A rising figure on the American scene, Jordan Firstman unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival a debut feature that is endearing, in which he stars as a promoter of gay parties whose life is upended by the arrival of a son he did not know existed. An enormous crowd-pleaser.
From “cool kid” to Club Kid, there is only one step, which Jordan Firstman has decided to take with astonishing confidence. For several years now, the 34-year-old American, coming from the entertainment world and rather known for his provocations on social networks, is making a name for himself as an actor. After being revealed in the biting Rotting in the Sun, by Sebastián Silva, he has followed with several roles in comedies such as English Teacher, Hacks or even I Love LA. So many offbeat roles and above all very, very gay. With this first feature as a director, presented at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, the tall brunette reveals a more nuanced facet, and a strong potential as a filmmaker.
Not content to be behind the camera and behind the screenplay, Jordan Firstman slips in front of the camera in the role of Peter, a promoter of gay parties whose career is floundering due to his excessive drug use. Completely adrift, he is even more so when an eight-year-old son, whose existence he did not know, falls into his arms. His mother, the only woman with whom Peter has slept in all his life, has committed suicide.
Move Toward Yourself
With Club Kid, Jordan Firstman signs an openly queer work, thanks to the constellation of LGBTQ+ characters surrounding the protagonist, but also through his comic talent, with humor anchored in the era and in his generation. And all the while not losing the emotion behind the jokes. Initially reluctant to embrace his role as a father, our clubber gradually takes control for his son, Arlo, a gentle, intelligent child who loves music.
In a moving pivotal scene of the film, Peter states that this encounter has allowed him to “find the why”, that is, a reason to move forward in a world that has not always been kind to him. Discovering admiration in the eyes of this son, he simply learns to love himself. A gay tale about reinventing oneself and the power of compassion: we did not expect Jordan Firstman in such a niche, and the surprise is charming.
