After watching City of Borders the other night at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, two things jumped out at me:1. We are so lucky to live in Canada
2. So much conflict in the world could be eliminated if everyone were gay
#1 is simple. We live in the best country in the world. Period. I have been fortunate to visit many places around the world and perhaps with only one exception, I step off the plane at YVR or cross the border back into Canada US and I feel some relief, a keen sense of gratitude that my great-great grandparents decided to emigrate here.
#2 is not my attempt at humour. I can take even my small corner of the world as an example. When is the last time you heard about a drunken brawl outside Celebrities or The Pumjack on a Friday or Saturday night? Other than gay-bashing, in all my years in Vancouver I have yet to witness a raised voice, a push and certainly not a fight in any of our local Vancouver gay bars.
Such is the premise of City of Borders. With Jerusalem's only gay bar as the backdrop, the queer community in one of Israel's holiest cities becomes a rallying point for opposing nationalities and religious beliefs. The community comes together not out of some idealogy, but simply because they find acceptance amongst themselves regardless of what they believe and regardless of where they might have been born.
This daily fight for simple acceptance in a region where extremism is the norm was truly uplifting and reminded me of what the gay community is capable of (and of course, the fact that I am truly lucky to live in Canada). 4.5 out of 5.
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