Drama
United States of America,France
So Pretty is a 2019 drama film directed by Jessie Jeffrey Dunn Rovinelli. The film follows a group of four young queer artists living in New York City, who form a close-knit community in the face of societal oppression. The group includes Tonia (Thomas Love), a trans woman who struggles with her identity; Erik (Edem Dela-Seshie), a black gay man who is also a dancer; Paul (Rachika Samarth), a non-binary artist who is struggling with their work; and Franz (Lofton Boyd), a gay German man who is battling with homesickness.
As the group navigates their lives in New York City, their experiences and lives start to merge with the plot of Ronald M. Schernikau's novel "So schön", which is set in 1980s Germany. The merging of the two worlds creates a new sense of meaning and purpose for the group, as they try to maintain their proto-utopian community in the face of external pressures. They face issues such as gentrification, socio-economic inequality, homophobia, transphobia, and police brutality.
The film uses a mix of traditional narrative storytelling and experimental visual techniques to create a unique and powerful meditation on the nature of community, identity, and belonging. So Pretty is a poignant and thought-provoking film that explores the complexities and beauty of queer life in New York City, while also paying homage to the resilience and strength of LGBTQ communities across the world.
