This hilarious foul-mouthed, lesbian road movie co-stars Oscar-winning actresses Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker as Dot and Stella, a crackerjack lesbian couple on the run from a nursing home heading to Canada to be legally married. Handsome Ryan Doucette co-stars as a young male hitchhiker along for the ride who will learn more than he ever imagined from this inspiring couple.

It’s like a lesbian “Thelma & Louise” with liver spots.

Destined to be a classic, this latest feature film from openly gay director Thom Fitzgerald (“3 Needles,” “Beefcake”) has earned rave reviews from lesbian and gay audiences everywhere.

“A rousing, frequently rowdy comedy with considerable crossover appeal … Dukakis outdoes even her most memorable earlier turns.” — Variety

DELUXE EDITION: This special Deluxe Edition comes with interviews with co-stars Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker.

The post Cloudburst first appeared on Lesbian.com.

This intense social drama from writer-director Thom Fitzgerald chronicles the spread of AIDS on three continents — Asia, Africa and North America — and the wrenching, controversial choices that three sets of people make to cope with the disease. An all-star cast including Stockard Channing, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Shawn Ashmore, Chloe Sevigny, Olympia Dukakis lead this powerful exploration of the ignorance, misinformation, stigma and greed that have fed the spread of the global epidemic.

In SOUTH AFRICA, Clara is a Novice in the order of the Mission for the Propagation of the Faithful. Living among the tribes on the Wild Coast, her mission is to convert the rapidly dying Africans to Catholicism before it’s too late, urging the dying to accept Jesus. Naive and optimistic, Clara strays from her mission and becomes embroiled in a futile struggle to help a family of orphans. When one of her charges is raped as part of folk cure, she makes a bargain with Mr. Hallyday, a wealthy Afrikaans plantation owner, which aids the children but risks her own salvation.

In CHINA, When Jin Ping sets up her mobile blood collection service in the tiny village of Tonghu, the local peasants rejoice and prosper. When one farmer, Tong Sam, is barred from selling his blood because he has the flu, he lies about his daughter’s age so she can sell blood twice a month in his stead. Sam uses the money to improve his humble farm but by the time his abundant crop is ready for harvest, his wife and daughter are both mysteriously dead. Sam sets out on a journey across the province to find out why. He returns to find his entire village overwhelmed by disease, and Jin Ping’s blood collection business disappeared into thin air.

In CANADA, Denys is a second rate porn actor who passes his monthly blood tests by stealing samples from his geriatric father. When Denys gets caught, his poverty-stricken family is thrown into turmoil. Facing the prospect of long-term care for her son, his weary waitress mother Olive hatches a fraud scheme to exploit her son’s illness and wind up with millions.

“Impressive…provocative…jaw dropping…stunning cinematography by Thomas M. Harting.” – Kevin Thomas, LA Times

“Exceptional Performances!” – Variety

“An amazing cast. a great film. Stockard Channing gives an Oscar-worthy performance. shocking and emotionally raw. I loved it.” – Scott Hoffman, Movie Picture Film

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BY DANA PICCOLI

“Cloudburst“, starring Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker, is the kind of movie our community so greatly needs. It’s an epic tale of love and living life to the fullest, with a rare focus on the elderly queer community. In order for the queer film canon to expand and grow gracefully, it needs to include tales of all of our lives. “Cloudburst” is an acknowledgement of the lives of older lesbians, and just maybe allows us to glimpse into a future for ourselves full of love and laughter.  Overall “Cloudburst” is beautifully acted and engaging. Prepare to laugh, cry and fall a little bit in love with Stella, an old school butch played by Dukakis, and Dotty, her partner (Fricker).

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The post Review: Laugh, cry and fall in love with ‘Cloudburst’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.