Thursday, December 6, 2018

OUT on DVD/VOD: A Moment in the Reeds

 

The feature debut of Finnish writer/director Mikko Makela is a moving gay romance between a young Finnish academic and a struggling Syrian refugee,set against an idyllic Finnish summer. Filled with nuanced and sexually charged performances from the film's two openly gay leads, Finnish theatre actorJanne Puustinen, and openly gay Syrian actor Boodi Kabbani (who fled Syria and eventually settled in Finland, where he is based - he is one of the very few openly gay Syrian actors in the world), A Moment in the Reeds is a potent, inherently political, and remarkably mature exploration of an LGBT immigrant refugee's experience in today's world.

One of the first LGBT-themed films made in Finland, Makela's intimate drama places at its center the freedom and acceptance of sexual and ethnic minorities, amidst the backdrop of breathtaking Finnish lake country.

Indiewire called it "one of the best queer international films of 2018," and Edge said the film is "a fresh new voice in queer cinema...pitch perfect performances." Film Inquiry wrote "one of the most moving gay romances of recent years...full of sexually charged, intimate moments."

After world premiering at the 2017 London Film Festival and a year of critical success on the worldwide festival circuit, the film was nominated for The Discovery Award at the British Independent Film Awards. It also opened theatrically to critical acclaim in Finland this past summer. A Moment in the Reeds will now be available for all U.S. and Canadian audiences.