Filmmaker JAMILA WIGNOT’S new documentary of modern dance auteur , the tortured genius Alvin Ailey makes for such hypnotic viewing. With a combination of audio interviews with the man himself and some breath taking archival footage of his early performances, she gives an intimate portrait of one of the greatest interpreters of the universality of the African-American experience .
Wignot bases her film around a production of “Lazarus,” a new piece in honor of Ailey, which the present day Ailey company rehearses under the direction of ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROBERT BATTLE and choreographer RENNIE HARRIS. But in between she starts with Ailey’s poverty stricken childhood with his single parent mother struggling to survive the Depression in 1930’s Texas.
His very tight bond with his mother lasts his entire life, until it is cut short in 1989 when he dies of AIDS aged 58. In order to shield her from the stigma of AIDS, he asks his Doctor to announce his death was from a blood disease.
In 1941 when he was just 10 years old he and his mother moved to Los Angelas for ‘ a better life’ and that was where he first discovered dance in the form of BALLET RUSSE DE MONTE-CARLO. He was totally hooked watching, but too afraid of the potential negative name calling, he never considered dancing himself. That is until his classmate and friend CARMEN DE LAVALLADE dragged him to the studio of LESTER HORTON, and the die was cast. It was De Lavallade who was also responsible for his next move when, when she and Ailey were cast as a dancing couple in a Broadway Show.
This was the beginning of his success as a dancer, but Ailey was very frustrated and at being unable to find a choreographer whose work fulfilled him, he started gathering dancers to perform his own Company.
It was 1958, and he had only been in NY for 4 years, and the new ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER soon had its debut at the 92ND STREET Y That performance included Ailey’s first masterpiece, Blues Suite, and two years later he premiered his most popular and critically acclaimed work, REVELATIONS, In creating Revelations Ailey drew upon his “blood memories” of growing up in Texas surrounded by Black people, the church, spirituals, and the blues.
It was not all plain sailing as former members recalled of the hardships of performing low budget tours around the country. All squeezed on a single bus dashing from city to city and having to staying in shabby motels which were the only ones to accept their mixed race Company.
However most of them, and several other figures from the dance world that lined up to testify to Ailey’s sheer genius. talked so admiringly about the choreographer, but not about the man. We learn later that he suffered from bipolar disorder which landed him a spell in a mental institution, but little more about his personal life.
One dancer commented that throughout his 15 year tenure with the Company and the good relationship he had enjoyed with Ailey, he had still only hung out with him once socially.
Even though Ailey hated being called a ‘black choreographer he had formed the Company to celebrate African American culture and to provide performances for black dancers, who were frequently denied opportunities due to racist mores of the time. But his sexuality was a total no-go area, although the film refers to one known affair, there is no other real reference to him being gay. It is suggested however that being closeted was a cause of his unhappiness and his regular bouts of depression.
This film gives such wonderful examples of Ailey’s stunning work and will totally delight his fans, but on the other hand it is still disappointing that we did not learn much about the great man himself. There was talk last year of Oscar Winner BARRY JENKINS (Moonlight) was working on a biopic on Ailey, maybe he’ll fill in the missing gaps them
The Jewish Community Center Sonoma County is proud to present the 6th Annual Israeli Film Festival, producedVIRTUALLY in 2021. Five new and highly acclaimed Israeli films will be available online on a dedicated, user-friendly platform. The films will be available on-demand for three weeks, March 12 – April 2. Live filmmaker talks will allow the community to interact with the creative minds behind the works. All-Access Season Passes on sale February 26.
TICKETS, TRAILERS, and FILM GUIDE: WWW.JCCSOCO.ORG. Season Passes: $60 single, $80 “mishpacha” family; Single Tickets on sale March 5: $14, $24.
ASIA (DRAMA) – Starring Shira Haas (Unorthodox, Shtisel) and Alena Yiv, ASIA is the story of a thirty-five-year-old Russian immigrant and single mother (named Asia). Free-spirited and non-judgmental, she is put to the test when her teenage daughter Vika, who is disabled, announces that she’s ready to lose her virginity. New director Ruthy Pribar created an emotionally intense, heartbreaking film. Premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival winning Best Actress, Best Cinematography, and the Nora Ephron Prize; the film won nine Israeli Academy Awards (Ophir) including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. The Israeli entry for the American Academy Awards. (85 Minutes; Hebrew, Russian).
FORGIVENESS (COMEDY) – Set in the south of Israel near the Gaza border where beleaguered citizens live withincoming rocket fire, longtime pals Shaul and Nissan attempt to rob a postal bank. They think they’ve got a great aplan, but they mangle the job royally, and Shaul is collared and sent to prison. Years later, upon his release, Shaul is less than pleased to be greeted by the newly religious Nissan who seeks his forgiveness in the week leading up to Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. This exuberant goofball buddy-film highlights the exceptional rapport between the film’s creators, directors, and stars, Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir, best known for their hit television series Asfur. (104 Minutes; Hebrew).
HERE WE ARE (DRAMA) – Aharon has devoted his life to raising his son Uri. They live in a gentle routine, away from the real world. But Uri is autistic, and now as a young adult it might be time for him to live in a specialized home. While on their way to the institution, Aharon decides to run away with his son and hits the road. Directed by Nir Bergman with powerful performances by Shai Avivi, Noam Imber, HERE WE ARE was an official selection of theCannes Film Festival and was nominated for nine Israeli Academy Awards. (92 Minutes; Hebrew).
KISS ME KOSHER (COMEDY) – When their lesbian daughter becomes engaged to a German woman, and grandma has a secret lover, this subversive love story exposes the clashing opinions, secrets, lies, and hypocrisy of a traditional Jewish Israeli family. KISS ME KOSHER is a charming romantic misadventure crossing all societal borders. Directed by Shirel Peleg (101 Minutes; Hebrew, English, German).
MRS. G (DOCUMENTARY) – Mrs. Lea Gottlieb, was the legendary designer, founder, and owner of the Gottex swimwear empire. Gottlieb was a woman full of contradictions, and she knew how to recover from periods of crisis. She survived the Holocaust, established a small factory in Israel, and achieved phenomenal success abroad. The filmfollows Mrs. G’s incredible creativity, dominant personality, complex relationships, and passion, for which she paid a heavy price. (56 Minutes; Hebrew).
Today, Frameline—the world’s longest-running and largest showcase of queer cinema—announced the recipients of the 2020 Frameline Completion Fund, which provides much-needed grants to emerging and established filmmakers to complete projects that represent and reflect LGBTQ+ life in all its complexity and richness. The awardees are: Fanny: The Right To Rock, directed by Bobbi Jo Hart;Hummingbirds,directed by TELOXÍCO Collective;No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics, directed by Vivian Kleiman; North By Current, directed by A. Madsen Minax; and Untitled Feature Documentary,directed by Rita Baghdadi.
The five projects—each receiving $5,000—were chosen out of 131 submissions that included feature films and shorts in documentary, narrative, experimental, and episodic forms. The 2020 Frameline Completion Jury was comprised of filmmakers, all of whom are Frameline Festival alums, including Elegance Bratton (Pier Kids, Buck, and a 2019 Completion Fund grantee), Vicky Du (Gaysians), and Sam Feder(Disclosure and two-time Completion Fund grantee). Since 1990, Frameline has awarded $595,000 to 168 projects to help ensure LGBTQ+ film/video projects are completed and viewed by wider audiences.
“On behalf of Frameline, I am honored to present these five filmmakers with a Completion Fund grant,” said Frameline Director of Programming Allegra Madsen. “Now more than ever, it is critical to support filmmakers whose work explores diverse and complex LGBTQ+ stories. We look forward to premiering a number of these works at this year’s festival.”
FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK Directed by Bobbi Jo Hart | Documentary Feature | Canada FANNY: The Right to Rock reveals the untold story of a Filipina American founded garage band from Sacramento that morphed into the ferocious rock group Fanny, the first band of women to release an album with a major record label (Warner/Reprise/1970).
HUMMINGBIRDS Directed by TELOXÍCO Collective | Documentary Feature | USA In this uniquely collaborative coming-of-age film, inseparable best friends Silvia and Beba emerge at night to escape the cruel summer heat of their Texas border town, wandering empty streets in search of inspiration, adventure, and a sense of belonging. When forces beyond their control threaten their shared dreams and they are faced with an uncertain future, they take a stand and hold onto what they can—the moment and each other.
NO STRAIGHT LINES: THE RISE OF QUEER COMICS Directed by Vivian Kleiman | Documentary Feature | USA Five scrappy and pioneering queer cartoonists journey from isolation and DIY work, to mainstream acceptance, and depicted everything from workplace discrimination and gender, to themes of love, sex, and a bad haircut day. Their work and personal stories are sure to make you laugh – but also make you think about the challenges and triumphs encountered and overcome along the way.
NORTH BY CURRENT Directed by A. Madsen Minax | Documentary Feature | USA North By Current is a visual rumination on the understated relationships between mothers and children, truths and myths, losses and gains. After the inconclusive death of his young niece, filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax returns to his rural Michigan hometown prepared to make a film about a broken criminal justice system. Instead, he pivots to excavate the depths of generational addiction, Christian fervor, and trans embodiment. Like the relentless Michigan seasons, the meaning of family shifts, as Madsen, his sister, and his parents strive tirelessly to accept each other.
UNTITLED FEATURE DOCUMENTARY Directed by Rita Baghdadi | Documentary Feature | USA LOGLINE NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME
Other projects finished with assistance from the Frameline Completion Fund include: Vision Portraits, Call Her Ganda, Chavela, Pariah, Appropriate Behavior, Call Me Kuchu, To Be Takei, Last Call at Maud’s, The New Black, Brother to Brother, Kumu Hina, The Cockettes, Vito, Freeheld, We Were Here, Ahead of the Curve, and Gun Hill Road. For a complete list of previous recipients, click here.
The Frameline Completion Fund is supported by The Williams & Hart Rainbow Fund of Horizons Foundation.
I don’t know about you but I’ve seen a lot of lists of ‘best lesbian films’ or ‘films about bi women that you must see’ which are (almost) entirely comprised of films about white women. Don’t get me wrong- those films are great- but if we don’t also talk about the films that focus on lesbians and bi women of color, we are missing out on some major talent.
Fiona: As an artist, not working in either a corporate environment or an environment where I have to work with other people makes it easier for me to be who I am. I don’t have to say, “oh I have to balance being a woman, with being black, with being queer, with being an immigrant. I’m just all those things all the time.”
This incredible feature length documentary shares the lives and views from various black lesbians on their sexuality, media representation, patriarchy, homophobia, and activism; inspiring honest and progressive conversations and highlighting how black lesbians are viewed, ignored, and affected by society.
Director Tiona McClodden had conversations with almost 50 out, black, lesbians including Filmmaker/Activist Aishah Shahidah Simmons, Hip-Hop Duo KIN, and Author Fiona Zedde.
New Line Cinema
Cleo: That’s what we need to do, rob a bank.
Stoney: That’s stupid; ain’t nobody over here gonna be robbing no bank.
Cleo: We’re gonna end up dead anyway.
This film centers around Cleopatra ‘Cleo’ Sims (Queen Latifah), and her friends Stoney (Jada Pinkett Smith), Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) and T.T (Kimberly Elise) as they plot to go on a bank-robbing spree for four very different reasons. What starts off as a crazy ‘what if’, quickly escalates into murder.
Will they get caught? Whose life is in danger? Will any of them escape?
I Can’t Think Straight
Layla: Have you ever done this before?
Tala: Slept with a woman while my fiancé makes wedding preparations?
This beautiful film features a Palestinian woman, Tala (Lisa Ray), who is currently on her fourth engagement to a man (for some reason the first three just didn’t stick) when she meets her best friend’s girlfriend and emerging writer Layla (Sheetal Sheth).
The two begin an affair and Tala begins to question her sexuality (you see what I mean about those past engagements not working out) but Layla ends the relationship after Tala messes up. Will they end up together or will convention force them apart?
Frida (Amazon Prime)
Tina: Whoever takes the biggest swig [of Tequila] can dance with me.
Frida: *swigs* Shall we?
This biopic of bisexual Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) explores Frida’s life and loves against the political and cultural backdrop of the early 20th Century. Although much of the movie does focus on her dysfunctional relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), we do get glimpses of her affairs with lady loves, like Tina (Ashley Judd).
Circumstance (Netflix Canada)
Atefeh: I can’t do this anymore.
Shirin: Nothing has changed. I love you.
This heartbreaking drama tells the story of how hard it is to be LGBT under the Iranian Regime. It’s the story of Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri), a rich teen, and her girlfriend Shireen (Sarah Kazemy), an orphan, who love partying and experimenting with drink and drugs (despite the fact that Atafeh’s brother Mehran’s (Reza Sixo Safai) is an ex-addict).
As the girls grow closer, Atafeh’s family tries to tear them apart and Mehran becomes increasingly religious and becomes obsessed with Shireen.
This movie is actually based on the experiences of director/writer Maryam Keshavarz who grew up in Iran. Because the film dealt with a lesbian storyline, fake scripts sent to the Lebanese authorities and the actors had to accept that they may not be able to see their families after the release. That’s pretty heartbreaking in itself.
Stud Life (Amazon Prime)
JJ: You don’t like Elle, do you? You can’t stand to see me with somebody.
Seb: She’s not right for you.
This British indie film focuses on stud lesbian, JJ (T’Nia Miller), and her gay best friend, Seb (Kyle Treslove), whose friendship is tested when she falls for the beautiful diva, Elle (Robyn Kerr). Will JJ be forced to choose between an old friend and a new love? Or can this be worked out?
The Watermelon Women
Cheryl: I’ve [watched] all these films from the 30s and 40s with black actresses in them, like Hattie McDaniel and Louise Beavers and in some of these films, the black actresses aren’t even listed in the credits and I was just totally shocked by that.
I will admit that I find the title of this movie troubling but stay with me here.
This movie follows Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) a young black filmmaker who works at a video store (if you’re under 18, video stores are like a brick and mortar Netflix) with her friend Tamara (Valarie Walker).
Cheryl watches several films from the 1930s and 1940s and notices that the black actresses in them were not credited (which is typical of the time period). After seeing one particular film in which a Mammy-style character is billed in the credits only as The Watermelon Woman, Cheryl sets out to find out more about the actress and create a documentary about her life.
While working on the documentary, Cheryl meets and falls for Diana (Guinevere Turner), who Tamara dislikes. Then Tamara accuses Cheryl of wanting to be white and Diana, who is white, of having a fetish for black people.
Will Cheryl track down the actress? Will Tamara split Cheryl and Diana up?
Pariah (Netflix)
Focus Features
Alike: I am not broken, I am free.
This is the story of 17-year-old Alike (Adepero Oduye), a butch lesbian who is exploring her sexuality, deciding to dress androgynously, and falling in love for the first time, with femme Bina (Aasha Davis).
Upon coming out, Alike faces violence from her mother, Audrey (Kim Wayans), who cannot accept her daughter and wants her to act ‘feminine’ and be straight. Alike has a choice to make; should she attempt to gain her mother’s approval or leave early for college?
Bessie
Bessie: I ain’t playing second to nobody!
This HBO biopic about bisexual blues singer Bessie Smith (the second entry for Queen Latifah on this list) is truly one for the ages.
It certainly doesn’t shy away from depicting the racism that Bessie was subjected to throughout her life, from vaudeville producers who refused to feature dark-skinned black women in their shows to the attitudes of rich white guests but it is interspersed with tender moments featuring her lover Lucille (Tika Sumpter) and uplifting scenes Ma Rainey (Mo’Nique) taking Bessie under her wings.
In what might be the most epic moment of the movie, Bessie chases off the KKK who attempt to attack her during a show.
The Women of Brewster Place (Netflix)
Theresa: Lorraine, you are a lesbian. A dyke, a lesbo, a butch, all those names that boy was calling you. Yes, I saw it! And you can run in all the basements in the world, and it’s not gonna change anything. Why can’t you just accept it?
Lorraine: I have accepted it! I’ve accepted it all my life! I lost my family because of that, but it doesn’t make me different than anybody else in this world!
This 1989 made-for-TV movie, based on the novel of the same name by Gloria Naylor, tells the story of several black women who live in a rundown housing project.
Lorraine (Lonette McKee) and Theresa (Paula Kelly) are a lesbian couple who fled suburbia due to their sexuality but find that homophobia is just as much of a problem in the city. Although they are not the main characters, their role was ground-breaking at the time.
Bonus: This movie was produced by and stars Oprah Winfrey.
This is absolutely not a complete list and I would love to see your suggestions in the comments for other films about lesbians or bi women of color that you’ve particularly enjoyed so that we can all increase our catalogue of fantastic films.
This time our villainess has dispensed with The Cool Girl and has picked up a different stereotype of femininity — The Carer. Men can’t see through her nurturing exterior. She’s a sociopath, but in a professional, polished package, so you’d never expect it.
Marla Grayson acts as a legal guardian to seniors, making financial and medical decisions for those whose family’s can’t help. But Marla is actually scamming these wards of the state, putting them in expensive care homes, flipping their houses and selling their estates, alongside Fran, her investigator/analyst/fixer girlfriend.
So this is a comedy?
When the set up is as tasteless as a dead baby joke, as J Blakeson’s film is, some people are just not going to want to stick around for the punchline. That’s how I felt anyway, trying to sit still for a story where the protagonist is a grifting, exploitative elder abuser. Am I too sensitive? Because I feel like senior abuse in our extremely broken health care system is too real to be humorous.
It wasn’t until a third of the way through a disturbingly sociopathic film, whose attempts at irony or satire fell just short of actually forcing a smile or a laugh, that the film’s humor finally broke through.
Peter Dinklage shows up playing a mysterious mob boss, a little bit unhinged and universally threatening if things don’t go according to his plan. His incompetent henchmen provide a bit of madcap comic relief. Chris Messina enters as a verbose and eloquent Saul Goodman-type, but out of a Coen Brothers script. OK, you’ve worn me down, Blakeson. I will ride with your dead-baby-joke-level script.
With time, the unlikeable and repulsive Marla becomes more watchable. It helps that the chemistry between Marla and her blisteringly hot business partner and girlfriend Fran is believable.
Like Gone Girl, I Care a Lot is preoccupied with gender roles and sexual politics. The hyper-feminine carer/nurturer at the center of I Care a Lot begs the question: how can femininity effectively obscure violence, exploitation and ambition? Gender roles and stereotypes like docility, a caring nature, an instinct to nurture, which are forcibly put on women as a class, can actually be exploited for the power and profit of the individual woman. Male violence on full display in society creates a diversion that allows the female sociopath to lurk, stalk and loot in plain sight.
In I Care a Lot, Roman Lunyov’s weakness (loving his mom) would traditionally be coded as feminine. To protect her, he asserts a real burn-it-all-down type of masculine power: kidnapping, torture, (attempted) murder. Marla is his opposite. She loves nothing so much as power. She wants money even at the cost of love. Her counterattacks go through the courts, through the hospital system. She’s sly and flying under the radar as best as she can.
Marla’s insistence on moving forward with her plans for domination in the guardianship field, in spite of the promise of violence, is relatable to any woman who has resisted sexual grooming, intimidation, and even threats from chauvinists. That’s going to include a lot of straight women too, but lesbians, faced with ‘you just haven’t found the right man,’ or ‘you could really use a good d*ck to turn you straight,” are going to find some catharsis in Marla’s stubbornness and fearlessness.
I CARE A LOT (2021) Rosamund Pike as Marla. Cr: Seacia Pavao/NETFLIX
Some kind of Third Wave Feminism
As a lesbian, the central character, is also a symbol of the rejection of, even a resistance to, male power. Lesbianism is a boundary. It’s a hard stop, a wall. It centers women in a world where maleness and masculinity are the standard, the norm, the axis of power around which everything else is believed to orbit. And Marla is her own axis of power, refusing to bend to gangsters, administrators, or the law. She’s a product of third-wave feminism — a woman amassing power by any means, just as men do.
Comparisons to Gone Girl in my own review and in countless others that you’ll encounter this week is not fair to Rosamund Pike, who has in fact made more than one movie. Her range is not limited to blonde-bobbed sociopaths who break the fourth wall to offer their own armchair feminist philosophy. But you’re going to keep seeing those comparisons because Gone Girl is essentially a perfect psychological thriller and a deep read on gender roles and sexual politics, a combo that I Care a Lot is also aiming for.
That instant and unavoidable comparison creates one of the film’s biggest stumbling blocks.
Remember how, shortly after the smash hit A Quiet Place had audiences (specifically me) screaming with its combination of alien invasion/creature feature/plague horror, Netflix took all these elements and made their own (seemingly knock-off) alien/creature/plague apocalypse horror? Where in A Quiet Place, the creatures were triggered by sound, and deafness proved to be an advantage that saved the day and pointed to a brighter tomorrow, in Bird Box it was sight, and blindness was the key to a brighter tomorrow.
It almost seemed like Netflix had written, produced and cast the film by algorithm, swapping out successful elements of a blockbuster to create a data-driven small screen success. In fact, Bird Box was adapted from a novel, but its similarities to AQuiet Place, along with the timing and hype around its release, led to audiences feeling let down.
Well, I Care A Lot feels real algorithm-y. It brings to mind Rosamund Pike’s iconic turn as Amy Dunne, sure, but also Maniac (which was produced by algorithm) and Ryan Murphy’s recent Netflix vehicles, with their escalating camp and color blocking.
Amy Dunne was not a likeable villain. She was nasty, unstoppably evil, and her femininity was a super power that allowed her to pull off airtight crimes, just like our Marla.
Although she was unlikeable, it’s exciting to root for her and Nick in the end. He’s trash, she’s trash, they’re perfect for each other. In a sick way, these characters lose and win in equal measure in the battle for their marriage. The thriller twists into a very gothic romance, and who doesn’t want soul mates to stay together?
That sentiment, of rooting for evil to meet its match, is what’s missing from I Care a Lot. The ending pulls the remaining loose ends in the story together to try and tie them up, but it doesn’t work, or at least for me it didn’t, because the justice served is cheap and shallow. Lunyov doesn’t get a comeuppance on par with Marla’s and Fran’s. And unlike Nick and Amy Dunne’s ending, you can’t turn this one over and over in your mind for hours or days after it’s over, considering all the demented and disturbing outcomes for these characters.
After much resistance, J Blakeson’s film had finally worn me down. If I wasn’t rooting for the evil assholes, at least I wanted to find out what happens to them next. But in the end, caring a little was not rewarded by I Care a Lot.
Revry celebrates Women’s History Month with an entire March calendar highlighting incredible female Queer content made by and for the community. “Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day is such an important time at Revry. As a company that is co-founded by two women of color we have always made sure that we’ve highlighted and honored queer women as a part of our mission” says Revry Co-Founder Alia J. Daniels. “This March we are excited to particularly highlight titles on Revry that honor the experience of Queer women, including and especially our trans sisters who for far too long haven’t received their full shine during these moments.” Women’s History Month on Revry begins March 1st with empowering double-features Addicted to Fresno, the crime comedy starring Aubrey Plaza, Natasha Lyonne and Judy Greer; and the historical civil rights documentary Political Animals. Throughout the month, Revry will celebrate women with new content including the new animated series My Pride: The Series, and the queer coming-of-age dramedy Gay Mean Girls premiereing on International Women’s Day March 8th..
The womxn specific channel OML on Revry will premiere three new series for audiences. On March 2, OML on Revry launches the Streamy award-nominated comedy series Twenty, which follows a lesbian couple and their ecclectic group of friends navigating careers, love, and life in their early twenties. Also premiering this month is the hilariously hot lesbian soap opera Chica Busca Chica.
In addition, March is Bisexual Health Awareness Month, and OML on Revry will premiere the mystery thriller Renée and the Seven Cards which centers on a bisexual fitness fanatic who must track down her missing psychic to understand an ominous tarot card reading that predicts her death. Revry will also feature a collection of originals and select programming including the award-winning romantic-comedy 2 in the Bush: A Love Story for Bisexual Health Awareness Month, the powerful documentary My Name was Januaryfor Trans Day of Visibility, and the musical-comedy Happy Playland for International Day of Happiness. The global Queer TV network, 50% black female founded, takes this month as an opportunity for audiences to find even more free queer female entertainment playing on Revry’s Live Linear channels and On-Demand at watch.revry.tv.
The full calendar of events is below, including hyperlinks on titles available to watch immediately.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH CALENDAR ON REVRY Monday, March 1, 2021 Addicted To Fresno – Addicted to Fresno is a raunchy, uproarious comedy about co-dependent sisters (Judy Greer, Natasha Lyonne) who work as hotel maids in Fresno, CA. When Shannon jeopardizes her fresh start by accidentally killing a hotel guest after a post-rehab relapse, Martha goes to great lengths to help her sister cover up the crime. Girl Fight : A Muay Thai Story – For a fighter, winning and losing is everything. Prairie Rugilo recognized that fact and opened her all-female Muay Thai kickboxing gym to inspire and empower women through martial arts. Prairie and her student, DeAna must overcome their personal demons through the support of their teammates and loved ones to become the champions they were meant to be, embarking on a journey that takes them down roads they did not expect. Political Animals – Political Animals celebrates the legendary civil rights victories of four trailblazing California state politicians: Carole Migden, Sheila Keuhl, Jackie Goldberg, and Christine Kehoe. Fierce and unrelenting, these courageous women toppled a partisan majority and emerged victors to pass historic legislation for social justice and LGBT+ equality.
Tuesday, March 2, 2021 Twenty (OML) – 5pm PT (Episode 1&2) – Twenty follows the story of Maya, her girlfriend Catalina, and her group of eclectic friends as they navigate careers, love, and life in their early twenties. With two seasons under their belt, a streamy award nomination, Twenty examines the comedic complexities of interpersonal relationships, focusing on the stories of women and more specifically, LGBT women who are often inaccurately represented in the limelight.
Friday, March 5, 2021 Same Same – Meeting through a social networking app, three women from very different backgrounds navigate life, love and the complexities of the modern queer experience. Wild Animal – Wild Animal is Melanie Vesey’s debut comedy special and album. Blessed with some wild times, Melanie talks about her life after being shot by her cop x-girlfriend, having a baby with a Project Runway winner, getting gay married and raising a human son despite herself being a Wild Animal. Loss prevention – When an old-school bar owner and his unruly daughter get caught up in a cat-and-mouse game of corporate espionage, it will take brains, brawn and help from the lesser of two evils to make it out alive.
Monday, March 8, 2021 – International Women’s Day Carly Usdin: “Ru Girl” – Debut music video for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 5 finalist, drag superstar Alaska Thunderfuck, directed and edited by Carly Usdin with cinematography by Robin Roemer. Inspired by some iconic music videos of the 90s, including “Justify My Love,” and “My Name Is.” Gay Mean Girls – Gay Mean Girls is a Canadian coming-of-age series that follows prom committee member Lucy Ching as she seeks to understand her sexuality, charm her best friend Miranda, and fit in with the gay community. Based on a viral short film that earned over 3.5 million hits on YouTube, the project was written and directed by queer women of colour. My Pride: The Series – My Pride is a dark fantasy web-series following a disabled lioness named Nothing. Injured as a cub and unable to demonstrate her hunting abilities, her name is a cruel reminder of what she lacks. Nothing’s life is changed forever when she’s forced out of her Pride and must survive on her own, and in doing so, discover her own special connection with her Goddesses, and learn how to heal her broken world. Almost Adults – A platonic love story between two best friends, Cassie and Mackenzie, in their final year of college as they transition into adulthood. Mackenzie, recently out, embraces her sexuality and tries to catch up on everything she has missed during her teenage years, while Cassie ends a long term relationship with her boyfriend and discovers her life isn’t going as planned. Both struggle to keep their friendship together as they begin growing apart. Lip Service – “Lip Service” explores the lives, loves, & lusts of lipstick lesbians in Scotland. Septo – What happens when you realize your dreams are no longer your own? Promising triathlete, Jessica has trained her entire life and finally has a shot at the Olympics. When she meets Lua, the mysterious and confident surf instructor, Jessica realizes just how trapped she feels by her own life and her controlling father. Explore this story of love, ambition and drama in Revry’s Original Series, SEPTO.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 – Women’s Health AIDS Awareness Day Our Love Story – Yoon-ju is a graduate student of fine arts and is working on her graduation exhibition. One day, while she is searching for materials for her project, she runs into Ji-soo at a junk shop. Watching Ji-soo in an odd place, Yoon-ju finds herself drawn to her. After their initial encounter, Yoon-ju once again runs into Ji-soo at a convenience store, and the two eventually start dating. Never having enjoyed dating men, Yoon-ju finds Ji-soo fascinating and becomes completely infatuated with her. Submission Possible – In this Revry Original, Madison Young delves deep into sex magic rituals, herbal aphrodisiacs, cemeteries, sexy seances and spectrophilia in the hauntingly sexy city of New Orleans. Akagire – Teenager Satsuki feels desolate. Loving her girlfriend Jun is so natural to Satsuki, but even her mother thinks that her daughter’s love for her girlfriend is “not normal.” Dating a woman but also having a relationship with a man, Satsuki’s sexuality is swaying. 2 In The Bush: A Love Story – Emily has just been dumped by her girlfriend, kicked out of her apartment, and fired from her job. Her best friend hooks her up with a new gig: personal assistant to a dominatrix. But when Emily falls for her new boss — and her new boss’s boyfriend — she must decide what risks are worth taking for love. 2 In The Bush is an unconventional romantic comedy about dungeons, a fish named Archimedes, and the many forms that love takes.
Thursday, March 11, 2021 Chica & Sun (OML) – 5pm PT (4 episodes) – This hot and hilarious lesbian soap opera takes you on a wild ride through the mixed up love lives of a group of sexy Madrid lesbians including the unbelievably gorgeous Spanish TV star Celia Freijeiro. Think: The L Word meets Almodovar.
Monday, March 15, 2021 Convince Me – Convince Me is a series created with Next Gen America to give information about the voting process, so you can feel confident when showing up for the polls this November. Please watch and share. It’s so important for people to see this to understand the voting process, and why it’s so important for us to use our voice for change. Cameron Esposito: Marriage Material– In her first special, the purveyor of fine jokes, Cameron Esposito, has some harsh truths for you. From the secrets of a women’s locker room to her stance on gun control, she gets real. And, we wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s Marriage Material.
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 – St. Patricks Day Pot Luck – New Zealand’s first lesbian web series has arrived! Three friends make a pact which turns their weekly potluck dinners into a search for love. Or not. “Pot Luck” serves up contemporary lesbian life in three great flavours: Debs, Beth, and Mel, as they negotiate friendship, family, and finding love at their weekly potluck dinners. Set in Wellington, this original comedy web series is fun, sexy, and occasionally ridiculous. Lez Bomb– From executive producer, Bobby Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary), comes a new holiday comedy about a young woman (Writer-Director, Jenna Laurenzo) who comes home for Thanksgiving with some life changing news. Little does she know, the eccentric cast of characters that make up her extended family have their own stirring surprises. The result is a hilarious series of events forcing the family to come together in what amounts to the most unceremonious of holidays. As it turns out, there is no good time to drop the Lez Bomb.
Thursday, March 18, 2021 Chica & Sun (OML) – 5pm PT (4 episodes) Saturday, March 20, 2021 – National Happiness Day Seeking Dolly Parton – When Charlie (Kacey Barnfield) and her partner Cerina (Anya Monzikova) decide to have a baby, they go to Cerina’s estranged ex-boyfriend Josh (Michael Worth) to help fill in the “blanks”. But when old feelings return to the surface, the new feelings are not coming in without a fight. This unique threesome must each confront their own “closeted” emotions before allowing a new light to shine into all their lives. Margaret Cho: Psycho – Comedian Margaret Cho performs in front of a live audience in this provocative and hilarious comedy special event, tackling off-limits issues from Boko Haram to female empowerment with her razor sharp insight and wit. Happy Playland – Billie Haare, an anxious actress caught between her passion for stage and her parents’ dreams of the silver screens, starts a new job at a desolate indoor playground, managed by wannabe-insta-star Cris. Billie quickly develops feelings for social justice warrior, Zara, who is sadly 23 and not looking for anything serious. After a passionate moment in the ball pit, Billie and Zara both begin to question what they want. But the playland is soon to be closed – and Billie’s anxiety can only handle so much. Cris decides to intervene. Can Billie woo Zara into forever and always? Will anyone ned up happy? Will Cris’ trip to Queenstown increase her followers? Only time will tell, in the place where dreams come true, Happy Playland, The Wellington branch.
Sunday, March 21, 2021 The Filth – Stella, a bisexual plumber by day and go-go dancer by night, leans into her burgeoning romance with Jocelyn, a little person, while battling debilitating anxiety; meanwhile, Max juggles a stunted acting career and grapples with his unrequited love for his questionably straight roommate, Danny. Max and Stella’s lives get even more tangled when their colorful cast of friends and frenemies involve themselves in the besties’ issues, muddling the lines between friendship and romance. Madison Rose – Madison Rose is an artist ready to make an unforgettable debut. Vocally rooted in R&B, Madison Rose effortlessly weaves electronic/pop influences and bold bass lines into her music. With a big heart and even bigger voice, she is able to balance her strength and femininity effortlessly, celebrating the power of womanhood through her music.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Girl Knight– Isabel, a fiery redhead armed with a sword and donning an armored helmet everywhere she goes, meets Delilah, an equally disillusioned goth girl, one day in detention at school. The two girls find strength in each other, share a first kiss in a graveyard, and defy controlling family members that try and stand in the way of their newly discovered love. Mila Jam– Mila Jam is an NYC-based transgender YouTube Sensation turned pop recording artist. She is best known for her one of a kind music videos and unforgettable stage performances. She has toured internationally with the Broadway musical “RENT;” performed alongside James Brown, Mark Ronson, Laverne Cox, Travis Wall, Jody Watley, Lady Kier (Deee-Lite) and Natasha Bedingfield. TV appearances include the BBC’s “The Lilly Allen Show,” MTV and MTV News. Mila was named Odyssey Nightlife Awards Breakthrough Artist in 2015, and she was awarded Best Video and Dance Artist at the 2013 GLAM Nightlife Awards. She is host of the original YouTube Talk Show Series, “I’m From Driftwood.” Kappa Force – A campy superhero satire, Kappa Force is the newest Revry Original series – an intersectional queer take on college rom-coms. Welcome to State University, the premier all-american university that has everything: greek life, Division 1 sports, five kick ass sorority sisters doubling as a masked crime fighting unit keeping the campus safe from evil, and a Chipotle. This fully-formed fantasy comes complete with pop parodies of the Spice Girls, Justin Beiber, Paula Cole, Third Eye Blind and tongue-in-cheek nods to queer history.
Friday, March 26, 2021 Easy Abby – Sleeping with women comes easy to Abby. Dealing with her personal life? Not so much. Follow Abby through her trials and tribulations in the Revry Original Series. For My Wife – A feature documentary chronicling the making of an activist. After the tragic death of her wife, Charlene Strong was thrust into the spotlight becoming a powerful voice for the equal rights of same-sex couples and their families. Tiny Laughs – When a queer Latina architect meets a struggling Asian comic at an improv class, their instant sparks sends them on a humorous and heartwarming journey through the city of dreams.
Saturday, March 27, 2021 Renee and the Seven Cards (OML) – 5pm PT (all episodes) – With mystery like Russian Doll, characters like Fleabag, and a dysfunctional romance like Feel Good, Renée centers on a controlling bisexual fitness fanatic who must track down her missing psychic to understand an ominous tarot card reading that predicts her death.
Monday, March 29, 2021 The Rise of Eve – An intense examination of misogyny and sexism around the world explored through news, music, social media, personal accounts, group discussions and heated debates. Gaze of the Beholder – Beauty lacks a clear standard, yet most of us seem to know it when we encounter it. This documentary explores our shared dance with beauty, body image and sexuality through intimate and often humorous conversations.
Wednesday, March 31 – Transgender Day of Visibility Her Story – Her Story is about two trans women in Los Angeles who have given up on love, when chance encounters give them hope. Violet is drawn to Allie, a reporter who approaches her for an interview. Career-driven Paige meets James, the first man she’s considered opening up to in years. Will they risk letting what they are stand in the way of being loved for who they are? This is a story of complex characters who laugh, struggle, and grow, who share strength in sisterhood, who seek and find love. Her Story depicts the unique, complicated, and very human women we see in queer communities, and explores how these women navigate the intersections of label identity and love. Girl-Hearted – It’s quite plain to 7 year old Nori: She is a girl, because she has a girl’s heart. But her body is that of a boy… Five years ago: Each and every day mother and son argue about what appears trivial: the colours of pants and shirts suddenly matter, soon all he agrees to wear are skirts and dresses, he likes to put barrettes in his still short hair. The neighbours start gossiping. Then one day, the boy reveals his favourite dream to his mum. A wizard will turn his penis into a vagina so he could be a “real” girl … It’s that day something comes to an end. It’s that day Josephin realises that she doesn’t have a son, that he had never existed – but that there is still a kid, a daughter. It becomes clear to her that she will have to break new ground to see her daughter grow up happily. Missed Connections – Two strangers meet and form a bond at a festival, but they forget to exchange contact info. As they search for one another and through viral posts, they navigate their careers, lives, and society’s expectations of them as Black, female, and transgender. Onnaninaru – Miyu has dreamed of becoming a female since early childhood and undergoes the longed-for sex reassignment surgery to be able to live in society as a woman. The documentary depicts sincere discussions with family, honest talks with friends, attitude transformations amongst university faculty, the clinical psychologist’s concerns, and the resolve of the doctor. Touching humanity comes to the forefront through the six months’ coverage of Miyu’s life. My Name Was January – When a trans sister, January Marie Lapuz, is brutally murdered in her own home in New Westminster, BC, her community reacts and her friends and other trans women of colour come to share and voice their issues, concerns, and challenges. January was seen as a bright light in the lives of many. This is the story of January, a friend, a daughter, a person. This film will not only bring justice to January, but to all the women who have lost their lives. Why Can’t I Be Me? Around You – Rusty Tidenberg, drag-racing aficionado, shocked friends and family by coming out as trans. Followed for 8 years by filmmaker Harrod Blank (son of Les Blank), Rusty guides us through the aftermath of her transition. Interwoven with lively tales of gender non-conforming individuals on the art-car circuit, Blank’s film is a sensitive and unpredictable love letter to people who fight to be unapologetically themselves. Bombshell – Jay, a queer transman, navigates the shark-infested waters of LA’s gay dating scene. He’s young, single, looking for fun, but when the bedroom door closes his private world becomes an arena for cis men and the questions they have. Jay is joined by his chosen family, Selena, his Angeleno best friend, Darlene, the Bostonian Hairdresser, and Penis Mascot, the cartoon caped penis personifying his id. Our Future – Yu is about 18 when her parents separate and the disorientation 5is compounded by the experience of starting summer school.Yu doesn’t feel very comfortable in her own body; she gets into trouble for wearing tracksuit bottoms to school rather than the regulation skirt. The film follows Yu through that summer, showing her sustaining friendships with the hopeless Yoshiki, a gay boy who’s dyed his hair auburn, and the transwoman dancer Haruka.
ABOUT REVRY Watch Queer TV 24/7 with the first LGBTQ+ digitall cable TV network. Revry offers free live TV channels and on-demand viewing of its global library featuring LGBTQ+ movies, shows, music, podcasts, news, and exclusive originals all in one place! Revry is currently available globally in over 250+ million households and devices and on seven OTT, mobile, and Desktop platforms. Revry can also be viewed on nine live and on-demand channels and Connected TVs including: The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Comcast Xfinity X1, Dell, XUMO TV, Zapping TV, STIRR, TiVo+, and as the first LGBTQ+ virtual reality channel on Littlstar (available on PlayStation devices). The company–an inaugural member of the Goldman Sachs Black and LatinX Cohort–is headquartered in Los Angeles and led by a diverse founding team who bring decades of experience in the fields of tech, digital media, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @revrytv,Revry.tv
Today (4 March) marks the World Book Day 2021 celebration.
The day aims to promote reading to children across the globe as well as offering every young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.ADVERTISING
Both World Book Day and schools will be promoting and recommending different books for children to read in celebration of the day.
So with this in mind we’ve decided to join in and recommend a handful of LGBT+ inclusive books that can be enjoyed by kids and young adults.
From picture books, to fairy tales and titles that aim to educate both adults and children about gender identity, there’s loads of great ones out there.
Below you can find 14 LGBT+ books that every child deserves to read and how to get them.
1. And Tango Makes Three
World Book Day 2021: And Tango Makes Three. (Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell)
And Tango Makes Three is based on a heartwarming true story which follows two penguins named Roy and Silo. They live in the penguin house at Central Park Zoo, and although they’re a little different from the others their desire for a family is the same. With the help of a kindly zookeeper they get the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.
After its release in 2005 it became one of the first LGBT+ inclusive books in the mainstream market and has since become a classic read.
The book is available on hardback or Kindle edition from Amazon here.
Don’t even talk to me until I’ve had my coffee! When I first heard about the Keurig…
The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived. (Daniel Errico/Shiloh Penfield)
It might be a while before the likes of Disney ever decide to do an alternate version to the dragon-slaying, princess-saving knight story so until then you can get books like The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived.
The story follows Cedric on his journey from a humble pumpkin farm to the adventures that lead him to become a fully fledged knight. Using his cleverness and courage to vanquish a fire-breathing dragon he rescues a beautiful prince and princess only to discover his most difficult challenge yet. Will Cedric follow his heart and prove that sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is choose for yourself how your fairy tale ends…
The LGBT+ fairy tale is available on hardback or Kindle edition from Amazon here.
3. Prince & Knight
World Book Day 2021: Prince & Knight. (Daniel Haack/Stevie Lewis)
Another modern fairy tale for all ages is Prince & Knight. The story is the usual setting: Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away there’s a prince in line for the throne who needs to find a bride. However when the prince and his parents travel to find a princess, he doesn’t quite find what he’s looking for.
When their kingdom is under threat from a dragon and the prince returns to save the land from the beast he’s met by a brave knight in a suit of shining armour. Together they slay the dragon and the prince discovers that special something he had been looking for all this time. OK we’re going to need the animated adaption of this…
The book is available on hardback or paperback from Amazon here.
4. Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress. (Christine Baldacchino/Isabelle Malenfant)
Clothing is an important aspect for many LGBT+ people as a way to express themselves in ways that words sometimes don’t work. This story, Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress highlights that as it follows Morris, a little boy who enjoys bright orange dress to school until he is bullied for it.
The book is inspired by a four-year-old boy the author, Christine Baldacchino, knew while she was working as a nursery teacher. After the boy’s mother saw him wearing a dress and complained to the school, she decided to write this book which is a triumphant tale about non-conformity and acceptance alongside bright and colourful illustrations for children to enjoy.
World Book Day 2021: Annie’s Plaid Shirt. (Stacy B. Davids/Rachael Balsaitis)
Another story that focuses on clothing is Annie’s Plaid Shirt. It focuses on Annie who loves her plaid shirt and wears it everywhere. But one day her mother tells her that she has to wear a dress to her uncle’s wedding, and despite Annie’s protests her mother insists on buying her a fancy new dress. After feeling miserable and weird in dresses Annie has an idea that she hopes her mother will understand and agree to in a story of being true to yourself, gender norms and identity as well as tolerance and self-esteem.
The book is available on hardback from Amazon here.
6. Julián Is A Mermaid
Julián Is A Mermaid. (Jessica Love)
Julián Is A Mermaid is the celebratory story of Julián who, after noticing three women dressed up spectacularly on the subway, wants to emulate their fabulousness. The women’s hair billow in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails and their joy fills the train carriage.
Julián can’t stop daydreaming about the magic he saw on the subway and wants to make his own fabulous mermaid costume, but while he does he’s also worrying about what his Nana might make of his outfit…
The feel-good book is available on paperback, hardback and Kindle from Amazon here.
7. It Feels Good to Be Yourself
World Book Day 2021: It Feels Good to Be Yourself. (Theresa Thorn/Noah Grigni)
It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity is less of a story book and more informational. The book aims to teach children about all forms of gender in a straightforward way, helping them with a fuller understanding of themselves and others. It provides young readers and parents alike with the vocabulary to discuss important topics with sensitivity and it’s been by the mother of a transgender child and illustrated beautifully by a non-binarytransgender artist.
My Footprints follows Thuy who feels ‘doubly different’ to everyone else. She’s Vietnamese-American and has two mums and has to regularly deal with school bullies. Fed up during a walk home in winter a bird catches Thuy’s attention and sets her on an imaginary adventure. She images she could fly like a bird, sprint like a deer and roar like a bear as she continues her walk home which eventually leads her into the arms of her mums who help Thuy find the courage she’s been seeking.
World Book Day 2021: Stella Brings the Family. (Miriam B. Schiffer/Holly Clifton-Brown)
Stella Brings the Family follows the story of a class who’s getting ready to have a Mother’s Day celebration, but Stella has two dads so she isn’t sure what to do. Her Papa and Daddy help her with her with everything from homework to tucking her in at night along with a whole group of other loved ones who make her feel special and supported every day. Although she doesn’t have a mum to invite to the part she finds a unique solution to her problem. The story explores the true meaning of family as well as love and acceptance.
The book is available on hardback or Kindle via Amazon here.
10. Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow
Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow. (Benjamin Dean)
Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow is a book ideal for more confident young readers. The story follows Archie Albright, who’s life isn’t going great. All he wants is for everything to go back to normal, because three months before his parents were happy and still lived together.
When he sees a colourful, crumpled flyer fall out of his dad’s pocket he thinks he’s found his answer that might lie at the end of the rainbow. He teams up with his best friends Bell and Seb to set off on a journey to try and fix his family, even if he has to break a few rules to do it.
World Book Day 2021: The Flower Girl Wore Celery. (Meryl G. Gordon/Holly Clifton-Brown)
This cute story follows Emma who’s going to be flower girl for her cousin Hannah’s wedding, and she is very excited. Emma is asked to wear a celery-coloured dress and walk alongside the ring bearer, but she assumes that means she has to wear actual celery and walk alongside a real life bear! On the wedding day nothing turns out to be quite what she was expecting including the fact that her cousin Hannah is marrying a woman.
This picture book tells the story of a young unicorn who was born under the sea to a family of narwhals. After growing up in the ocean, Kelp has always assumed that he was a narwhal like the rest of his family. One night an extra strong current sweeps Kelp to the surface and he spots a mysterious creature that looks exactly like him, discovering that he and the create are actually unicorns.
This revelation leaves him stuck: is he a land narwhal or a sea unicorn? Or perhaps Kelp can find the best of both worlds. Although its not explicitly an LGBT+ storyline the heartwarming story explores identity, standing out and the love of family.
Not Quite Narwhal is available on hardback, paperback and Kindle from Amazon here.
13. Pink Is For Boys
World Book Day 2021: Pink Is For Boys. (Robb Pearlman/Eda Kaban)
Pink Is For Boys rethinks and reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary that many LGBT+ are familiar with, and empowers both kids and grownups to express themselves in every colour of the rainbow. It features a diverse group of characters and invites everyone to enjoy what they love from racing cars to baseball and unicorns to dressing up. It’s accompanied with vibrant illustrations to help younger readers learn and identify the myriad of colours that surround them every day.
Another book exploring the stereotypes of colour is My Shadow is Pink. It’s inspired by the author, Scott Stuart’s own son and touches on gender identity, equality and diversity. It follows the journey of a young boy who has been born into a family with a long history of blue shadows. The boy wants to be like his father who is big and strong, with a defined blue shadow. However he loves ponies, princesses, fairies and other things ‘not for boys’, so he has an irrepressible pink shadow. With the love and acceptance of his father, he learns that everyone at times, has a shadow they wish was different and he must embrace his shadow just the way it is.
The book is available on hardback, paperback and Kindle from Amazon here.
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I suppose it makes sense that when I sat at my desk to write about Pretend It’s a City, Martin Scorsese’s hugely entertaining series on Fran Lebowitz, I stared at the screen most of the afternoon without pressing a key. After all, Lebowitz has made an entire career out of having writer’s block. After her highly successful Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, she went on to write only one book, a children’s book called Mr. Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas, over the next three decades. Her celebrity has been marked as much by what she hasn’t been able to do as much as what she has.
This is just one of the contradictions that surfaces in Scorsese’s series, which was dedicated to Lebowitz’s dear friend, Toni Morrison. (Lebowitz eulogized Morrison at her memorial service.) Or maybe it isn’t that Lebowitz contradicts herself, but that she defies labels. Her sold-out appearances have the feel of a stand-up comedy act, but she often performs in a chair, being interviewed or soliciting questions from the audience. She might be the world’s first sit-down comedian. She’s also a critic, public speaker, social commentator, and (sometimes) writer.
The New York Times once described Lebowitz as a present-day Dorothy Parker, but even this attempt at categorizing her feels off. Can you imagine Parker writing a children’s book that you’d actually let your children read? Sure, they are both New York City satirists. Parker, who produced many short story and poetry collections as well as eight screenplays, is known as a member of the famous Algonquin Round Table, meeting for lunch almost daily with writers, journalists, and actors. Lebowitz would most likely prefer to spend that time reading. (She ended up spending three times her limit on an apartment because it needed to house her 10,000 books.) You don’t have to wait until in the sixth episode when she proclaims, “I hate my fellow man,” to understand that she agrees with Sartre when he said, “Hell is other people.” In each episode, Scorsese makes sure we see her grumpily walking the streets of New York, giving the finger to a cyclist who cuts her off in a crosswalk or sneering at a pedestrian who brushes up against her on the subway stairs. But even this presents us with another contradiction: for someone who hates to be with people, her personal anecdotes are peppered with a Who’s Who of often queer glitterati: John Waters, Robert Mapplethorpe, Andy Warhol. While she may boast that Ayatollah Khomeini has hosted more parties than she has, Lebowitz certainly has gone to a great many of them herself. “I love parties,” she says, adding that many people find that hard to believe. Who can blame them?
Her misanthropy is undeniable, though. When she tells Scorsese that there’s no room on her shelves because throwing out a book is like throwing out a human being, I wondered why that didn’t make it easier for her to do so. Sometimes her disconnect with people – be it real or an exaggerated aspect of her persona – feels like a disconnect with the cultural life of one of the world’s great cities. She describes the night she went to see Phantom of the Opera (which she pans as “unbelievably horrible”) and hadn’t heard about the falling chandelier. She screamed, disrupting the performance, thinking a real chandelier was about to land in the audience. When she is bewildered at why the Tenement Museum exists (“What’s there? TB?”) it’s clear she’s never visited it, else she would have known that actors performing as real-life tenants are part of the immersive experience. It’s actually theater as much as it’s a museum. Lebowitz suggests that kids just read a book on immigration instead.
Scorsese’s role here is one of congenial host rather than a probing documentarian. No less congenial but far more interesting is Spike Lee, who asks follow-up questions that get beneath the surface of Lebowitz’s comic façade. The two have an especially interesting exchange about athletes as artists. When Lee argues that some of the greats have the talents of Michelangelo, Lebowitz insists that athletics are in a category by itself because once you find out how a game ends, there’s little incentive to watch it again. It’s over. Fair enough, but can’t you say the same about re-watching a movie or rereading a book?
Scorsese’s amiable style does allow for Lebowitz’s frequent and often fascinating anecdotes about New York, especially in the ‘70s. She doesn’t feel the need to be consistently witty when she tells these stories, some of which are a reminder not just of how far we’ve come but also how far we have to go regarding issues of equity and justice. It’s haunting when she talks about how it was nearly impossible to get a waitressing job without sleeping with the restaurant manager, knowing now that the Me Too movement would take forty years to materialize. (Lebowitz never waited tables, instead opting to be one of New York City’s lone female taxi drivers at the time.) She also acknowledges that she wasn’t part of the movement for women’s rights, nor the movement for gay rights, because she simply didn’t think things could change.
In some ways Pretend It’s a City is about the complicated, unnerving, and sometimes mystifying marriage between Lebowitz and New York where there are, in her words, “a billion awful people on the street.” It’s no wonder she seems more at ease answering Scorcese’s questions while walking around Robert Moses’ giant unpeopled model of the city. Yet despite all her complaints, it’s hard to see Lebowitz anywhere else. When an audience member asks her why she still lives in New York, she answers, “Okay. Where would you suggest?” Fran Lebowitz is a professional New Yorker. Now into her seventies, there’s little reason for her to change careers.
Film festival darling and moving LGBTQ immigrant story “Lupe,” co-directed by André Phillips (“Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary,” “This Killing Business”) & Charles Vuolo (“Rot,” “Alice Fades Away”), is available now for audiences across North America on HBO Latino and available to stream on HBO Max. “Lupe”is an extraordinary trifecta of an emotional drama that explores the topics of family, immigration and embracing one’s true identity.In the feature film debut of Boston based directing team André Phillips & Charles Vuolo, we are introduced to the complex world of Rafael (San Francisco based Non-Binary Puerto Rican actor Rafael Albarrán in a star making turn), a Cuban immigrant struggling with their gender identity while searching for their missing sister, Isabel (the luminescent Lucerys Medina) in New York City’s underground sex industry. “Lupe” was written and directed with consultation from Celia Harrison, a transgender artist, and additionally shepherded through by transgender executive producer Kerry Michelle O’Brien (“Chopin to Infinity”).
“Lupe” shines an intimate light on the complex story of an immigrant struggling with their transgender identity while searching for their missing sister, Isabel in New York City’s underground sex industry. The city’s underworld turns bloody as Rafael continues their quest to liberate their sister from a life of exploitation. Rafael’s search is routine and bloody until the growing need to understand their gender identity beings to compete with their mission? A film of many contrasts (Cuba vs. NY City, a chiseled boxer vs. a femme fatale), this moving film moves seamlessly between English & Spanish and features a rich cinematic landscape lensed by cinematographer T. Acton Fitzgerald (“Gutterbug”). Celia Harrison portrays the role of Lana, the protagonist’s friend and advisor. All of Celia’s scenes were unscripted, as the directors emphatically sought to retain Celia’s voice and perspective. This rich tapestry of a transgender immigrant was written by Celia Harrison, AndréPhillips & Charles Vuolo, featuring a score by Christopher French (“Unlovable,” “Young & Hungry”) edited by Shiran Amir (“Z Nation,” “Student Body”) produced by Anthony Ambrosino (“The Wrong Todd,” “Painless”), Andrew McCarthy (“Radio Days,” “Alice Fades Away”), Leigh Lanocha (“The Clear,” “Gutterbug”), and executive produced by Kerry Michelle O’Brien.
The ultimate hope with“Lupe” was to create a work of expression that avoids overt category and classification. To show the character of Rafael, a struggling immigrant and transgender woman, can be seen as realistic, flawed but strong. Many films have portrayed transgender characters as drug addicts, prostitutes and mentally unstable. The filmmakers and cast believe the most interesting characters are imperfect, honest and tangible.“Lupe” is a film that seeks to showcase some of the real-world issues and struggles facing the transgender community in a grounded and positive manner. To lend the film a quasi-documentary feeling, the filmmakers embraced a bare-bones style of filming utilizing hand-held cinematography while filming in both NYC and in the Dominican Republic.
Elliot Page, Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, Sarah Paulson, Schitt’s Creek, The Prom& Putting On Top The Winner’s List with Bright Light Bright Light Performance and Special Awards to Angelica Ross and Billy Eichner
Free Queer TV network, Revry, was thrilled to partner with Q.Digital and Lexus for the first-ever television broadcast of Q.Digital’s Queerties, the annual award show produced by entertainment site Queerty,celebrating the best in LGBTQ culture and media this Wednesday February 24 on Revry. The show is now available to view for free On-Demand on Revry.
Elliot Page, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, Sarah Paulson, Schitt’s Creek, The Prom and Putting On were top winners at this year’s award show that included an electric performance by Bright Light Bright Light. Other winners include Shangela, Trixie Mattel, Laverne Cox, the documentary Disclosure, instagram star Joaquín Bondoni and TikTok sensation Josh Helfgott, along with so much more. See Full List Below.
Hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 Miss Congeniality Heidi N. Closet and Queerty Editor-in-Chief Dan Tracer, this year, Q.Digital and Lexus presented Angelica Ross with the Groundbreaker Award and Billy Eichner will receive the MVP Award.
The event included celebrity appearances by Nicco Annan, James Bland, Isis King, Jai Rodriguez, Cameron Esposito, Shangela, Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, Willam, Alaska, HBO’s Veneno star Isabel Torres, Netflix’s The Prom star Jo Ellen Pellman and many more. Fans broke records with well over 1.5 million votes in 23 categories, including Drag Royalty, Closet Door Bustdown, Favorite Podcast, Favorite Instagram and TikTok Follows, Best Documentary, and Badass of the Year, presented by Stoli.
Queerties Winners List BADASS Mary Trump Sarah Mcbride Elliot Page Christian Cooper Pete Buttigieg Raymix Lady Gaga Alice Wu Lena Waithe Steve Kornacki
DRAG ROYALTY Raven D’Arcy Drollinger Shea Couleé Jinkx Monsoon Dina Martina Biqtch Puddin Jaida Essence Hall Landon Cider Aquaria Peppermint
FUTURE ALL-STAR Jimbo Divina De Campo Kandy Zyanide Gigi Goode Heidi N Closet Baga Chipz Rita Baga Scarlett Bobo Kana Warrior Crystal Methyd
CLOSET DOOR BUSTDOWN Zaya Wade Justice Smith Quinn Nikkie De Jager Elliot Page Pablo Alborán Da Brat Niecy Nash Ben Aldridge Kwon Do Woon
FAVORITE INSTA FOLLOW Roberto J. Portales Schuyler Bailar Leslie Jordan Brandon Kyle Goodman Eden Joaquín Bondoni James B. Whiteside Brian Derrick Ariana & Hannah Chasten Buttigieg
FAVORITE TIKTOKER Nikita Dragun Zaire Starr McQueen Coyle Twins Josh Helfgott Nathan Conrad Rocha Ebony and Denise Rob Anderson Megan Mitchell
PODCAST Attitudes! Lez hang Out Sloppy Seconds The Bald and the Beautiful Rear View Savage Love Keep It Race Chaser Psycho Babble Sibling Rivalry
INNOVATOR Isis King Jai Rodriguez Cameron Esposito James Bland Shangela ANTHEM Kim Petras “Malibu” Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande “Rain on Me” Sam Smith “Diamonds” Troye Sivan “Easy” King Princess “Pain”Raymix “Llámame” Keiynan Lonsdale “Gay Street Fighter: Ricky Martin “Simple” Perfume Genius “Jason” Lil Nas X “Holiday”
INDIE MUSIC VID Rufus Wainwright “Haine” Orville Peck “Summertime” Isaac Dunbar “Makeup Drawer” Tom Goss “Irreplaceable” Trixie Mattel “Malibu” Shea Diamond “I Am America” Jaake Castro “Covet” Shamir “On My Own” Mike Taveria “Curious” Bright Light Bright Light & Caveboy “It’s Alright, It’s Okay”
TV SERIES We’re Here Ratched Hightown LegendaryLove, VictorVeneno Star Trek: Discovery Schitt’s Creek P-Valley Equal
DIGITAL SERIES The First After Forever Smothered Gayish 2The Influencers Platonic Ding Dong I’m Gay Putting On These Thems Working Out Is A Drag
STUDIO MOVIE Uncle Frank Happiest Season The Half Of It Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Dating Amber The Prom The Old Guard Ammonite The Boys in the Band Friendsgiving
INDIE MOVIE Nevrland The Forty-Year-Old Version Straight Up Rialto The Prince Breaking Fast 7 Minutes And Then We Danced Benjamin The Surrogate
PERFORMANCE – TV John Early “Search Party” Jonica Gibbs “Twenties” Nicco Annan “P Valley” Gillian Anderson “The Crown” Sarah Paulson “Ratched” Samira Wiley “Equal” Jeremy Pope “Hollywood” Hailie Sahar “Equal” Lola Rodríguez “Veneno” Jedet, Daniela Santiago, & Isabel Torres “Veneno” PERFORMANCE – DIGITAL SERIES Mitch Hara “Smothered” Will Branske “The First” Jason Stuart “Smothered” Summer Spiro “Platonic” Gretchen Wylder “These Thems” Tim Spencer “Ding Dong I’m Gay” Vico Ortiz “These Thems” Charlescurtis Sanders “The First” Jayla Roxx “Gayish 2” Kevin Spirtas “After Forever”
PERFORMANCE – FILM Peter Kim “The 40-Year-Old Version” Jim Parsons “The Boys in the Band” Janelle Monáe “Antebellum” Laverne Cox “Promising Young Woman” Misha Osherovich “Freaky” Colman Domingo “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Haaz Sleiman “Breaking Fast” Robin de Jesús “The Boys in the Band” Juan Pablo Espinosa “Half Brothers” Kristen Stewart “Happiest Season”
LOCKDOWN LOL Patti Harrison “Yearly Departed” Cole Escola “Help! I’m Stuck” Jack Plotnick “Disney Made a Small World” Jinkx Monsoon & Bendelacreme “Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Special” Kate Mckinnon “SNL Weekend Update: Rudy Giulian i”Bowen Yang “SNL Weekend Update: Chen Biao” Fortune Feimster “Sweety & Salty” Julio Torres “Update on His Shapes” Simon Amstell “Secrets To A Happy Life” Wanda Sykes “Hates the Bachelor”
DOCUMENTARYTiger King Disclosure Visible: Out On TV Welcome to Chechnya HowardBorn to Be Circus of Books Bully. Coward. Victim Mucho Mucho Amor The Reagans
NEXT BIG THING Love, Victor Season 2 Respect It’s A Sin We’re Here Season 2 Everybody’s Talking About Jamie West Side Story The Eternals Pose Season 3 Legendary Season 2 The Matrix 4
GIRL, BYE Jerry Falwell Jr. Madison Cawthorn Scott Baio Lindsey Graham Kristie Alley Ivanka Trump JK Rowling Gays For Trump Matt Gaetz Karens
THE FUTURE IS LGBTQ Tammy Baldwin Martin Jenkins Kim JacksonTaylor Small David Cicilline Karine Jean-Pierre Mondaire Jones Brian Sims Alex LeeRitchie Torres
BEST READ David Sedaris “The Best of Me” Eric Cervini “The Deviant’s War” Bryan Washington “Memorial” Edmund White “A Saint From Texas” Thomas Jedrowski “Swimming in the Dark” Juli Delgado Lopera “Fiebre Tropical” Larry Kramer “The American People” Robert Jones, Jr. “The Prophets” Brandon Taylor “Real Life” Vivek Shraya “The Subtweet”
About Q.Digital As an LGBTQ owned-and-operated, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce & ANA certified business enterprise, Q.Digital is the trusted voice for news, entertainment, and travel in the LGBTQ community, reaching a highly engaged audience of more than 9.5 million per month. Q.Digital connects brands to the market through its digital properties—Queerty, the popular entertainment and pop culture site; GayCities, the travel site covering 238 destinations worldwide; and LGBTQ Nation, America’s most-followed LGBTQ news source.
Q.Digital is an indispensable resource for individuals seeking inspiration for their life’s experiences. Q.Digital enables major brands such as Hulu, Gilead, Lexus, and MasterCard to connect with an LGBTQ audience on a personal and credible level through branded content, custom video, events, and promotions. Digital programs and custom events include the Queerties (February), Pride 50 (May to July), Heroes (September), and Best of GayCities (December).
About QueertyQueerty is the leading entertainment brand for and inspired by the LGBTQ community. It is the most-visited website in the United States LGBTQ market and the #1 website for U.S. LGBTQ Millennials. Queerty is owned and operated by Q.Digital, Inc. For more information, please visit www.queerty.com, and find @Queerty on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. About LexusLexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 242 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With six models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers eight F SPORT models and two F performance models. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers. www.facebook.com/lexuswww.twitter.com/lexuswww.youtube.com/LexusVehicleswww.instagram.com/lexususa
ABOUT REVRYWatch Queer TV 24/7 with the first LGBTQ+ digitall cable TV network. Revry offers free live TV channels and on-demand viewing of its global library featuring LGBTQ+ movies, shows, music, podcasts, news, and exclusive originals all in one place! Revry is currently available globally in over 250+ million households and devices and on seven OTT, mobile, and Desktop platforms. Revry can also be viewed on nine live and on-demand channels and Connected TVs including: The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Comcast Xfinity X1, Dell, XUMO TV, Zapping TV, STIRR, TiVo+, and as the first LGBTQ+ virtual reality channel on Littlstar (available on PlayStation devices). The company–an inaugural member of the Goldman Sachs Black and LatinX Cohort–is headquartered in Los Angeles and led by a diverse founding team who bring decades of experience in the fields of tech, digital media, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @revrytv,Revry.tv
