#Vuk Lungulov-Klotz

[moviemosaics]

Mutt

directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, 2023

[junosfilmjournal]

my review for mutt (2023) dir. vuk lungulov-klotz

this is my first time seeing someone like me (a gay, latino trans guy) on screen. we barely get represented in film and i couldn't stop crying while watching. i'm also glad that feña's unlikable. it made me like him even more. trans people are always put into this box on who we're supposed to be. trans men are regarded as a "safe type of man" because we were born female. whether it's intentional or not, it's obvious the people who say that don't see us as men, but as gender non-conforming women. more trans men need to be assholes!

there were so many parts of this movie that were painfully relatable that it was just hilarious. i had the same conversation with my 11-year-old niece, who's basically my little sister, that feña had with his sister. she was my first and only family member who didn't look at me like i was crazy. if anything, she rolled her eyes at me because she already knew due to the trans flag in my room. she told me "okay? i have gay friends.", which just made me laugh.

his relationship with his parents is like mine but reversed. my mother wants to be supportive, but she just doesn't understand what being transgender is. i've been out for more than a year and my mother has only called me her son once. she still uses my deadname and misgenders me. in the beginning, i would remind her not to, but i've grown tired of that. we got into so many arguments over it. they would always end with me sobbing while she told me it was hard for her too. she still has her moments though. i'll never forget when we were shoe shopping together and i saw the cutest mary jane platforms. i gathered up the courage to tell my mother i wanted them, but it didn't change the fact that i'm a boy. she told me, "i don't fully get you, but i know." that was the first time i was sure she wasn't lying to me.

growing up, my father was pretty much my hero. i was closer to my mom, but i still looked up to him. he wasn't around much when i was in elementary and i would cry while looking through the family albums. he eventually came back for good and i was the happiest kid ever. though, it didn't last long. as i was growing up, i was also realizing just how much of an asshole my father is. the first time i hit back, i was 15, protecting my mother from his drunken tirades. i can still see his shocked face clearly in my mind. ever since then, our relationship has become nonexistent and it got worse when i came out. he looks at me in disgust because i'm "trying (and failing) to be a man" to him. he looks at me like he doesn't know where he went wrong.

everything about this movie pulled at my heartstrings. i'm so glad i had a box of tissues next to me. i'm gonna have a hard time moving on from this. it's just so special TO ME! thankful for all the trans artists out there who make me want to keep going and create art of my own. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

[clockwork-stars]

Watching Mutt (2023) right now and...

"- It's okay.

- No, it's not!

- It's fine, I'm fine with it.

- Yeah, well, I'm not."

It hits somehow

[gael-garcia]

Mutt (2023, Vuk Lungulov-Klotz)

Over the course of a single day, three people from Feña’s past are thrust back into his life: his father, his ex-boyfriend, and his 13-year old half-sister.

[variousqueerthings]

*exists in a permanent state of being excited for lesbian movies being announced, but always having a little aw that they’re not centred on butches in some way*

[warningsine]

A compelling character-based drama that reveals the interior life of a young trans man over roughly 24 hours in New York City, “Mutt” follows Feña (Lío Mehiel) as he tries to navigate a series of events that would be stressful for anyone. Piling on setbacks that specifically challenge someone still working out how to reintroduce himself to old friends and family members, writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz — who is also trans — makes audiences acutely conscious of Feña’s emotional state at every turn. “Mutt,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, sees the first-time helmer creatively using the medium to illustrate how small incidents can chip away at a trans person’s self-confidence and the strength it takes to stay true to that identity.

Feña’s day starts simply enough, focused on trying to borrow a car to pick up his Chilean father (Alejandro Goic) from the airport. Before long, it becomes a day from hell. He gets locked out of a friend’s apartment. His teenage sister (Mimi Ryder) decides to skip school, experiencing her first menstrual period while spending the day with him. As brothers go, Feña’s uniquely qualified to help her handle the situation. In fact, the night before, Feña hooked up with an ex-boyfriend (Cole Doman), sparking a pregnancy scare that also calls for a visit to the pharmacy, where he hopes to acquire a morning-after pill for himself.

Could so many problems befall a single person in such a short period? It’s a tad unrealistic, perhaps, but easy to forgive, as Lungulov-Klotz cleverly demonstrates how seemingly mundane activities can be uniquely complicated for a trans person like Feña — as when a bank clerk misgenders him and refuses to cash a check that doesn’t match the name on his driver’s license. Each encounter feels genuine and moving, such that everything resonates emotionally. Feña’s identity is constantly on his mind as these mishaps occur. It’s also on the minds of everyone he interacts with because his transition has affected them too.

Lungulov-Klotz has an authentic grasp of New York City — its streets, buildings and locally owned businesses. Each of the locations that Feña visits rings true as a real place and not a film set. Collaborating with cinematographer Matthew Pothier, they create a vision of the city that’s unlike what is usually presented in so many American indies, giving audiences images that are tangible and instantly recognizable, rather than trying to show the city in attractive light.

Mehiel, who’s in almost every scene of the movie, carries it with aplomb and is always immensely watchable. However their performance becomes even stronger when they are playing off other actors with whom they have noticeable chemistry, particularly the charismatic Doman and the heartbreaking Goic.

In an affectionate but also palpably sensual scene, Feña reconnects with his ex-boyfriend, who last saw him before the transition. Fraught with both tension and heat, the encounter begins with discomfort as Feña tries to avoid revealing his body. But as the lovers recall their strong physical connection, the moment becomes as much about discovering Feña’s new identity as it is about two lovers falling into old habits.

There’s a charge to this interaction, which is sensitively filmed and portrayed with tender affection by Mehiel and Doman. Beautifully shot and romantic in its setup, as the two lovers escape the rain to seek shelter in a laundromat, the scene becomes a transfixing moment of movie magic, a modern twist on those larger-than-life moments from the golden age of Hollywood that mixes old-fashioned romance with a sexuality that defies labels.

In queer narratives, the gruff unapproving parent is commonplace. “Mutt” presents something different: Feña’s father is skeptical and questioning of his son’s transition, but also supportive. Adding complexity to the characterization is the culture clash between a traditional Chilean father and his American son. Goic toes the line between those differing states so well, elevating his scenes with Mehiel and making them the most resonant of the whole endeavor.

While Feña’s journey may contain some contrivances, the way this young man adapts to each predicament feels authentic and emotionally potent. That’s a testament to Lungulov-Klot, who succeeds in placing vivid characters in slightly heighted situations — amplifying our connection in the process — without sacrificing the sense of realism that makes “Mutt” so relatable.

[robertacolndrez]

✨ tag game: list 7 underrated/obscure films from 2023 that you recommend ✨

tagged by @mike-mills who has the best taste 💗

not all of these are from 2023 because that would be impossible but all are recent releases and a lot of them were also directed by women!

mutt, dir. vuk lungulov-klotz (transmasc rep, with trans people in front of and behind the camera!!!)

blue jean, dir. georgia oakley

huesera, dir. michelle garza cervera

rye lane, dir. raine allen-miller

i like movies, dir. chandler levack

polite society, dir. nida manzoor

sanctuary, dir. zachary wigon (for the freaks who want a fucked up romcom* that's kinda silly)

tagging @moonlight @kallypsos @billy-crudup @emmysrossm @isabelladjanis @mia-goths

[cinema-tv-etc]

Mutt 2023

Fena, a young trans guy bustling through life in New York City, is afflicted with an incessantly challenging day that resurrects ghosts from his past. Laundromats, subway turnstiles, and airport transfers are the hectic background to this emotional drama that overlaps past, present, and future. Settling the disharmony of transitional upheaval in relationships familial, romantic, and platonic is Fena2s task at hand, and his resulting juggling act is equal parts skillful, fumbling, and honest. In negotiating his obliqueness, the poignant moments he finds between himself and others as the distance between them closes are warm, true, and touching

Q&A with MUTT Filmmaker Vuk Lungulov-Klotz and Stars Lío Mehiel, Cole Doman & MiMi Ryder

Chilean and Serbian immigrants, he was raised between Chile, the US, and Serbia. As a transgender storyteller, he hopes to expand queer narratives. His work focuses on intimate moments we often miss if we're not looking. Mutt is his debut feature film. With his feature film script, MUTT, he is an alum of the Sundance Institute Labs, the Inside Out Financing Forum, and was a top five finalist for the Tribeca / AT&T Untold Stories Grant. His award winning trans-themed short film, "Still Liam," played at festivals internationally and earned the attention of celebrated queer filmmakers Ira Sachs and Silas Howard, who have both become mentors. Vuk is also an alum of the Ryan Murphy HALF Initiative Program, where he completed a mentorship under director Janet Mock on the FX series POSE. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Lío Mehiel is a Puerto Rican and Greek artist, actor, and filmmaker. Their work spans film, television, multimedia installation, theater, and events. They are fascinated by the inherent contradiction of the trans experience — one deeply rooted in the body while also transcending beyond the body. Lío began their career as a professional salsa dancer and child actor on Broadway. They can now be seen on shows like WeCrashed (Apple+) and Tales of the City (Netflix). MUTT is their feature film debut. As a filmmaker, Lío produced Chaperone, a queer short film which premiered at Sundance 2022. They wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Disforia, a short film which premiered at Outfest Film Festival in 2018. They are now stuck inside of a psychomagic act with this story as they write the feature script version and confront their own medical transition. As an installation artist, their immersive piece Arcade Amerikana was included in the list of 10 Best Immersive Shows in NYC by Time Out and GOTHAMIST. Lío is currently the producer and creative director of Angels, a developing collection of stone sculptures of transgender humans. The works were first featured as part of a pop-up installation at Outfest LA in 2022, and will be debuted in full at SIZED Gallery LA in 2023. Lío is a co-founder of Voyeur Productions with Russell Kahn and Dulcinee DeGuere. They attended Northwestern University, and are an alumni of the Emerge NYC residency program for artists and activists. Photo credit: Jordan Rossi

Cole Doman is a trained stage and film actor living in Brooklyn, NY. During his time in Chicago, he studied at the School at Steppenwolf under Amy Morton, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Michael Patrick Thornton, and more. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune named Cole among the "Hot New Faces of Chicago Theater" in 2016. He made his film debut as the titular role in the critically acclaimed HENRY GAMBLE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY directed by Stephen Cone. He has profiles with IndieWire, Brooklyn Magazine, OUT, Milk.xyz, and was featured as one of "Best Breakout Performances of 2016" by The Film Stage. He can also be seen in Alan Ball's UNCLE FRANK (Sundance 2020, Amazon Studios) as young Frank Bledsoe played by Paul Bettany. On television he has appeared in Let the Right One In, Gossip Girl, Modern Family, Law & Order: SVU, Chicago PD, Equal, and Shameless. He developed & stars in the short film Starfuckers (MUBI) directed by Antonio Marziale which was presented in competition at Sundance Film Festival, Berlinale, and Telluride Film Festival. Other forthcoming films include: Matt Fifer’s sophomore feature TREATMENT for AMC’s Shudder and Zia Anger’s debut feature MY FIRST FILM for MUBI. Mostrecently, he starred in the world premiere of Your Own Personal Exegesis by Julia May Jonas at Lincoln Center Theatre, directed by Annie Tippe, for which his performance was lauded by The New York Times and even cartooned by The New Yorker.

[01sentencereviews]

“New-To-Me” - April 2023

Glen or Glenda (1953, Edward D. Wood Jr.)

Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990, Frank Marshall & Rob Minkoff)

The Five Obstructions (2003, Lars von Trier & Jørgen Leth)

Body Heat (1981, Lawrence Kasdan)

The Making of The Virgin Suicides (2000, Eleanor Coppola)

+++

Tummy Trouble (1989, Frank Marshall & Rob Minkoff)

Horror in the High Desert (2021, Dutch Marich)

The Glass Slipper (1955, Charles Walters)

Maat Means Land (2020, Fox Maxy)

Contact (1997, Robert Zemeckis)

New Releases:

Beau Is Afraid (Ari Aster)

Dead Ringers [Season 1] (Sean Durkin, Karena Evans, Lauren Wolkstein, & Karyn Kusama)

Disco Boy (Giacomo Abbruzzese)

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (John Francis Daley & Jonathan M. Goldstein)

The Face of the Jellyfish (Melisa Liebenthal)

Gush (Fox Maxy)

How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber)

Joyland (Saim Sadiq)

Judy Blume Forever (Davina Pardo & Leah Wolchok)

Mutt (Vuk Lungulov-Klotz)

Présages (Joanna Hogg)

Suzume (Makoto Shinkai)

A Thousand and One (A.V. Rockwell)

[eug]

Signs of spring on the final day of February! “Mutt” & “Mama” at MoMA & FLC. It was pure joy meeting and bonding with both Savannah Leaf and Vuk Lungulov-Klotz last month in Park City. Their new films — “Earth Mama” (left) and “Mutt” (right) — were two that resonated deeply among the rich roster of discoveries screening at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Both new movies are bookending the 52nd New Directors/New Films series, the prestigious annual festival curated and hosted by Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art (March 29 - April 9th). Programmers praised “Earth Mama,” an A24 film, as “a devastating and evocative portrait of motherhood refracted through the prisms of race and class,” while showcasing “Mutt,” still securing U.S. distribution, the story of “a twentysomething trans man who must contend with an onslaught of aggravations, surprise encounters, and emotional choices over a 24-hour period.” ND/NF is a truly vital showcase for new work by emerging artists and a highly anticipated spring showcase. The list of filmmakers introduced to New York City by the fest over the years is stunning: Almodóvar! Del Toro!Guadagnino! Hou! Jia! Palcy! Reichardt! Spielberg! Spike! WKW! And in the past decade alone ND/NF has boosted Maite Alberdi, Ana Lily Amirpour, Kantemir Balagov, Davy Chou, Chinonye Chukwu, Yance Ford, Eliza Hittman, Jennifer Kent, Nadav Lapid, RaMell Ross, Albert Serra, and Justin Simien, among so many others. As we often said about New Directors when I was working at Lincoln Center, “Find your next favorite filmmaker!” Congrats to all on the honor of being selected to ND/NF’s Class of 2023! More at NewDirectors.org! (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpN86WDJaiE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thequeereview]

Sundance 2023 Film Review: Mutt ★★★★

Writer-director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz—an alum of Ryan Murphy’s HALF Initiative, who mentored under Janet Mock on Pose—makes an impressive feature debut with Mutt, executive produced by Silas Howard, which just received its world premiere in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The action opens in a bustling New York club, as a close group of hip twentysomething…

[gael-garcia]

Mutt (2023, Vuk Lungulov-Klotz)

[tctmp]

Mutt: Directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz. With Lio Mehiel, Cole Doman, MiMi Ryder, Alejandro Goic. Within the space of 24 hours, Feña is swept through the extremes of human emotion when people who seemed to disappear when he transitioned are suddenly back in his life.

[filmpolicereviews]

'Mutt' review: a raw portrait of transitions and relationships

There's so much we do not know about journeys, much like this one by Feña that's been handled with compassion and care. Read Ela Bicera's review of "Mutt" here:

Mutt is a drama directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz that features the journey of Feña as he transitions into a man. Ela Bicera reviews this film that was part of the QCinema International Film Festival 2023. Spoilers are present. While Transitioning is a life-changing experience, it also comes with doubts, fears and worries. It’s not even the process itself that’s agonizing at times, rather it’s the…