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Bear Stew #11
Tasty Manbytes Served Steaming Hot
by Ron Suresha
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The husbear, Rocco, and I went on pilgrimage over President's Day weekend to the Queer Mecca of San Francisco to attend International Bear Rendezvous 2005. Now in its eleventh year, IBR still stands tall as the daddy of all bear weekends, hosted by the wonderful, welcoming, hardworking Bears of San Francisco.
Thursday night before IBR, we had dinner with my ex, Chris Nelson, the photographer and cofounder of Bear magazine (RIP), and with ChrisÕs very sexy partner, Tony. Chris is author of the collection of classic Bear portraits, The Bear Cult, published in 1991 by Gay MenÕs Press in the U.K. Š still in print!
Chris has managed to live in San Fran for nearly two decades, yet he remains quite detached from the cult he is sometimes credited with creating. ItÕs great to seeing ChrisÕs wonderfully expanding, furry belly, although nothing like having dinner with an ex and both of your present partners to remind one that a little nostalgia goes a loooong way. Actually, dinner was terrific, and afterward we hugged goodbye and caught a taxi to slip into the Lone Star before the crowd hit.
Boston bearpal Jim and I spent the next brisk sunny day with 50-60 other fun IBR bearmen taking the boat to Alcatraz. It was near-picture-perfect weather for at least a few hours, while we cruised each other on the ferry, faeried each other on the cruise, and flashed snapshots of each other behind the prison bars.
On Friday night, I helped coordinate BOSF, TLA Releasing, and Castrobear Presents to hold a screening in the Ramada ballroom of the acclaimed feature-length Spanish-language film, Bear Cub. The IBR screening of the uncut version was immensely popular and the audience certainly rejoiced in the movieÕs honest depiction of bearish community.
The explicit steamy three-way between the protagonist, Pedro, and two fuckbuddies that opens the film was familiar enough territory for most bearmen. It functioned exactly like the sort of porn IÕve grown accustomed to watching Š strictly for journalistic purposes, of course Š over the past 15 years as the bear porn video subgenre has bloomed. The opening, however, managed to provoke surprise among some of the bearmen in the audience. Oso-identified director Miguel Albaladˇjo clearly wanted to awaken the audience in a very special way Š the movie never returns to the rawness of the openingÕs sexual images.
ŅBear culture,Ó stated Albaladˇjo in an El Mundo interview, has Ņa very virile aesthetic that in principle transmits a very fatherly nature. The bears have created their own tender self-definition, which in every way generates a great deal of empathy.Ó The sexual openness of bear culture permitted him to portray with greater honesty the central emotional conflict.
The smart, very hip cub of the movie title is 9-year-old Bernardo, played by David Castillo with subtle depth and believability. His uncle, Pedro, played by popular straight Spanish actor, Josˇ Luis Garc’a-Pˇrez, is a single bear-bachelor dentist living with HIV who becomes the boyÕs unexpected custodian when BernardoÕs mom is detained abroad. Pedro is affectionate and responsible in his own bear community yet desires to live alone without partnering; yet he must learn to manage both the predatory sexual adult and the nurturing, providing parent aspects of his daddydom.
Bear Cub resonated for me personally in many ways, especially since my 2003 holiday trip to Barcelona, Sitges, and Madrid. My gracious bearhost, Xavi, whom I interviewed for Bears on Bears, was listed specifically in the film credits, along with MadBears. At my leaving Spain, Xavi gave me a Bearcelona t-shirt Š the same as one worn in the movie by one of PedroÕs pals. Just up the street from MadridÕs Bear Bar, one camera angle of a sidewalk Š the exact spot where I met Josˇ, a furry and extremely well-hung deaf bear, and kissed passionately. . . ahh, but thatÕs a story for another time.
Not only that, but also as the bisexual uncle of a bisexual nephew, I strongly related to the story of PedroÕs familial struggle. Bear Cub engages complex blood issues of HIV and gay custodial rights in consistently unexpected and unsentimental ways. Pedro and Bernardo alternately must tell each other to buck up and stay strong much like a Hollywood buddy flick Š only with lots more fun and fur. Toward the end, the filmÕs time sequence and narration style bump around, but the final scene of the story unfolds with masculine grace.
I couldnÕt help but compare BernardoÕs character development to that of the four-legged bearcub in Jean-Jacques AnnaudÕs live-action man-on-bear nature film, The Bear (LÕOurs). I recommend watching the two along with the 2004 Disney animated feature, Brother Bear. Strictly for academic comparison, of course. Bear Cub should by time of this publication be released uncut on DVD from TLA Releasing. DonÕt even think of missing it! Until next time, grrrfolks!
Bears of San Francisco's International Bear Rendezvous.
The husbear, Rocco, and I went on pilgrimage over President's Day weekend to the Queer Mecca of San Francisco to attend International Bear Rendezvous 2005. Now in its eleventh year, IBR still stands tall as the daddy of all bear weekends, hosted by the wonderful, welcoming, hardworking Bears of San Francisco.
Thursday night before IBR, we had dinner with my ex, Chris Nelson, the photographer and cofounder of Bear magazine (RIP), and with Chris's very sexy partner, Tony. Chris is author of the collection of classic Bear portraits, The Bear Cult, published in 1991 by Gay MenÕs Press in the U.K. Š still in print!
Chris has managed to live in San Fran for nearly two decades, yet he remains quite detached from the cult he is sometimes credited with creating. ItÕs great to seeing Chris's wonderfully expanding, furry belly, although nothing like having dinner with an ex and both of your present partners to remind one that a little nostalgia goes a loooong way. Actually, dinner was terrific, and afterward we hugged goodbye and caught a taxi to slip into the Lone Star before the crowd hit.
Boston bearpal Jim and I spent the next brisk sunny day with 50-60 other fun IBR bearmen taking the boat to Alcatraz. It was near-picture-perfect weather for at least a few hours, while we cruised each other on the ferry, faeried each other on the cruise, and flashed snapshots of each other behind the prison bars.
On Friday night, I helped coordinate BOSF, TLA Releasing, and Castrobear Presents to hold a screening in the Ramada ballroom of the acclaimed feature-length Spanish-language film, Bear Cub (Cachorro). The IBR screening of the uncut version was immensely popular and the audience certainly rejoiced in the movieÕs honest depiction of bearish community.
The explicit steamy three-way between the protagonist, Pedro, and two fuckbuddies that opens the film was familiar enough territory for most bearmen. It functioned exactly like the sort of porn I've grown accustomed to watching - strictly for journalistic purposes, of course - over the past 15 years as the bear porn video subgenre has bloomed. The opening, however, managed to provoke surprise among some of the bearmen in the audience. Oso-identified director Miguel Albaladˇjo clearly wanted to awaken the audience in a very special way Š the movie never returns to the rawness of the opening's sexual images.
"Bear culture," stated Albaladˇjo in an El Mundo interview, has "a very virile aesthetic that in principle transmits a very fatherly nature. The bears have created their own tender self-definition, which in every way generates a great deal of empathy." The sexual openness of bear culture permitted him to portray with greater honesty the central emotional conflict.
The smart, very hip cub of the movie title is 9-year-old Bernardo, played by David Castillo with subtle depth and believability. His uncle, Pedro, played by popular straight Spanish actor Josˇ Luis Garc’a-Pˇrez, is a single bear-bachelor dentist living with HIV who becomes the boyÕs unexpected custodian when Bernardo's mom is detained abroad. Pedro is affectionate and responsible in his own bear community yet desires to live alone without partnering; yet he must learn to manage both the predatory sexual adult and the nurturing, providing parent aspects of his daddydom.
Bear Cub resonated for me personally in many ways, especially since my 2003 holiday trip to Barcelona, Sitges, and Madrid. My gracious bearhost, Xavi, whom I interviewed for Bears on Bears, was listed specifically in the film credits, along with MadBears, the Madrid bearclub. At my leaving Spain, Xavi gave me a Bearcelona t-shirt Š the same as one worn in the movie by one of Pedro's pals. Just up the street from Madrid's Bear Bar, one camera angle of a sidewalk - the exact spot where I met Josˇ, a furry and extremely well-hung deaf bear, and kissed passionately. . . ahh, but thatÕs a story for another time.
Not only that, but also as the bisexual uncle of a bisexual nephew, I strongly related to the story of PedroÕs familial struggle. Bear Cub engages complex blood issues of HIV and gay custodial rights in consistently unexpected and unsentimental ways. Pedro and Bernardo alternately must tell each other to buck up and stay strong much like a Hollywood buddy flick Š only with lots more fun and fur. Toward the end, the film's time sequence and narration style bump around, but the final scene of the story unfolds with masculine grace.
I couldn't help but compare BernardoÕs character development to that of the four-legged bearcub in Jean-Jacques Annaud's live-action man-on-bear nature film, The Bear (LÕOurs). I recommend watching the two along with the 2004 Disney animated feature, Brother Bear. Strictly for academic comparison, of course. Bear Cub should by time of this publication be released uncut on DVD from TLA Releasing. DonÕt even think of missing it!
+
Until next time, grrrfolks!
This column, Bear Stew #11, first appeared in American Bear magazine #67, June-July 2005.
Copyright © 2005 by Ron Suresha. All rights reserved.
Send ursollaneous news to: bearstuff_AT_suresha.com
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