cynthialubow

Michelle Ehlen is one of the most talented filmmakers I know. She is able to act, direct, edit, write, and produce all at the same time and brilliantly. Her current film, "Maybe Someday" is a beautiful, emotional, nuanced portrayal of love and heartbreak and the experience of being queer in a straight-dominant culture. She doesn't just portray love and heartbreak, she actually leads the audience into falling in love and getting our hearts broken as we watch the film. Yet it is ultimately affirming and unflinchingly founded on the assumption that we are all lovable, without any of the self-hate that underlies most queer stories. This makes it uniquely brilliant and radical.

Personally, I felt as if Michelle had been there when I was a young queer person having crushes on straight people and not knowing how to handle their flirtations with me that confused, thrilled and crushed me. The film helped me understand how differently the people on either side of this dynamic experience what is for the queer person a thrilling, heartbreaking and formative experience and for the straight person a delightful, confusing and forgettable adventure.

There is much more to this film than even all this. The music and soundtrack provides exactly what we need at each turn of the film. The relationship dynamics are fascinating and complex and the cinematography is gorgeous. Michelle, who plays the staring role portrays depression, anger, mirth, playfulness, sadness humiliation, longing and pretending to be ok with facility and accuracy.

Even the ending is complex and fresh. Michelle Ehlen somehow manages to avoid the choice of either a simplistic happy ending or a frustratingly ambiguous ending, and instead gives us a satisfying sense that the protagonist is headed for the ultimate human goal-a solid belief that one is lovable.