Review: WINK

Abel Rubinstein's short film is a joyful revenge on the 'straightening' of queer safe spaces.

Review: WINK

As the scene fades into view, a piano plays gently as Louis Romanus’ narration saunters in as if it were the Divine David about to get David Attenborough booted off his Planet Earth gig. The setting is a queer pub, its inhabitants downright despondent. Whatever could be ailing them so?

Abel Rubinstein’s short film WINK depicts queer punks reclaiming their local pub from a new influx of straight patrons. It feels like a joyful revenge on the cishet invasion or ‘straightening’ of queer safe spaces, seeming to come from a heartfelt appreciation for these spaces and the safety and affirmation they provide, whilst remaining justifiably antagonistic and snotty to those who disturb their (metaphorical) calm. There is an element of fantasy to WINK, conflicts are resolved and removed almost effortlessly and visually it is saturated and shimmery, a shiny queer power utopia.

I’m loath to criticize something that feels so, well, nice but if I had to find fault it would be just that. It feels a little too nice, a little too clean, both Aziza Kadyri’s costume design and Daniella Rose’s makeup feel more glossy fashion editorial than real-life scuzzy punk but then… could that be missing the point entirely? Do we necessarily want queer art to feel like real life? Perhaps not... This film, like much of queer art, feels idealistic and aspirational, an escapism from the dreary straight world (and isn’t that half the point of queer safe spaces?) and an escapism from the violence of that straight world (the other half of the point). Realistically what crowd of rowdy straight men would politely, albeit disgruntledly, exit a pub at the mere sight of a band called Pxssy Liquor? But in this version of the world, they do. WINK is a playful and optimistic re-imagining of straight-queer confrontation, and it makes sense that it should visually fit this level of idealism and fantasy.

WINK is available to watch at: https://vimeo.com/415510366/27c3c33408

Header Image Credit: Abel Rubinstein

Author

Dulcie Geist

Dulcie Geist Kickstart

Dulcie Geist is a Fine Art graduate, originally from Cardiff, now residing in Glasgow. They love Welsh culture, queer culture, pop culture, and lack of culture. They have a passion for the arts and an even deeper passion for anything that makes the arts more accessible (and frankly, more fun).

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