Seashore (2015)

I don't like that there is separate designation for LGTB cinema. I think designating any film that way instantly diminishes the audience. Think about it if you designate a film that way some people won't watch it because they are afraid of what they are going to see.  Yes the film is going to have gay characters in it, but if a film is done right it will transcend sexual orientation and become something that resonates with everyone. Pretty much all of the best LGBT films I've ever seen told a universal story with gay characters. Whether the film worked or didn't was purely a matter of the characters. If I was moved it was because the characters were real and human  and not gay or straight.

The reason I'm saying this is because about twenty minutes into SEASHORE I was struck by the realization that the fact that it's being focused on as  LGTB film in other coverage at other outlets is going to keep a good many people away from a really good coming of age film.

The plot of the film has two old teenage friends reconnecting in a seaside town in Brazil. As they go through the paces of teen life the hang out with friends, get close to some girls and eventually come to the realization that their interest lies in each other.

This is a really good film. This is a film that feels real, Watching some of the scenes play out I could relate to times when I was young and foolish. The emotion and the situations really aren't "gay" but universal.  The fact that the directors and the actors worked together for seven months to create characters and situations paid off in spades. What we see on the screen is real life (or what passes for it in the movies these days.)

This is a wonderful little film that would have worked if you tweaked it and made it two women or heterosexual  or even two poodles. this is just a really good, very real coming of age story. Its a film that will speak to audiences beyond the gay one.

When I started Unseen Films some five and a half years ago the mission was to try and give a shout out to films that are over looked or in the danger of  getting lost. I wanted  to get these films to a wider audience however I could.  SEASHORE is going to be in danger of getting lost. To be certain the film will find a place in the hearts of those in the LGBT community, but this is a film that should live outside of that. This is a gem of the film that will speak to people or all orientations and is something that you really should see because it's a damn good film. I won't swear that you'll love it but I really do think you'll like it.

Do yourself a favor and make an effort to see it.

SEASHORE hits DVD and VOD August 4th