• feature:QDoc
Eor its fifth year of programming, QDoc co
founder Russ Gage curated the lineup— marked
by films about queer politics and history, coming
out, gender reassignment and music—with the
assistance of Jennifer Morris. Just Out chatted
with the curators about what they think you will
want to watch.
Just Out: W hat is your criteria for selecting
a film?
Russ Gage: I think a film that speaks to the
issues of importance to the EGBT community,
and a film that will encourage further discussion
on the topic. It should also leave people with a
feeling of satisfaction and be entertaining as
well as enlightening.
Jennifer Morris: Is it a powerful story? With
only 11 slots, you have to think of your audience.
It’s about the films and filmmakers, but it’s also
about wanting to provide stories your audience
will embrace, and encouraging them to explore
and see new films.
JO: So what films do you think audiences
will embrace, and what films should they ex
plore this year?
JM : Embrace: Arias with a Twist, and the
artistry o f Joey Arias and Basil Twist. W hat
they’ve done is eye opening. Explore: Hit So
Hard. It gets into who Patty Schemed is and
[her] whole experience. These people are older
now and they really reflect on it. It explains
i--------— - — — —
WWW.JUSTOUT.COM
►
Now and Lens
audience will love both films, but they are not
mutually exclusive; there will be plenty of cross
over. These are different films made by different
filmmakers. Marie Losier [ Genesis] makes artis
BY GARY KRAMER
tic profiles of individuals, and Randy Barbato
and Eenton Bailey [Chaz] are much more pop
that time and that
Inspired: Voices Against oriented and down with what’s happening in
Curator’s
group of people, and
Prop 8 is about a topi TV and indie film.
Pick: Patty
Schemel in H it
how they influenced
JM : Ih e two films are very different. Chaz is a
cal subject that was
So
Hard
music.
created immediately. I straight-up doc. He was brave and nice to invite
RG: Embrace: I Am.
think what struck me the directors to film this journey he was going
I think that’s a really
was all of the footage on. Ballad is much more experimental, and the
powerful,
personal
around the demon process of transitioning that they are going
story and it has this
strations and what though is very different. The audience for Genesis
universal appeal. It’s
amazing spirit was will be folks who know who Genesis is and his
the PEL AG film for
shown in terms of music, and their cultural world.
India. [Director Sonali Gulati] interviews all people’s reactions to Prop 8.
these families in India about their coming out
JM: W hat’s wonderful about On These Shoul
JO : Do you think it is worthwhile to show a
process—both gay people and their parents. ders We Stand is the people have fantastic stories mediocre film about an im portant topic, if for
Ihey are very valuable and very timely. Explore: that resonate. You can connect with these people. no other reason than to start a conversation?
rIhe Ballad o f Genesis and Lady Jaye, a very beau The politics and drama is all there but it’s all
JM : "Ihe characters can shine through a me
tifully made film. I wasn’t a huge Throbbing about the people.
diocre film. It is important for issues that don’t
Gristle fan, and I was not expecting how incred
get much attention, especially in the LGBT
ibly playful Genesis was. [Director Marie hosi
JO: Q D oc also has two films about gender community. It’s important up to a point. If peo
er] was the right person to follow Genesis reassignment— The Ballad of Genesis and Lady ple can connect to what’s happening, it’s okay if
around, because she was so experimental, and Jaye and Becoming Chaz. Do you think they the production values aren’t the greatest. I think
Genesis was into that.
will cannibalize audiences?
the queer film audience is very sophisticated. I
RG: Some people will love The Ballad o f Gen think a lot of the documentary filmmakers don’t
JO : W hat can you say about Q D oc s politi esis and Lady Jaye and others will love Becoming always take into consideration how sophisticated
cal films and how filmmakers chronicle social Chaz. O ur job is to connect the right audiences queer audiences are.They are much more preachy
issues?
with the right films— to reach out to the viewers and not as in depth or complex. The politics
RG: Queer film has been political for decades. who will appreciate them. I don’t think the same takes over, and you miss the real story.
Checking in with this year’s QDoc curators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
PREVIEW
SCREENING
Wednesday,
June 1 at 6PM
George S. Turnbull
Portland Center
70 N.W. Couch St.
http://turnbullcenter.uoregon.edu/
•
r
#
i
■
1
■
l n
; . i - - 5 r . l i c t '.
M
i
o \
5 ■ J
Airing on OPB, June 14 at 11 PM