East Side Story
Dir: Carlos Portugal
USA 2007
Beta-SP 88 mins
Set in East LA, East Side Story is the story of Diego, a barely closeted waiter in a homophobic, racially defensive neighbourhood. Despite years in culinary school, he's stuck serving dinner specials in the family restaurant. His old neighbourhood is being gentrified by rich gringos, and living with his grandmother makes it hard to play kinky bad border cop/illegal alien games with his super-closeted boyfriend, Pedro.
Into Diego's life walk Wes and Jonathan, a pair of gringo interlopers whose house (or 'investment') has ticked off the locals. Sparks fly immediately between Diego and Wes, but there are many obstacles that stand in the way of these soul mates, including familial pressures, changing social tides and racial and sexual prejudices.
This frequently funny combination of romance, melodrama and comedy tells a very timely tale of a neighbourhood, and some of its residents' lives, in flux. "A sexy gay romance" - Variety
This fundraising screening was held in Wellington on Sunday 15 June 2008, 6:15pm at the Paramount and in Auckland on Wednesday 25 June 2008, 6:15pm at the Academy
