. Recommended for mature audiences.

Spa Night. Dir. Andrew Ahn, 2016. 96 minutes

Andrew Ahn’s contemplative, melancholy, and sensually shot drama focuses on a Korean immigrant family struggling to survive the broken promises of the “American Dream.” David, the son, is fiercely loyal to his parents, but seems overcome by both isolation and fear. His parents gave up everything to migrate to America so David could attend a good college, get married, and have children, but David is mortified to tell them that not only does college seem unattractive, but he’s been acknowledging his attraction to other men more and more consciously. When the family’s business fails, David gets a job at the local spa, which is a cultural hub of sorts but also, as he discovers, a cruising spot for the men who frequent it. What sets Spa Night apart from other LGBT coming-of-age stories is that the focus is on the internal rather than actions. Ahn wisely trusts the viewer to read between the lines, rather than overtly stating the cascading emotions of sorrow, longing, alienation, disappointment, and regret. Even when events climax, the understatement of the moment is more powerful than anything more overt could ever be. This understated, mature film is gloomier than many other narrative films on this list, but it’s one of the truest and most enriching.

Speak Easy, B. Dir. Becca Park, 2018. 15 minutes

Becca Park’s surreal, lush, and funny short film examines themes of depression, abandonment, and cultural alienation. Becca Park herself plays the title character, attempting to find a way to explain the complexity of these feelings to a white therapist who may not be equipped to understand. We follow her on a metaphorical journey to vast deserts, kitschy diners, and a hilarious interaction with her own inner child. Rarely has a film packed so many complex ideas surrounding intersectional identities into such a short and aesthetically daring film.

Tangerine. Dir. Sean Baker, 2016. 88 minutes

Sean Baker’s essential, game-changing dark comedy follows the tumultuous but intensely close friendship of two Black transwomen surviving by operating in the often dangerous world of sex work in Los Angeles. Famously shot and edited with an iPhone, this original, frenetic, and stylishly intoxicating film centers transwomen of color in ways rarely before seen in narrative film. In addition to the quick-paced, bawdy humor and occasional heart-stopping tension, this film’s quiet moments of grace and true friendship sneak up on the viewer, creating a truly profound experience. This comes with the highest of recommendations.

The Watermelon Woman. Dir. Cheryl Dunye, 1997. 90 minutes

Writer/director Cheryl Dunye changed the entire landscape of queer cinema with this monumentally influential and uproarious comedy about an aspiring Black documentarian (played by Dunye herself) who seeks to make a film about an elusive Black, lesbian actress from Hollywood’s Golden Age. The film uses that actress, dubbed “the watermelon woman” as a jumping off point to discuss Hollywood’s paradoxical obsessions with both fetishizing Black people and erasing them from view. Along the way, Dunye sharply skewers open-minded but feckless white “allies,” the idiosyncrasies of Black lesbian communities, the chaotic research process, and the craft of filmmaking itself. This film, the first feature directed by an out Black lesbian, is essential viewing – a prerequisite for any deep understanding of the history of queer filmmakers of color.

The Wedding Banquet. Dir. Ang Lee, 1993. 107 minutes

Ang Lee’s groundbreaking classic is half farce, half touching family character study. The Wedding Banquet tells the story of Wai-Tung, a Taiwanese immigrant, whose parents constantly pressure him to find a wife and settle down. Unbeknownst to them, Wai-Tung is both gay and in a happy, long-term relationship with Simon, a Caucasian man. They hatch a plan to get Wai-Tung’s parents’ off his back by entering into a sham marriage with one of his poorer tenants, which backfires in routinely hilarious ways. This film explores both the gay immigrant experience in America and how intersectional issues of culture, generational differences, and family expectations can disrupt QPOC’s lives by pulling them in far too many directions at once, while also providing well-earned hope that the experiences and expectations can be reconciled. This film might seem jarringly dated at times to younger viewers (obviously, marriage equality was 20 years away and the scene where a character receives a first-generation cell phone as a gift is unintentionally hilarious in modern times), but this film was and is an astonishing achievement and a surprisingly mainstream critical and commercial success, proving that there was an audience for stories like this. P.S. - The long scene of the titular wedding banquet is one of the most joyously entertaining celebrations ever captured on film.