Stille landskap (2003) Online

One of the great things about a film festival is finding treasures that you would otherwise never get to see. At the Pink Filmdays in Amsterdam I was very pleased to find this unpretentious short that explored an important issue without compromising its visual style (the snowy landscapes were particularly evocative) or getting bogged down in a heavy script.

For a teenager it's no easier coming to terms with your homosexuality now than it was when films first started dealing with this issue 20-30 years ago. And for those in rural communities or from religious, conservative or ethnic (sic) backgrounds it is doubly difficult.

The final images of the film show the central character on his own entering a new chapter of his life, but there is no hint that this will be an easy road to take. Simply that he has no choice. His story does not end with the end of the film.

I'd like to see more films deal with the problem of growing up gay in a Muslim community.