Fridae

Heath Ledger died on Tuesday at the age of 28. His body was found naked in his Manhattan apartment with some prescriptions pills nearby. Neither suicide nor foul play is suspected.

For gay men and women everywhere, the talented straight actor will always be remembered for his brave role as Ennis the gay cowboy in Ang Lee's masterpiece of gay cinema, Brokeback Mountain.

Mumbling, grunting, with his eyes permanently downcast, Ennis was the very picture of a tortured gay soul, unable to come to terms with his all-too-natural attraction for men. Even after marrying a woman (Michelle Williams), Ennis continues to have sex with his secret gay lover Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal).

It is only near the end of his life that Ennis makes peace with himself and realises that Jack is the only one he ever really loved. He leaves his family and moves into a trailer that's positioned to look out at Brokeback Mountain, the place where he and Jack fell in love.

Although no modern gay person would approve of such a tortured gay existence in this day and age, Brokeback Mountain is set in the 1960s Wyoming where the lack of information and the conservative ethos largely define how a man should live. One can empathise.

Director Ang Lee called Heath's performance a "miracle" of acting, and Heath went on to score a Best Actor Oscar nomination - his one and only.

Ledger's father, Kim, speaking from Australia, issued a brief televised statement in which he said, "Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure to truly know him."

By coincidence, Brokeback Mountain is set to be screened this weekend at the Love and Pride Film Festival, Singapore's first feature film festival dedicated to LGBT films. It will play on Saturday and Sunday nights at GV Grand and GV Vivocity Gold Class cinema. (See our Fridae Festival Guide for details.)

Born in Perth, Australia in 1979, Heath found Hollywood success at a relatively early age of 20. His good looks and obvious talent easily propelled him to stardom, with roles in commercial flicks like 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale.

But it was only later that he revealed his darker streak, moving towards brooding roles in heavy dramas like Monster's Ball, Lords of Dogtown and Brokeback Mountain. His upcoming role as the Joker in the Batman movie, The Dark Knight, is his last and possibly darkest.

He was engaged to his Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams in 2005 and they have a 2-year-old daughter together. But the couple split up last year.

Heath's untimely death puts him in the ranks of other bright, beautiful stars who died young, like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, River Phoenix and Brandon Lee.

Fridae mourns his passing.

Brokeback Mountain is one of seven films that will be screened at The Pride & Love Film Festival. The festival will run from the 25 to 27 Jan at GV Grand and GV Vivocity Gold cinemas. Tickets at GV Grand are at $7 per movie, or $18 for three movies together. Tickets at GV Vivocity Gold Class cinema are at $98 for two persons and come with a glass of Moet & Chandon champagne each and strawberries fondue. To check timings and book tickets, log on to the link below. For synopses of the films, please see our Fridae Festival Guide.