Talking sex and shirtlessness with Chico Teixiera, Gay director of Alice's House

Talking sex and shirtlessness with Chico Teixiera, Gay director of Alice's House

by Gary M. Kramer - SGN Contributing Writer Openly Gay Brazilian filmmaker Chico Teixiera has created an absolutely stunning drama in his gritty debut feature, Alice's House, where the title character (Carla Ribas) gives a superb (and award-winning) performance as a working-class woman in a state of almost constant despair. The film, written and directed by Teixeira, is nearly plotless, and presented in near-documentary style. (The filmmaker made documentaries before deciding to make fiction films, and his compositions are like still photographs.) Alice lives with her mother Jacira (Berta Zemel), her husband Lindomar (Zecarlos Machado) and their three hunky - and often shirtless - sons, Lucas (Vinicius Zinn), Edhino (Ricardo Vilaca), and Junior (Felipe Massuia). However, Alice receives neither respect nor relief from her family. Her husband cheats on her, her mother has contempt for her, and her layabout sons piss her off by pissing on the toilet seat. The extended family is typical in Brazilian culture. "It's economical," the filmmaker explains with the assistance of a translator in a recent phone interview. "Kids stay in the family until their late 20s - they don't go off to college. The grandparents stay because it's convenient and cheaper. The grandmother doesn't have anywhere to go - she feels most useful being the maid. She wants everyone to stay together, to live, happy or not, under the same roof. She doesn't want people to fight, or for the family to break up." After years of taking care of others, however, Alice finally wants to find someone to take care of her. When she meets Nilson (Luciano Quirino), the wife of Carmen (Renata Zhaneta) - her client at the beauty shop where she works - Alice recognizes him as a man from her past. She begins an affair with him in part to find some happiness and ease the suffering of her life. Teixiera says what attracted him to this very female-centric story was his desire to show how women live in Brazil. "It was due to the fact that I have a feminine side. It wasn't anything planned or rational. It was intuitive. It wasn't something I identified with. It has to do with Brazilian society being macho-centric." He continued, "I wanted to make a film about human relations. I am not trying to say anything political about male behavior in Brazil. Men rely on women, and there wasn't anything derogatory meant towards them." The dominant male culture in Brazil is certainly palpable in Alice's house, where the boys display their bodies as if to reinforce their masculinity. Teixiera insists that while this emphasis on the shirtless boys may exist, this is more a response to the weather than any statement about gender roles. "[Shirtlessness] is such a common thing in Brazil. It's always hot." the writer/director reveals. "That's what we do. It was realistic. When I was growing up, my brothers and I were always without shirts. It's how we behave. We are comfortable with our bodies." And male bodies certainly play an important role in Alice's House. Her son Lucas makes money on the side hustling men, even though Teixiera suggests that he is not a "hustler" in the traditional sense. He said, "If he was, I would have shown him on the street. He could have been, but for him, [hustling] was just a way of making extra money." Still, there is certainly something physical and perhaps even sexual between Lucas and his brother Junior. The filmmaker admits, "There was a lot of intentional eroticism between the brothers, but it was more 'curiosity.' The young one looks at the older one to 'see his body' in a couple of years. There is an incestuous vibe to it, but this is common in Brazil. It is not a taboo. There is an attraction, but it is not sexual, more like looking at each other as a mirror [image]." Alice also has her awkward sexual moments in the film, as when she takes Carmen's advice to shave her pussy in an effort to sexually excite her husband. Yet Teixiera suggests that such moments were not planned, but developed organically. "It was pure emotion I was after. I absorbed [these ideas] from research and experience. I wanted to show women in an intimate situation, and I imagined the conversation between a client and a manicurist in a beauty salon. They talk like men would." Ribas is exceptional in the lead role, and the filmmaker praises his star for her fantastic performance. Picked from a pool of 300 actresses, Ribas came from the theatre, and Teixiera worked with her for four months of rehearsals to make her more "theatrical" style of acting more "introspective." He did a phenomenal job; Ribas is incredibly natural and very expressive as an actress. She smiles, both slightly embarrassed and also unable to believe her luck, when a stranger erotically rubs his crotch up against her hand on the bus. Yet Ribas' eyes also ignite in fury when she is discovers evidence of a betrayal, and she is wracked with guilt when someone may be aware of her own transgressions. It is almost impossible to watch Alice's House and not be affected by Ribas' outstanding portrait of a working-class woman longing for something better. And while Teixiera is receiving raves for his superb film, he has no plans at the moment to follow up with another project. But, when he does, would he make a film about a Gay man? "Why not?" he responds at the suggestion. "It could happen." © 2008 Gary M. Kramer. Gary M. Kramer is the author of Independent Queer Cinema.

Border Riders Motorcycle Club reflects on 2007

On Saturday, February 16, 2008, about 50 members and guests of the Border Riders Motorcycle Club remembered the year 2007 during the 38th Annual Anniversary Banquet. Eight of nine new members received their Colours. Those who had been members for 5, 10, and 15 years were honored. The high mileage awards were announced. And, as always, the highlight of the evening was the premiere of the retrospective video for the year just finished. The idea of finding brotherhood while riding was in the title of the 2007 video, They Came to Ride and Found Brothers. As usual, it was a great hit when it was shown for the first time. The annual video is compiled from pictures and video shot by members and guests during the previous year. This material was edited into an entertaining review of the previous year. Member Scott S. was awarded the high mileage award for 2007. It is no wonder, considering the stories he has for his trips. The first, second, and third runner-ups where announced, as well. This year's banquet was at the Greenwood Masonic Temple hall in Seattle, Washington. Catering for the evening was by Uncle Roy Chase, with the help of his minions and member Daniel B. Piano music during dinner was provided by Don V., partner of member Bob C. The 2007 officers received a round of applause for work well done. Two officers are stepping down for 2008, Road Captain Bill Bender and Secretary J.J. Harper. Jack Osterberg becomes the new secretary, a role he assisted J.J. with during 2007. Past President Deb Odenrider returns to the Club Executive as Road Captain in 2008. Officially, the new officers take their position at the March 2008 meeting, but Deb is already working hard on the Victoria Day Weekend Run. The March and April 2008 meetings for the Border Riders are preparation for the 39th Annual Victoria Day Weekend Run, the kick-off for the new riding season. It is always held the weekend of annual celebration of the Queen's Birthday in the Wenatchee National Forest in Washington. This year the dates are Friday, May 16, through Monday, May 19. Watch the Border Riders website for information on the call to "bring me men to match my mountains." Also watch the Border Riders website for information on upcoming meet and greets and day rides. Find out more about the Border Riders at borderriders.com. A Border Riders Motorcycle Club press release