Film

From a French swimming drama to a Nigerian lesbian love story and a Japanese classic — three films that use sport and the body to tell queer stories.

The body as battleground — three films that earn their tension Sport and desire rarely feel far apart on screen. The body under pressure. The gaze of another person. What you allow yourself to want. These three films use physical discipline — swimming, wrestling, martial arts — to explore queer longing. They come from France, Nigeria, and Japan. They span three decades. None of them shouts. All of them stay with you. This is the first film round-up in our sub-section this week. The picks here lean international and quiet. Later pieces will…