RKS 2024 Film: Toronto’s Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival: “Dalton’s Dream”

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Jamaican Dalton Harris wins the 2018 X Factor UK “talent contest”. He had been preparing for an X Factor UK appearance for seven years winning several Jamaican talent contests including “Rising Star”. Now translate the X Factor UK win into stardom, fortune and fame! Pictures circulate showing Dalton hugging a man and sitting on the lap of an X Factor UK contestant. This is not well accepted by a homophobic Jamaica where gay men (batty boys) are attacked and beaten if not murdered. Still on the books is an original British colonial law over 150 years old criminalizing sex between men.

Dalton receives death threats and all manner of insults from many homophobic Jamaicans. The documentary “Dalton’s Dreams” chronicles Dalton’s struggle with homophobic elements, mental illness a traumatic childhood with a physically abusive mother and openly admitting his homosexuality which he finally does near the end of the documentary.

The homosexuality is a minor component of the documentary and what is more compelling is what an anticipated rise to fame involves. Dalton is surrounded by record company executives, record producers, agents and a troop of technicians trying to mould him into what they interpret a star to be. Endless pats on the back and compliments that are forgotten when he fails to replicate his X Factor UK moment of fame. A public dispute with his mother causes even more stress.

Some three years after his X Factor win Dalton “comes out” and makes peace with his abusive mother that beat him as a child until he bled and locked him out of the house for days.

Watch the documentary and you may be surprised by his thankfulness for winning X Factor UK and it isn’t what you think. I suppose it might how you define success.

This British documentary is directed by Kim Loginotto and Frank Murray Brown.

In person showing in Toronto on 24May2024 and virtually in Canada only 25May2024.

RKS 2024 Film Rating: 68/100.

For more information on Festival films check out insideout.ca

Published by Robert K Stephen (CSW)

Robert K Stephen writes about food ,drink, travel, film, and lifestyle issues. He also has published serialized novels "Life at Megacorp", "Virus # 26, "Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog" and "The Penniless Pensioner" Robert was the first associate member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada. He also holds a Mindfulness Certification from the University of Leiden and the University of Toronto. Be it Spanish cured meat, dried fruit, BBQ, or recycled bamboo place mats, Robert endeavours to escape the mundane, which is why he has established this publication. His motto is, "Have Story, Will Write."

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