by laura
Fabrizio Filippo (“Fab”) is something more than an ordinary actor. Born in Toronto in 1973, he became famous not only in Canada, but well-known in the United States and around the world, primarily for his roles as Ethan Gold in “Queer as Folk” or Scott Hope in “Buffy”.
Please tell us something about your experience with Sophia Loren and the making of the movie La Terra del Ritorno.
This movie was a dream for me to do. At first no one wanted me for the role, including Ms. Loren. I had to prove myself. And even after I got the part I felt like I had to prove myself over and over each day at work. The most memorable moment came after a particularly emotional scene with Sophia after which she looked at me and said, “Bravo.” I felt like I would die.
Many people know you as the Queer as Folk character Ethan Gold. What was it like for you to work in an unconventional TV series that had, and still has, such a big impact on people’s lives?
I was excited to do Queer as Folk because it brought the life of gay men and women into the mainstream in a way that nothing had up to that point. It was significant in making it okay to tell gay stories. I am always grateful when a Queer as Folk fan comes up to me and tells me how much that show affected them.
You also played a part in the Action TV series. As a comedy series, it was probably a big change for you after playing in Queer as Folk, wasn’t it?
Action was the first time I was able to do comedy with the kind of edge that I always wanted. It helped me find my voice as a comedic actor, and the things I learned on that show will be with me forever.
You are a writer, a director and an actor. Is there any one of these roles that you like the most?
I haven’t directed a feature yet so I don’t think I can really answer that. And things change all the time. There was a period where I couldn’t stand sitting still in front of a word processor, writing a script. Now I love to be inside my head all day long with my characters. I don’t think I’ll ever not want to act, but the older I get the better it feels to be behind the camera.
Another big love for you is the theatre. White/Noise/Jump ran in NYC and you won an award for it: Best Comedy. What kind of things inspire you?
The reason I write is because I learn when I do it. I learn more writing than through any of the other disciplines.
You made this short movie The Human Kazoo: the story of a writer that recollects the life and death stories of his family. I really loved it. It’s like a dream, there is this surreal atmosphere that pushes me to watching it over and over again. Why did you choose this title and what do you like about short movies? Will you do others?
The Human Kazoo came from the idea that this man was “played” by anyone and everyone in his life. I never meant that movie to be a complete narrative but I did think there was something pretty clear to hold onto. In some ways I am very proud of that movie. But so few people understand it that, in some ways, I feel it is a failure. I think I will do more shorts when the opportunity arises.
Ok, ok probably you are sick of my questions so I’ll leave you with my fav question: If you could make a wish, a big wish, what would it be?
What else is there to wish for but peace, love and understanding?
Sometimes sitting around at a venue waiting for an interview can be really annoying. Sometimes, when you’re at the right venue, getting to listen to the sound check is really the best way to get in the mood for an interview. And if the person you are interviewing is as nice as Kaia Wilson there is hardly anything that can go wrong. Kaia Wilson, a former member of Team Dresch and The Butchies came to play some solo shows in Germany this July while she was on her way to the Gay Games in Cologne. We were lucky enough to meet her before her show at Westgermany where she was playing with her old friends Scream Club.
Continue reading Interview with Kaia Wilson
It’s a summer evening in shimmery hot Berlin. People are spending their time at lakes, parks or in front of bars with a cold beer. Only a few will find their way to Privatclub, a small venue in a basement in Kreuzberg, although there’s a very good reason to go there: Perfume Genius, aka Mike Hadreas is playing a gig in Berlin for the first time ever, shortly after the release of his debut album Learning. This evening is going to be the only chance to see him perform live in Germany; tomorrow he will be playing in London before he travels back home. The tickets have already sold out, which is unsurprising, as NME recently gave his album nine out of ten points.
Continue reading Review: Perfume Genius Concert
VS:Jamie Stewart has been making music for over 14 years. Eight years ago he started his band Xiu Xiu. Following the change in line-up, the band has put out an album that is more pop than any of the previous ones, but their sensitivity and haggardness remains the same.
Before recording the new album you had a change of band members. Caralee left and Angela joined the band. How did this change influence the new album?
JS: A lot. Angela is a technically excellent player and also an incredibly aggressive player and we were able to do a lot of things on piano especially, that we weren’t able to do before. We also get along, and Caralee and I never got along, so that was a lot easier. Also, Angela is coming from a totally different set of influences than me, which I appreciate. She has a pretty wide knowledge of top 40 and pop music, but she has very high standards for that, which I like, but listen to very casually. If there is a high level of top 40 and pop music, then she is really able to fish it out.
Continue reading Interview with Jamie Stewart
by zoé
Judith Bulter is one of the most famous modern feminists. Her book „Gender trouble“ offered a completely new way of understanding gender issues. Butlers theory of deconstructing gender categories was fundamental for the formation of the queer theory.
In the last years Butler focused more on a political theory about violence and war. On june 18th she made a speech on queer alliances and antimilitarism at the Berliner Volksbühne in order to receive the prize for civil engagement of the csd. She resented that prize the next day arguing that the csd was too commercial and racist because it would locate
Continue reading Interview with Judith Butler
Jamming unlooked-for venues with hundreds of people, week upon week, the rhythms of Homo Hop are loud and strong in Toronto, Canada. One of the city’s hottest groups, Yes Yes Y’all (or YYY for short), is barely two years old and has already grown a wide and diverse following. Featuring members Sammy D, Hollyrock, Elle Nino, Stunts, and J-ill, this group enthrals crowds with old school hip hop revivals, baile funk, and dancehall.
The performances that Yes Yes Y’all put on provide a queer-positive and straight-inclusive space, meshing together members from different cliques and musical tastes through their fierce vibes. Soaked in sweat, my friends and I emerged from a Yes Yes Y’all show a month ago, flooded with memories of one hell of a good time. I decided then to interview this group and do what I could to get them some (much-deserved) praise.
YYY often performs in venues outside of the Toronto’s “Gay Village”. Metaphorically, this reflects the unique identity that your group holds within Queer culture. Is this done on purpose?
It’s definitely not easy to find a venue in Toronto on a weekend that can accommodate our numbers. Initially we wanted to find a space that was centrally located. Close enough to the village but not too far east of the Queen Street West crowd. We thought it would be rad to be able to bring both scenes together in one space and feel comfortable in a spot that wasn’t too far east or too far west.
Continue reading They’re Yes Yes Y’all and They Don’t Stop!
He’s one of the most talented and talked-about photographers in the world. Still, he is both loved and hated. Who is this ‘he’? It’s Terry Richardson, the creator of the so-called “underage retro porn aesthetic”.
Richardson was born in New York on August 14th 1965 where he grew up before leaving for San Francisco with his father, the well-known fashion photographer Bob Richardson; his mother is the model Norma Kessler. He came back to NY in order to launch his own career in photography and, in the years that followed, spent years bouncing around two mains scenes: the world of fashion and the skater scene. In the mid-90’s the popular fashion and style magazines Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar as well as other fashion editors got interested in his work, which is why he took up three main fields that he is equally dedicated to: editorial spreads, art projects and advertising campaigns.
Continue reading “Most people, when they meet me, think I’m English and gay”
by sarah
The following is a review of Get Happy and Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride, both of which screened at the 12th annual Fairy Tales International Film Festival in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Fairy Tales started out as an underling of Calgary Independent Filmmakers in 1999, eventually growing into the Fairy Tales Presentation Society in 2004. Though the film festival may be the most popular, Fairy Tales is also home to Reels On Wheels, an initiative that promotes queer film visibility and LGBT understanding by screening a plethora of queer films to organizations across Calgary. These days, Fairy Tales is celebrating
Continue reading Review: Fairy Tales International Film Festival
Lesbians on Ecstasy came into existence at a party many years ago when the would-be members had the idea of turning lesbian folk tunes into dance. The band’s first and self-titled album was published on Alien8 Recordings in 2004, followed by a remix album in 2005 and their last record “We Know You Know” in 2007. Now, two years after their last European tour, they decided to tour again with two new members, Annagram and Both Hands, and I got the chance to meet them for an interview before their show in Berlin on the 15th of May 2010.
How important was music for you when you were growing up?
Bernie Bankrupt: Well, we were just talking about that in the van, maybe more about music videos… But for me and Fruity Frankie and Veronique Mystique, there was this one video show, that was the first show that played music videos and repeated them on an eight hour cycle, and so we would time what time the video was on that we liked, and then if we forgot to record it we would wake up in the middle of the night and go and record it again, so we would have it on cassette. So we were very committed. Very important.
Continue reading Interview with Lesbians on Ecstasy
Queer Again? Power, Politics and Ethics
23.-25. September 2010
International Conference of the Department of English and American Studies and the Research Training Group “Gender as a Category of Knowledge”
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
The concept of queer is volatile and, at times, difficult to grasp. As a result, we need a continuous review of the fields and directions of Queer Studies (as for instance, in the Social Text issue of 2005 with the programmatic title What’s Queer About Queer Studies Now?). In recent debates the ethical impetus of queer criticism has been confronted and challenged by the dominance of the so-called antisocial thesis. In his
Continue reading International Conference “Queer Again? Power, Politics and Ethics” 23.-25. September 2010
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