A Queer Review of the Austin Film Festival (2023)
Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.

A second-hand bookstore in the outskirts of Lisbon is overcrowded from floor to ceiling with books of all kinds. In addition to precious rarities, less relevant books, a few remnants of torn papers and old random magazines. José Ribeiro is a 76-year-old bookseller facing the impossibility of organizing his shop. And now he battles between preservation of memory and excessive accumulation.
Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.
The most impressive aspect of this film is the honest and natural performances given by the on-screen duo.
21 Bridges isn’t going to revolutionize action cinema. However, its action components are respectable. Every act is visibly clear, and as time moves forward, the film changes its conflictual rhythm.
A surprise sequel takes place ten years after the original movie based on the title of the same name, but with a twist to the fairy tale.
Marvin Gaye's powerful music addresses the same themes as "Da 5 Bloods" and elevates the film to even greater heights.
The film's storylines read as allegories for the queer experience and that's a source of solace for LGBTQIA+ fans!