The ‘Upon Her Lips’ series continues with ‘Upon Her Lips: Touch and Go’, which is out now. The latest instalment collects four shorts and as per previous releases, it reflects stories of sexuality from across the globe. This collection has four films that all explore burgeoning sexuality and that moment when young people begin to embrace the feelings they’ve tried to deny themselves.
The collection opens with ‘Some Girls’ by Cait Lyn Adamson, a 19-minute film that explores a young girl struggling to come to terms with her sexuality. Mina (Beth Marie) is crushing hard on her friend Lana (Katy Reece) but trying desperately not to make it obvious. Instead she allows herself to get caught up in the rebellious behaviour of her friends until she puts herself in a position she thinks she should be in, but absolutely doesn’t want to be in. The film is a stark look at the pressures young people face when they realise they aren’t ‘normal’ and the lengths they’ll go to so that others around them have no idea.
The second film, ‘Flapper’, takes the viewer back to France in the 1920s where teenager Lisa (Rebecca Marder) tries to break free from her bourgeois family and heads down to a lake at the bottom of their garden where she meets a woman that intrigues her. That encounter leads to Lisa discovering things about herself that she’s kept repressed, and that wouldn’t be encouraged at the time, and she begins to understand who she really is and what her desires are. The story is a classic tale told in a sensitive way by filmmaker Nicolas Sarkissian.
Danish film-maker Sidsel Møller Johnsen tells the story of ‘Raniya’ played by Shelly Levy, a Danish woman with Middle Eastern roots. As she flirts with a woman she’s been texting with, Raniya has to contend with her needy sister who is always poking her nose into her private life. Like the two films before it, ‘Raniya’ is an exploration of a woman understanding who she is and embracing her sexuality, regardless of what outside influences may say or think. It’s particularly interesting given the central characters roots and the conflict that causes.
The final film on the collection is French film-maker Guillaume Lijour’s ‘The Guitar Lesson’. It perfectly captures that feeling young people get when they experience an infatuation with someone as their sexuality begins to emerge. In this story it’s Lucile (Nolwenn Bony) who meets Mona (Mara Taquin) and agrees to take guitar lessons so she can spend time with the object of her affection. It’s a sweet and innocent tale that I’m sure plenty of people watching will be able to relate to.
‘Upon Her Lips: Touch and Go’ is a sweet enough collection. For me, there isn’t a truly fantastic film among the four here. They are all enjoyable but there’s nothing that really struck me. That being said, there’s plenty to get out of these films and these film-makers all deserve to be seen. The release could be particularly good viewing for younger women who are questioning their sexuality and want to see the experiences of others in similar positions.
Cast: Beth Marie, Katy Reece, Rebecca Marder, Morgane Lambert, Shelly Levy Directors: Cait Lyn Adamson, Nicolas Sarkissian, Sidsel Møller Johnsen, Guillaume Lijour Certificate: 15 Duration: 93 mins Released by: NQV Media Release date: 12th June 2023 Buy ‘Upon Her Lips: Touch and Go’ now
