Rainer, Yvonne

1996

A touching, thought provoking, funny non-master narrative...imagine! Yvonne Rainer, the queen of filmic deconstruction, weaves a tale of two mature women who find themselves in love and move in together. Mildred, a tenured professor, is in her mid-50's and has been a lesbian for most of her adult life. Doris, on the other hand, is a bohemian artist in her early 60's, a single mother who is new to the wonders of lesbian romance. A parallel narrative unfolds via the commentary and presence of the director herself. Rainer periodically pops up to trouble the narrative with the asymmetries of her mastectomized chest and her inquiries into the politics of breast cancer. The film is personal and reflective. It approaches heavy subjects like breast cancer, class, and female aging from many directions. These may be familiar subjects, but you can always count on Yvonne Rainer to approach the familiar in a skillful, crafty, and thought-provoking way.

Carriere, Paul

1996

In the northern Ontario mining town of Sudbury, four mothers leave their conventional homes to live out a new adventure. It's a quest for a love they can call their own - a lesbian relationship.

Mum’s the Word (Maman et Eve) offers candid portraits of four women who adopt surprising new roles in mid-life. At an age when people are expected to have settled firmly into their identities, these women radically redefine themselves. Their story is one of courage and transformation as they finally come to terms with their true sexuality after years of marriage and motherhood.

Walsh, Bailie

1996

Walsh, Bailie

1996

It's a story about drag queens you've never seen before. Consuela Cosmetica, the subject of this moving and disturbing documentary, is best described in his own words: he's a "black male, self-made star, show personality, couture specialist, liar, cheat, scam artist, credit card fraud, blackmailer, extortionist, victim of circumstance, leader, role model, and a person living with AIDS." He's also a man with remarkable strength and an unflagging determination to live and die with dignity. Mirror, Mirror tracks the last 18 months of Consuela's life, from his fabulous cabaret acts to his creation of a living will, from his appearance as a dominatrix on the Charles Perez show to the silicone removal operations necessitated by his weight loss. Free of self-pity, Consuela maintains his sense of humor through almost unimaginable trials, and in the end, provides a model for a difficult life well-lived.  Starting off the program is INSIDE, in which a man tells the camera all the things he would have liked to have done if he hadn't been sick.— Jonathan Wald

Wadia, RiyadVinci

1996

A fascinating documentary that reveals the enigmattic real life stroy of Indias most famious transsexual - the fabulous Aida Banaji

A Mermaid Called Aida is a fascinating documentary that reveals the enigmatic real life story of India's most famous transsexual, the fabulous Aida Banaji. Director Wadia explores the politics of gender and in so doing boldly challenges perceptions of race, culture and social morality.

Ottenhouse, David

1996

Mixing images of a boy and a man, health and illness, Memory Denied It follows the thoughts of one HIV-positive man as he prepares inject his daily medication.

Grotell, David

1996

Melvin Schmatzman Freudian Dentist starts with a dentist trying to rationalize his son's sexuality and follows the dad's quirky logic to its logical conclusion.

Sweeney, Allison

1996

An experimental study designed to give voice to an unconventional protaganist. Draws upon interviews with key figures in Chiapas, Mexico, to paint a portrait of a transvestite culture which thrives in the midst of brutal murders and omnipresent corruption.

Catricala, Arturo

1996

Mary Montana is a send-up of network television talk shows.

Murphy, Annabelle

1996

A woman breaks up with her lover and decides to become a female wrestler.