Queer flick with extra Dik

Queer flick with extra Dik

Writer and director Christopher Stollery’s queer-themed short film Dik has been an overseas success this year, winning awards at film festivals in Palm Springs and Aspen.

Dik fights it out on home turf next week, with a nomination for Best Short Film at the Jameson IF Awards, to be held in Sydney on November 16.

The deceptively simple 10-minute short tells the story of a married couple’s different reactions to the news that their young son seems to be expressing same-sex attraction. Six-year-old Andrew’s possible burgeoning homosexuality forces his parents to own up to their own past same-sex liaisons, with explosive — and hilarious — results.

“There’s almost a mandatory phase of same-sex experimentation amongst women these days, and no one thinks anything of it,” Stollery told the Star Observer.

“If a guy were to do that, both straight and gay women assume the guy has to be gay. To be honest, I found myself agreeing — it’s an interesting double standard, and one that people aren’t necessarily prepared to face.”

Beneath the sharp humour, the film’s underlying message seems to be that we should relax the rules on what constitutes ‘gay’ and ‘straight’ — that one youthful same-sex dalliance does not a homosexual make.

“Absolutely. Life is messy, and people need to figure out what works for them. As soon as you reach for a rule book to figure out what to do, you’re in trouble.

“There is definitely a message in there that we should relax about these sorts of issues.”

PICTURED: Stollery (at left) with producer Sunny Grace.

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