According to Filmmaking Lifestyle, New Queer Cinema is a movement that began to gain traction in the 1990s and was developed by the writing of B. Ruby Rich in the early 1990s. Rich linked the movement to filmmakers whom she considered falling under this umbrella, including Todd Haynes and Cheryl Dunye, who are unified by the ways in which they presented a queer narrative as central and explicit in the films they were creating.

One of the difficulties with the movement is defining exactly where it begins and when it ends, as the influences of New Queer Cinema can still be felt, from as early as LGBTQ+ movies in the 2000s to even ones in the 2010s and today. This article will consider key films associated with the movement in its prime period, as well as more modern examples where the influence of New Queer Cinema can be identified.

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7 Brokeback Mountain

     River Road Entertainment

Brokeback Mountain was released in 2005 and directed by Oscar-winner Ang Lee. The story is set in 1963 and tells the tragic love story of Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger). One night on the mountains, they realize they have romantic feelings for each other, which continues over the course of 20 years even though their lives go in separate heteronormative directions, with both marrying women they have known throughout their lives. The film isn’t typically associated with New Queer Cinema, but the influence of the genre and parallels with how it originated are evident.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

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6 Blue is the Warmest Color

     Wild Bunch

Blue is the Warmest Color is a French film that was released in 2013 that tells the story of a teenager named Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) who begins a very deep, emotional, and sexual connection with older art student Emma (Léa Seydoux), whom she met at a lesbian bar. The film was a huge success and was highly awarded, and it’s easy to see how this could be considered as an example of modern New Queer Cinema.

5 Blue

     Basilisk Communications Ltd

Derek Jarman is one of the most influential directors associated with New Queer Cinema, and his final film Blue, released in 1994, has been regarded as a masterpiece. The film is a metaphor for his own personal experiences with AIDS, one of which included only being able to see in shades of blue. The film explores different shades of blue in relation to the emotions he felt throughout his illness in a poetic way.

4 Poison

     Killer Films

Todd Haynes is another name who is associated with New Queer Cinema, and 1991’s Poison is a Sci-Fi film that features elements of horror. A cult classic, the movie is a postmodern commentary on the human condition, exploring sexuality and heteronormativity through an artistic lens, where unapologetic queerness is the greatest weapon to disrupt the norm.

3 Totally Fucked Up

     Strand Releasing

Gregg Araki is famous for the Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy, which follows four teenage boys, a lesbian couple, and the daily struggles they face existing in a heteronormative society. The first addition to the trilogy is 1993’s Totally Fucked up. This film is the first to explore the awkwardness of youth, especially when being queer is a factor in said youth.

2 The Watermelon Woman

     First Run Features

The Watermelon Woman was released in 1996 and was directed by Cheryl Dunye. The film is undoubtedly one of the most influential films associated with New Queer Cinema. It won the Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival and has now been archived by the Museum of Modern Art. The film was influential for being the first feature-length film to depict the experience of Black lesbians and was directed by a member of the Black community.

1 Paris is Burning

     Off-White Productions

Paris is Burning is one of the most famous entries on the list and was directed by Jennie Livingston, with a release in 1990. The film offers insight into New York’s ball culture during that time, telling stories of members of the LGBTQ+ community, who were marginalized for their range of gender and sexual identities, and detailing the daily struggles they experienced. The film has continued to be culturally significant and is a must-watch for everyone.