Short narrative series Videoland throws us back to the late 1990s for a charm-filled coming-of-age tale that plays with queer representation on film, both coded and explicit.
Hayley (Emmanuelle Mattana) is pretty sure she’s a lesbian. Working in a video store, she’s compiled a list of queer films to watch like Fried Green Tomatoes, Go Fish, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, The Hunger, Chasing Amy, The Watermelon Woman and Heavenly Creatures (but not Bound, she’s not ready for Bound) in order to figure out what lesbian life is like, aided by her best friend Tanya (Chi Nguyen). When she meets a customer, Jennifer (Tahlee Fereday), she’s smitten. But is she, or isn’t she? Only her rental history offers clues.
Videoland is suffused with soft lighting and a vibrant palette that turns this tale of personal awakening into a candy-coloured playground of cinesexual exploration. The power of nostalgia is strong and will bring a smile to the face of anyone who has spent hours wandering the shelves of their local Blockbuster looking for an art-house classic with a hint of representation.
The friendship between Hayley and Tanya is very sweet, laced with enthusiasm and harsh jokes at each other’s expense. While Hayley’s coworker Daniel (Toby Blome), full of teenage hormones and awkward crushes, comes off as more than just a comic foil. The presence of Jessica Smith’s store manager Mel puts a calm, adult perspective on things. A maternal figure looking after her misfit cast of employees.
As Hayley begins to daydream and role-play versions of her own sexual self, she is left struggling with the transition between child and adult ways of thinking. This is nicely illustrated by her inability to find a spot for Back To The Future because it’s funny, but it’s not a comedy. One of the sweetest moments in the show comes from Mel trying to explain to Hayley the virtues of the transition to DVD, and how change can be hard for some people to deal with but ultimately you’ll get better sound and video quality in the end.
Not every short film or series leaves you wanting more, but Videoland feels like it could easily be expanded into a full, low-budget feature like the VHS hits that fill its shelves. There is a Clerks/Empire Records vibe to the premise that captures the importance of these places to young people of that age (and makes me pity younger generations that didn’t have third-spaces like video game arcades, video stores and record shops to hang out in). If I’d found this gem in a video store, I’d re-rent it again and again.
By Chad Armstrong
Videoland receives its Australian Premiere at the 11th Queer Screen Film Fest on August 30th, 2024, with writer-director Jessica Smith, producer Scarlett Koehne and star Emmanuelle Mattana in-person for a Q&A. For more information and to purchase tickets head to queerscreen.com.au.
Leave a Reply