›› Ladyboy ‹‹ a short film by Aske Bang. 2011 | 30 mins | Denmark. the close bond between a gay transvestite and his devoted mother. Dave says: There's something quite endearing about this short film from writer and director Aske Bang. It tells the story of the close bond between gay transvestite Kristian / Kristine, as wonderfully played by Casper Castello and his devoted mother Emma (Birthe Neumann); namely a woman so proud of her son that she does not hesitate in taking him along to her weekly bingo night for all the world to see, in his glammed up beauty. No surprise really given the two share a special friendship, being there for each other in times of need, with Kristian feeling as safe at home, as on stage in the drag styled show where he / she works as the lead singer in the house band. Yet all that is set to change when Emma falls for the charming but alcoholic Søren (Peter Aude); a man rooted in prejudice, that is when he's not letting his fists do the talking. Soon to be found making himself at home with little space left for a cross-dressing son, Kristian's world has not only been turned upside down, but has been left in ruins following a vicious homophobic attack in the park. Turning to his close friend Rodney (Stanislav Sevcik) for solace, what Kristian seeks is a way to somehow return life to the way it was. Yet what he's about to discover is something far more meaningful. Intercut with a series of songs, many from the pen of Castello, that play like a medley of Eurovision hits, this compelling short frankly has a lot going for it. In particular, it does not shy away from depicting the sexual side of Kristian's life, one that revolves around anonymous hook-ups, with Kristian having seemingly given up on ever finding love. Yet such is the way that the story is told, you know that love lies just around the corner. And whilst that's indicative of a predictable narrative, it's equally reflective of a tale that's guaranteed to please, along the way being totally realistic without ever being melodramatic. That the show belongs to Casper Castello goes without saying and yet check out the fine support found in the touching work from Birthe Neumann, as a mother overflowing with unconditional love. Simply heart-warming. ›› available as part of the NEW QUEER VISIONS shorts compilation - THE DANISH BOYS. ›› posted: Friday, 13th November, 2020. Gay Visibility - overt.  Nudity - from the waist up.  Overall - file under ... 4 stars.  donations are the lifeblood of Gay Celluloid; every drop helps keep it online - thank you :) Copyright 2020 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #2020035 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹