closeUp ‣ The Gayly Mirror

14Feb

By rebeccaNo Comments

closeUp, Entertainment

Film recommendation: Flee

Celebrate LGBTQ+ history month and Valentine’s Day today with the animated documentary FLEE, the first film ever to be Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary, Best Animated Film and Best International Film in the same year. The film tells the story of Amin (a pseudonym), who fled Afghanistan in the 1980s, eventually reaching Denmark as a teenager. Now, as he prepares to marry his partner, Kasper, he is finally ready to tell his story to his friend, Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Using animation allows Amin anonymity, and also humanises the story, which intersperses Amin telling his tale with his childhood in Kabul, the traumas of his flight and the years he spent in Russia with his family. He also discusses how he realised he was gay – he was fantasising about Jean-Claude van ...

Cubita from Festival da Canção 2022, opens up about her passion for music and her dreams.

11Feb

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Entertainment, Eurovision

Cubita from Festival da Canção 2022, opens up about her passion for music and her dreams.

We had a lovely chat with Cubita from Festival da Canção 2022 on this Road To Eurovision, and she told us about her amazement for music and her dreams as a singer and as girl. Cubita, participating in Festival da Canção 2022 in Portugal, is a very shy but sweet girl. Her tough appearance is only a mask that covers one of the most gentle and kind girls we’ve ever had the chance to interview on our Road to Eurovision Song Contest. We asked her many questions and talked with her about her participation in Festival da Canção and what would mean for her being part of Eurovision Song Contest too. What really surprised us, and gave Raffa teary eyes (always so emotional, ed) - was the answer she gave to our tricky final question, showing us what a sweet and strong woman Cubita is. Watch...

Road to Eurovision 2022: Brooke wins “Eurosong 2022” with “That’s Rich”

5Feb

By JorgeNo Comments

closeUp, Culture, Eurovision

Road to Eurovision 2022: Brooke wins “Eurosong 2022” with “That’s Rich”

We're feeling rich, honey! Ireland has chosen Brooke Scullion for Eurovision Song Contest 2022! The Irish broadcaster RTÉ held their national final "Eurosong 2022" on the broadcast of The Late Late Show, and after a combination of studio jury panel, international jury and televoting, Brooke was decided as the winner and the representative of the country at Eurovision 2022 with the song "That's Rich". Six artists were competing for the chance to represent Ireland on Turin's stage via a national final, organized for the first time since 2015. Check below the scoreboard of the Irish selection: Brooke - That's Jury - 28 points (4+12+12) Miles Graham - "Yeah, We're Gonna Get Out of It" - 24 points (10+16+8) Janet Grogan - "Ashes Of Yesterday" - 24 points (12+8+4) Patric...

Road to Eurovision 2022: Andrea represents North Macedonia with “Circles”

5Feb

By JorgeNo Comments

closeUp, Culture, Eurovision

Road to Eurovision 2022: Andrea represents North Macedonia with “Circles”

North Macedonia has decided on their representative. Andrea will be bringing the song "Circles" to Turin in May. Six songs were competing in Za Evrosong 2022, MRT's national final, in order to represent the Balkan country at the Eurovision 2022. The voting consisted on 50% international expert jury and 50% online voting and the highest number of points landed on the song "Circles", by Andrea, written by Aleksandar Masevski and Andrea Koevska. Although there was a tie on Top 2, the jury voting prevailed which secure Andrea's victory. The entries in contention were as follows: Kaly – Love and Light Yon Idy – Dreams LARA – Flower of Sorrow Viktor Apostolovski – Superman Andrea – Circles Ris Flower – Flying To Berlin What do you think of North Macedonia's entry f...

Mika, Laura Pausini and Alessandro Cattelan: the hosts of Eurovision 2022

2Feb

By JorgeNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision

Mika, Laura Pausini and Alessandro Cattelan: the hosts of Eurovision 2022

Laura Pausini, Alessandro Cattelan and Mika will be the hosts for Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy. The much-anticipated announcement was made tonight during the second night of Festival di Sanremo 2022. Laura Pausini is a world-wide famous Italian singer, having won a Grammy and a Golden Globe, and even a nomination for an Academy Award. Alessandro Cattelan, one of RAI's presenters, has been rumoured to be one of the hosts for months and it was finally confirmed. Mika, even though had denied every rumour about his role on the Eurovision 2022, is also joining the hosting team. What do you think about the hosts for ESC 2022?

2Feb

By rebeccaNo Comments

closeUp, Culture

Free film screening: Rebel Dykes

Celebrate the start of LGBT+ History Month with a free screening of the fabulous documentary REBEL DYKES plus short film OLDER THAN WHAT? Newham Community Cinema presents a celebration of LGBT+ culture on film with curated conversations and special guests brought to you free by Newham Council and in partnership with Women Over Fifty Film Festival. Rebel Dykes is a glorious post-punk roar of lesbian energy. With a mash-up of animation, archive footage and interviews, the documentary tells the story of the radical dyke scene in the late 1980s. Meeting at Greenham Common, the found family of friendships and lovers moved largely to south London squats and found their energy in BDSM nightclubs, sex-positive partying and political activism. With a superb soundtrack and a cheeky sense of hu...

Mahmood and Blanco elected winners of the first night of Sanremo 2022 by the Press Room

2Feb

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Entertainment, Eurovision

Mahmood and Blanco elected winners of the first night of Sanremo 2022 by the Press Room

We watched the whole first night of Festival di Sanremo 2022 and we think we might have found our winners in Mahmood and Blanco. The first semifinal of Sanremo 2022 is now over, and the Festival of the Italian Songs gave us all great moments of show that almost made us forget the fact that the show always lasts for an eternity. Positive note: the last singer - Giusy Ferreri - was introduced on the stage before midnight Italian Time (groundbreaking!). Nothing can compare the emotions, the tears, the shivers we all had watching Måneskin singing their success “Zitti e Buoni” - the same song that allowed them to win Sanremo 2021 and Eurovision Song Contest 2021 - but when they sang “Coraline” and Damiano had teary-eyes, well.. put it together with the strong and profound lyrics of that song,...

Road To Eurovision 2022 – Chanel wins Benidorm Fest

30Jan

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Entertainment, Eurovision

Road To Eurovision 2022 – Chanel wins Benidorm Fest

We've watched live the Final fo Benidorm Fest, and Spain's got a winner, baby: Chanel. It's time to say that Spain was finally fed up of getting 0 points at Eurovision Song Contest, and this year, thanks to the edition of Benidorm Fest, the selection - very hard to be honest - declared that Chanel will represent Spain with her latino.dance-pop song "SloMo" at Eurovision 2022 in Turin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO2yGXVQCfo We really have to be happy for such a victory, where we can finally see Spain coming back to the contest with an artist that screams "babe, I'm competition for all of you"! Votes Chanel won Benidorm Fest being elected first by the judges on site, and was second both for the opinion poll and the audience who televoted, that on the other hand, had Tanxugueira...

Zdob și Zdub & Frații Advahov will represent Moldova at Eurovision 2022 with “Trenulețul”

29Jan

By JorgeNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision

Zdob și Zdub & Frații Advahov will represent Moldova at Eurovision 2022 with “Trenulețul”

We have the representatives for Moldova at Eurovision 2022! The veterans Zdob și Zdub are back to the game for the third time, after representing Moldova in 2005 and 2011, both times being place in Top15 - 6th in 2005 and 12th in 2011. They will be joined with Frații Advahov and will sing "Trenulețul" at Turin's stage. They were selected internally following a live auditions round today, which was the best scenario after the national final being cancelled due to rising Covid-19 infections in the country. The artists were chosen entirely by a jury panel, where three other Eurovision Moldovan stars took part: Geta Burlacu (Moldova 2008), Aliona Moon (Moldova 2013) and Cristina Scarlat (Moldova 2014). A total of 28 songs were in competition. You can listen to Moldova's entry right belo...

Road To Eurovision 2022 – Titina’s Talks with Fado Bicha

28Jan

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Entertainment, Eurovision

Road To Eurovision 2022 – Titina’s Talks with Fado Bicha

A new marvelous season of Titina's Talks has begun, and on this Road To Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, we decided to kick it off with a fun and honest interview with Fado Bicha, one of the most interesting duos participating in Festival da Canção 2022. We had the pleasure to have a lovely and open-hearted conversation with Fado Bicha, and the outcome of this interview is absolutely great! https://youtu.be/NRYaEinmyTk OFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF THE SONG: Povo Pequenino - Little Nation Little was the nation, barefoot in the frost Little was the nation, taught by the beating Little was the nation, already carrying the hoe Little was the nation, crying over the times table Biting their teeth, licking their lips Dipping old bread in the stew Oh, little natio...