Revenge of the
art fags!

Divers/Cité 2005 offers a broad range of cultural events

by MATTHEW HAYS

Come again? The feds have stated they're cutting funding to Divers/Cité due to the festival's lack of artistic content?

Not only are they docking us grants we deserve - especially considering the economic benefits of the Divers/Cité festival - they've struck us with the ultimate insult. Uncultured homosexuals? Now you go too far!

A quick look at the line-up for this year's Divers/Cité reveals that indeed, organizers have gone out of their way to pump up the cultural volume: among the parties there are plenty of vernissages, screenings, art shows and musical concerts. Here are some highlights.

First up is an excellent selection of movies made by local filmmakers. Included are Atif Siddiqi's intriguing documentary examination of the single life, Solo, as well as Laurent Gagliardi's doc on queerdom, Quand l'amour est gai. Jean François Monette and Peter Tyler Boullata's Anatomy of Desire, an analysis of scientific theories surrounding sexual orientation and biology, will also screen, as will Jose Torrealba's Secrets de polichinelle. Hats off to Divers/Cité programmers for showing off Montreal's queer film talent. The films all screen on July 26, beginning at 4 p.m. at the NFB Cinema (1564 St-Denis).

Also on July 26, Montreal artists mika, Andreanne Hatin and Jean-Marc St-Yves will unleash their wild Songspiel Cabaret Electronique, a bizarre song and dance performance that fuses the styles of Andy Warhol, Klaus Nomi and Kurt Weill. The creative team behind this zany show promise to push the limits of their medium to the edge. At the Casino de Montreal at 8 p.m.

Those who can't get enough of looking at actor Gael Garcia Bernal (and really - who can?) may want to attend the outdoor screening of one of the very best films of the year, Bad Education, which will screen at Parc Émilie-Gamelin at 9 p.m. on July 27. A cool mixture of haunting childhood memories and Hitchcock, his film stands as evidence that Pedro Almodovar keeps getting better with age.

Latin lovers

Fans of Latin music will not be disappointed on July 28, when Cachonda: La noche Latina, an evening of samba, salsa, house, Latin jazz, Cachondo and merengue will be performed in Parc Émilie-Gamelin, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The Brazilian band Zuruba will kick things off, and the night will include Cachondo, the Tadros Brothers, Joaquin Diaz, Martha Romero, drag queen La Divina and the dance troupes Raices de Colombia and Tropicana Forever. Mexican singer extraordinaire Lila Downs will also be belting out a few numbers. Viva Divers/Cité!

Switching musical gears 24 hours later, Divers/Cite then presents Boulevard des reves, a jazz- and R&B-infused night boasting some of Quebec's best vocal talent, including Eva, Lulu Hughes, Maritza, Annie Carrier, Lina Boudreau, Hilary Porter and Chantal Leclerc, among many others. July 29 at the Parc Émilie-Gamelin, the fun begins at 7:30 p.m.

One of Montreal's naughtiest, Miriam Ginestier, will again roll out her infamous Meow Mix, a cabaret party night designed for bent girls and their friends. Ginestier always manages to pull together an eclectic mix of talent (both local and from out of town) who engage the crowd with wonder and delight. Loads of fun, the show will be followed by a dance party DJed by Denise Benson. On July 31 at Sala Rossa (4848 St-Laurent), 8:30p.m.

Finally, it must be commented upon: kudos go to Divers/Cité organizers for having the guts and ingenuity to shake things up a bit. It's a simply superb idea to take the Pride parade nocturnal. Echoing the Sydney, Australia Pride, Mardi Gras - in which the parade has always been a nighttime thing - this will make the 13th annual Divers/Cité much more exciting and unpredictable. (It'll also help to cut down on sunstroke.) On Monday, July 25, at 8 p.m., the parade will begin at the corner of René-Lévesque and de Lorimier. Be sure to attend, so you can mingle with drag queens, fierce lesbians, mild-mannered gayrobics instructors, earnest volunteers and the bicurious. Thanks to Divers/Cite for putting on one of the city's best festivals - have a great, safe week.

For additional info on events, go to www.diverscite.org