Rainbow Youth Alliance In Maplewood Starts Monthly LGBTQ+ Film Series

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A monthly LGBTQ+-themed film series is kicking off at a South Orange movie theater this Wednesday, the first day of Pride Month.

The Rainbow Youth Alliance SOMA (South Orange/Maplewood), Cinema Lab, and North Jersey Pride are hosing the film at The Village at SOPAC.

"The film is appropriate for both teens and adults, and RYA is happy to cover the cost of tickets for all who register using the link below," said an organizer.

The film is "The Way He Looks."

The 2014 film appeared on Netflix with subtitles. It centers on Leo, a high school student who's blind, his female best friend, and "a new addition to the class whose arrival makes Leo question his sexuality for the first time."

A reviewer noted that Leo's sexuality is "not an overwrought plot point" in the award-winning production.

The organizers of the event described the film this way, "Set against the music of Belle and Sebastian, Daniel Ribeiro's coming of age tale, 'The Way He Looks' is a fun and tender story about friendship and the complications of young love. Leo is a blind teenager who's fed up with his overprotective mother and the bullies at school. Looking to assert his independence, he decides to study abroad to the dismay of his best friend, Giovana. When Gabriel, the new kid in town, teams with Leo on a school project, new feelings blossom in him that make him reconsider his plans. Meanwhile, Giovana, grows jealous of this new found companionship as tensions mount between her and Leo."

The screening starts at 7 p.m. Click here to get tickets and find out more.

Read past stories about the Rainbow Youth Alliance here.