Saalfield Gund, Catherine

1996

Documentary video about the rise of the far right in the U.S., and the effective grassroots resistance to their agenda.

For anyone who’s lost faith in democracy in America, this program offers an inspiring antidote to end-of-the-Millenium cynicism. Begin with Barney Frank’s public service announcement about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a landmark piece of legislation which protects gays and lesbians in the workplace. Then thrill to the effective grassroots resistance strategies documented in When Democracy Works, a practical andpositive compendium of ways to fight the Right. Finally, grab a ringside seat for Our Private Idaho, a documentary about a vicious battle over an Idaho gay-rights amendment. You may not know whether to laugh or cry when you see Pat Connor, who’s trained his dog to bark ferociously at the word “queer,” but you’ll stand up and cheer when mother-of-two Dallas Chase announces, “I was a Mormon matron for 26 years and a lesbian legend for seven!”

Rinkenberger, Ginger R.
Pickford, Kathryn M.

1996

A bunch of tea ladies get a little more than they bargained for when they invite Mrs. Roosevelt to lunch in the hilarious new comedy from Ginger Rinkenberger, What Became Known As . . . The Eleanor Affair.

Dunye, Cheryl

1996

Winner of the Teddy Award from the Berlin Film Festival and recipient of Frameline's Completion Fund Award, Cheryl Dunye's debut feature film The Watermelon Woman is one of the first (openly acknowledged) feature films by a black lesbian. Set in present day Philadelphia, The Watermelon Woman is the story of Cheryl (played by the director herself), an aspiring filmmaker working "temporarily" as a video store clerk with her best friend, the quick-witted Tamara (Valerie Walker). Obsessed with a mammie character actress from the 1930's, Cheryl decides to make a documentary about this elusive woman who is known only as "The Watermelon Woman." She soon discovers that her real name is Fae Richards and that she was probably a lesbian living in the Philadelphia area. As her documentary begins to come together, Cheryl experiences an upheaval in her personal life. She finds herself falling for Diana, a whiter-than-white rich girl (played by Go Fish's Guin Turner) and receiving a lot of flack from her friend Tamara. As she explores the history of "The Watermelon Woman", Cheryl begins to question her own identity. Her relationship with Diana and her interactions with the gay and black communities all become subject to her constant re-evaluation of her life and actions. The Watermelon Woman is like a film within a film, with many parts being played by popular black, lesbian, gay and feminist academics such as Michelle Wallace, Douglas Crimp, Cheryle Clarke and a not-to-be-missed performance by Camille Paglia. Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman is quite an accomplishment, both hilarious and provocative, and it is certain to keep us contemplating the subtle complexities of race, gender and romance in the 90's for some to come.

Savage, Eleanor

1996

A documentary about aging and ageism in the lesbian community

Voicing the Legacy, a beautifully filmed documentary, takes a close look at aging and ageism in the lesbian community. As the population of aging lesbians increases, it is more important than ever before to listen to the voices of these courageous and strong older women as they tell their heartfelt stories.

Evans, Rodney

1996

A film which chronicles the lives of two exotic dancers, one male and one female, who perform for gay and lesbian audiences.

The Unveiling offers a riveting peek into the lives of three strippers: Eldad, a Latino dancer who wants to make it in films; Dixie Evans, once billed as the Marilyn Monroe of burlesque; and Michele, an African-American single mother who’s a trained choreographer. All three of them grapple with questions of identity and objectification, and by the end they’ve smashed all of our stereotypes; as Michele says, “Dancing puts me in a space where I’m happiest.”

1996

Di Feliciantonio, Tina
Wagner, Jane C.

1996

Set against a harsh backdrop of the poor, white American South of the 1950's, Two or Three Things but Nothing for Sure is the coondensed story of critically acclaimed author Dorothy Allison.

Dorothy Allison (Bastard Out of Carolina) tells of her growing up poor and white in the South in Tina Di Feliciantonio & Jane C. Wagner’s award winning short Two or Three Things But Nothing for Sure.

Deacon, Chris

1996

A trip to the grocery store offers new opportunities in Twisted Sheets.

Marks, Ross Kagan

1996

[From IMDB]: "When Suzanne Stein has a genetic analysis done on her unborn child, she discovers that although she has a healthy baby, the child will most likely be born gay, like her brother, David. She must decide whether to keep the child, or to have an abortion. Her family enters a crisis about love and acceptance as she makes this difficult choice. "

Praunheim, Rosa von

1996

In the autumn of 1995 Rosa von Praunheim shot a documentary that does what few such films are able to do: it explains and captivates. Not limited to a psychological exploration of gender dysphoria or an objectifying study of "freak" behavior, this film attempts to make the technical world of gender transitioning accessible to an audience that includes transgendered and non-transgendered people alike. In so doing, this documentary never sacrifices the integrity of its' subjects. Transgender queers describe the biological technicalities of gender transition and discuss the complex relationship between male-to-female and female-to-male queers. In the midst of these discussions, two very important events in transgender history take place: the Southern Comfort Conference for F-T-M's and Transgender Lobbying Day in DC. These public events don't just showcase transgenderism like talk shows do; they speak with a transgendered voice. Focused primarily in the US, the film features groups from the past decade such as the New York-based Transexual Menace who unapologetically seeks to make a visible image of women and men who are transexual by choice. Gone are the tragically afflicted men-to-women who mourn what they could have been had they been born in the "right" body. This documentary is about queers taking responsibility for their own happiness.