Happy BirthGay

Description

Official Selections
Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival

Trailer

Synopsis

Ronit plans an extravagant surprise party for her son Nadav to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his coming out, but her efforts are met with resistance as Nadav grapples with his own internal struggles. ‘Happy BirthGay’ unfolds as a poignant yet darkly comedic exploration of a mother’s journey to acceptance, revealing that the true closet may lie within her own heart.

Director

Niv Manzur

“Happy BirthGay” is the product of my exploration of the relationship dynamics within my family. It highlights the mother’s closet rather than her son’s. Through the eccentric main character of the mom, the short film examines the inner world of gay people’s parents, a less common perspective seen in films. The setting is in our time and culture, where accepting homosexuality is considered a consensus among the majority. Nevertheless, the path to authentic acceptance is yet to be far from many families, liberal as they may be. The over-the-top BirthGay party provides an amusing viewpoint of the complex issues that the film deals with. I was amused to introduce the mom who exaggerates in her effort, the grandma who nothing really should be hidden from her, and the son who is embarrassed by the “acceptance” he doesn’t actually need. The message they bring is, of course, that homosexuality is not supposed to be a big deal. The farce intensifies in light of the colorful frames, the dramatic camera movements, and the horror music, which contrasts the celebration while simultaneously representing the horror that each of the characters experiences. On a deeper level, the film deals with intergenerational dynamics within families, both in perceptions of gender and sexual orientation and in interpersonal relations. It also deals with the burden of family secrets that are energy-consuming and often passed down through generations. Creating this film has been an exceptional, teaching, and moving experience for me. I hope it will touch your hearts and be found worthy to screen at your festival.