Rainbow's End

German directors Jochen Hick and Christian Jentzsch's fine documentary Rainbow's End looks at the state of gay rights in today's Europe. Although Europe is viewed by many gay Americans as being far more progressive in its attitudes, the filmmakers discover repeated instances of harassment and political difficulties. In England, a gay man fights with immigration authorities over the deportation of his Russian boyfriend (their relationship does not offer any legal protection). In Poland, plans for a gay pride event are cancelled after local skinheads demonstrate, calling for the extermination of homosexuals. In Geneva, attempts to include gay rights on the United Nations agenda are met with hostility by the diplomatic corps. Even the historically liberal Netherlands is no stranger to homophobia—many Muslim immigrants have brought a virulent and often violent strain of anti-gay behavior to their new Dutch surroundings. Yet the situation is not entirely negative: Rainbow's End points out that many Arab immigrants unable to lead openly gay lifestyles in their own countries find sanctuary in less oppressive European surroundings (in fact, there's even an Arabic-language newspaper for gay and lesbian Arabs in Europe). A focused, insightful film that looks at the intersection of gay-related politics and sociology in contemporary Europe, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)