A Wild Patience Has Taken Me Here (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

An older lesbian, who was at the forefront of the activism for LGBT+ equality, finds herself getting to see the fruits of her labor through the youth.

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Director(s)	Érica Sarmet
Screenplay By	Érica Sarmet
Date Released	1/20/2022
Where To Watch	Film Festival (Sundance Film Festival)
Genre(s)	Comedy, Drama, Romance, Young Adult, LGBT, Non-English (Portuguese)
Duration	26 Minutes
Content Rating	Not Rated

Film Summary

A woman of a certain age, who experienced the time period in Brazil where being a lesbian required being subtle and discreet, finds herself surrounded by multiple young people who are inviting and loving. Thus allowing her to experience the open intimacy she didn’t get while she was young and get to enjoy the freedoms she fought for.

Other Noteworthy Information

• Reason(s) for Film Rating: Nudity and Sexual Content (Orgy scene)

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

We’re brave enough to pretend we’re free.

Review

Highlights

An Exploration Of Every Level Of Intimacy, And The Showing It Is Deserved By All

For many in the LGBT+ community, especially the elders, there is a certain level of joy that comes from seeing the youth, sometimes before they even reach double digits, getting to be out, supported, and comfortable in their skin. Yet, there can also be this sort of envy since many didn’t get to have that. They had to be discreet, hidden, sometimes pursue heterosexual relationships for safety, or even pay for their desired intimacy.

So to see the elder get invited to spend time with these, assumingly, twenty-somethings and be invited to dance, smoke, drink, and be intimate in physical and mental ways, it was beautiful to see. For no matter your sexual orientation, there can be this feeling of being forgotten or invisible once you get older, and even being undesirable.

Yet, the elder was treated like one of the girls, and while you can see they were hesitant at first, perhaps due to old habits, ultimately they got to experience the freedom they saw the youth have and didn’t get to experience it vicariously, but attain it themselves.

On The Fence

The Orgy Scene

In comparison to Blue Is the Warmest Colour, which also had a very sexual love scene between women, I would say the orgy scene in A Wild Patience Has Taken Me is a bit difficult to describe. In BITWC, you get a creepy voyeur vibe as you watch, for the scene feels so private and personal. Yet, in A Wild Patience Has Taken Me, something feels off.

Maybe it is the blue curtains and room, which makes it somewhere between artsy and something meant for you intently to focus on as positions and partners change? Though, as much as you can see the moment is supposed to be a climax of sorts, and it can make you feel a little uncomfortable for watching, there is a need to wonder why you are seeing this?

Don’t get me wrong, as noted in the highlight, you can see the youth wanting to give their elder a sense of belonging and to allow her to experience the freedom they do. But, I think the curtains and set, which made the moment look unnatural, does push you to wonder if the scene could have been meant to tantalize.

Overall

Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)

While the orgy scene felt off, mainly due to setup, you have to appreciate all we see our lead, noted as “The Elder” experience through and with the youth who invites her to be part of their group. For whether you look at it as an elder’s knowledge, stories, and words holding value, or simply a showing of love is love, no matter age, ethnicity, or story, there is a beauty to the interaction. This allows you for what, sadly, remains a rare depiction of not only a queer story without struggles or trauma but also an elder getting to be with the youth and them just enjoying each other company.

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