A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica)[/caption]
Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio’s trans drama A Fantastic Woman (“Una Mujer Fantástica”) has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for release in North America, Australia and New Zealand. The film starring Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes, will have its world premiere at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.
Daniela Vega plays Marina, a waitress and singer, and Francisco Reyes plays Orlando, an older man, who is in love with Marina, and planning for the future. After Orlando suddenly falls ill and dies, Marina is forced to confront his family and society.
Marina and Orlando are in love and plan to spend their lives together. She is working as a waitress and adores singing. Her lover, twenty years her senior, has left his family for her. One night, when they return home after having exuberantly celebrated Marina’s birthday at a restaurant, Orlando suddenly turns deathly pale and stops responding. At the hospital, all the doctors can do is confirm his death. Events follow thick and fast: Marina finds herself facing a female police inspector’s unpleasant questions, and Orlando’s family shows her nothing but anger and mistrust. Orlando’s wife excludes Marina from the funeral; she also orders her to leave the apartment – which on paper at least belonged to Orlando – as soon as possible. Marina is a transgender woman. The deceased’s family feels threatened by her sexual identity. With the same energy she once used to fight for her right to live as a woman Marina, with head held high, now insists on her right to grieve. Even if her environment conspires against her, the film at least is entirely on her side, showing us a protagonist who, although increasingly side-lined, is nonetheless strong and worldly-wise – a truly fantastic woman.
“I’m thrilled Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing ‘A Fantastic Woman,’ and am excited by their passion for Marina’s story,” Lelio said in a statement. “The story is one of great human strength, which I hope will invite and challenge audiences to explore the limits of their own empathy. For me, Marina is an inspiration.”Films
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Berlinale 2017: Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Spanish Trans Drama A FANTASTIC WOMAN
[caption id="attachment_20524" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica)[/caption]
Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio’s trans drama A Fantastic Woman (“Una Mujer Fantástica”) has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for release in North America, Australia and New Zealand. The film starring Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes, will have its world premiere at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.
Daniela Vega plays Marina, a waitress and singer, and Francisco Reyes plays Orlando, an older man, who is in love with Marina, and planning for the future. After Orlando suddenly falls ill and dies, Marina is forced to confront his family and society.
Marina and Orlando are in love and plan to spend their lives together. She is working as a waitress and adores singing. Her lover, twenty years her senior, has left his family for her. One night, when they return home after having exuberantly celebrated Marina’s birthday at a restaurant, Orlando suddenly turns deathly pale and stops responding. At the hospital, all the doctors can do is confirm his death. Events follow thick and fast: Marina finds herself facing a female police inspector’s unpleasant questions, and Orlando’s family shows her nothing but anger and mistrust. Orlando’s wife excludes Marina from the funeral; she also orders her to leave the apartment – which on paper at least belonged to Orlando – as soon as possible. Marina is a transgender woman. The deceased’s family feels threatened by her sexual identity. With the same energy she once used to fight for her right to live as a woman Marina, with head held high, now insists on her right to grieve. Even if her environment conspires against her, the film at least is entirely on her side, showing us a protagonist who, although increasingly side-lined, is nonetheless strong and worldly-wise – a truly fantastic woman.
“I’m thrilled Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing ‘A Fantastic Woman,’ and am excited by their passion for Marina’s story,” Lelio said in a statement. “The story is one of great human strength, which I hope will invite and challenge audiences to explore the limits of their own empathy. For me, Marina is an inspiration.”
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AGAINST THE LAW, Factual Drama on Decriminalization of Homosexuality in England, to Open London LGBT Film Festival
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AGAINST THE LAW[/caption]
The world premiere of AGAINST THE LAW, a powerful and timely factual new British drama, directed by Fergus O’Brien and starring Daniel Mays, will open the 31st edition of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival. The cast also features Mark Gatiss, Richard Gadd and Charlie Creed-Miles.
2017 sees the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act which decriminalized homosexual acts in England and Wales between adult males, in private. While it would take several decades before homosexuals would reach anything like full equality in this country, this legislation marks the beginning of this journey.
AGAINST THE LAW is a timely and sensitive biopic based on Peter Wildeblood’s bestseller which tells the story of his affair with a handsome serviceman he met in Piccadilly and the devastating consequences of their relationship. Wildeblood had been a celebrated and wellconnected journalist on the Daily Express, with a range of acquaintances that included Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. He is played by Daniel Mays, in a beautifully nuanced performance that charts his journey from Fleet Street via public vilification to his imprisonment under the same legislation that sent Oscar Wilde to Reading Gaol. Mark Gatiss gives a chilling performance as a prison doctor charged with administering therapeutic measures to homosexuals acquiescing to the idea that they can be ‘changed’.
The importance of Peter Wildeblood’s case (jointly brought against him, Lord Montagu and Michael Pitt-Rivers) is that it brought the debate about homosexuality into the public domain. It led the way to the creation of the Wolfenden Committee on sexual law reform that eventually resulted in the passing of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which changed the lives of thousands of gay men with its partial decriminalization of homosexual acts. This film offers a profoundly moving portrait of what it meant to be gay in the 1950s, underlining the importance of understanding our recent history
Director Fergus O’Brien said: “Making this film for the BBC not only allowed us to tell a powerful and important story in the evolution of LGBT rights in this country but also to capture for posterity the voices of some of the men who lived through these dark days in gay history. Their story, and the story of Peter Wildeblood, are timely reminders of the difficult journey it took to arrive at the rights enjoyed by gay people today and why it’s so important that we safeguard them. I’m delighted and honored that the film will be the Opening Night of BFI Flare“.
The 31st edition of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival will take place March 16th to 26th, 2017 at BFI Southbank.
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MOONLIGHT Partners with President Obama’s ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ Mentoring Program
In celebration of Black History Month, MOONLIGHT is partnering with My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, a mentoring program started by President Obama’s Administration for young men of color
to empower them with the resources and support to achieve their full potential regardless of circumstance.
The screenings kicked off earlier this week in Los Angeles with My Brother’s Keeper and attended by dozens of young men from several local high schools. After the film, Mike Muse of My Brother’s Keeper moderated a talk-back session with the students and MOONLIGHT’s Oscar-Nominated stars Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, writer/director Barry Jenkins, and writer Tarell Alvin McCraney. A screening and talk back with high schoolers in New York is also set for next week.
MOONLIGHT chronicles the life of Chiron, a boy growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, the film is nominated for eight Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Mahershala Ali), and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Naomie Harris). To date, MOONLIGHT has won the Golden Globe® for Best Picture – Drama and was nominated for an additional five Golden Globes®, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Mahershala Ali). The film is also nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, and additionally is the this year’s recipient of the Spirits’ Robert Altman Award, which honors an outstanding ensemble cast in a motion picture. MOONLIGHT has been named the Best Picture of 2016 by the Gotham Awards, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, The National Society of Film Critics, and The New York Times, among many others.
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Watch the First Trailer for Horror Film IT COMES AT NIGHT Starring Joel Edgerton
The horror film IT COMES AT NIGHT, starring Joel Edgerton has released its terrifying first trailer and poster. A24 will release IT COMES AT NIGHT, Trey Edward Shults’ follow-up to the critically acclaimed KRISHA on August 25th.
Imagine the end of the world— Now imagine something worse.
Award-winning filmmaker Trey Edward Shults follows his incredible debut feature Krisha with It Comes At Night, a horror film following a man (Joel Edgerton) as he is learns that the evil stalking his family home may be only a prelude to horrors that come from within.
Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, the tenuous domestic order he has established with his wife and son is put to the ultimate test with the arrival of a desperate young family seeking refuge.
Despite the best intentions of both families, paranoia and mistrust boil over as the horrors outside creep ever-closer, awakening something hidden and monstrous within him as he learns that the protection of his family comes at the cost of his soul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKnigN8OiNc
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French Erotic Thriller SEX DOLLS Opens in Theaters on Friday, February 10 | Trailer
Check out the trailer for the French erotic thriller SEX DOLLS starring César Award winner Hafsia Herzi. The film, written and directed by Sylvie Verheyde, and co-starring Ash Stymest, Karole Rocher, Paul Hamy, opens in theaters – in New York at the IFC Center, and in Los Angeles at the Arena Cinelounge, Hollywood – on VOD Friday February 10th.
A high-priced call girl navigates the shadowy world of London’s sex trade underground in this provocative, erotic thriller. Virginie (César Award winner Hafsia Herzi) goes about her work as a prostitute with a cool detachment, trading sex with wealthy businessmen for money, but never getting emotionally involved. That all changes when she meets Rupert (Ash Stymest), an enigmatic stranger with unclear intentions. Risking everything, Virginie plunges into a dangerous affair that tears her between a ruthless madame who forbids romantic attachments and a dark, sexy man who could be her savior or her downfall.
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DISGRACED, Documentary on Basketball Star Patrick Dennehy to World Premiere at SXSW 2017
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DISGRACED – Former Baylor basketball coach Dave Bliss. | Credit: M. Andrew Barrera[/caption]
The documentary DISGRACED, which recounts the shocking murder of Baylor University men’s basketball star Patrick Dennehy as well as an attempted cover-up of NCAA rule violations, will world premiere at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival, followed by its debut on SHOWTIME on March 31.
DISGRACED examines the tragic events surrounding the 2003 murder of Dennehy, to which fellow teammate and friend Carlton Dotson pled guilty in the only known instance in the history of the NCAA where one student-athlete was convicted of murdering another. Through first-hand accounts from students, investigators, family and friends, DISGRACED calls into question the plea and conviction of Dotson.
The film also includes exclusive and revealing interviews with former head coach Dave Bliss, who directly addresses the attempted cover-up and secretly recorded statements he made in 2003 that implicated him in NCAA rule violations. The violations, revealed in part by whistle blower and then assistant coach Abar Rouse, ultimately led to Bliss’ resignation and a partial ban on NCAA play for the Baylor Bears basketball team.
“This is a complex story, told through powerful first-person accounts, about both a senseless murder and an attempted cover-up of NCAA rule violations that still reverberate within Baylor University and collegiate athletics to this day,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “DISGRACED is yet another provocative, compelling and culturally relevant documentary delivered with the inside perspective that has become the hallmark of unscripted programming from SHOWTIME Sports.”
Recruited by Coach Bliss, Dennehy was a standout player with a bright future until the 6-foot-10 forward went missing under a set of bizarre circumstances. The murder and then the attempted cover-up of improper payments to players rocked the Baptist university in Waco, Texas. Ultimately, Dotson pled guilty and the university and Bliss were cited for multiple NCAA rule violations. Bliss essentially was ousted from NCAA basketball for 10 years.
In contemplating his involvement in the attempted cover-up, his 2003 resignation and his religious faith, Bliss said, “A question that a man always has to ask himself when he goes through something like I went through, are you in a better spot than you were before? Was it worth it? And the answer to me is yes.”
Bliss recently returned to coaching at Southwestern Christian University in Oklahoma competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
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South African Film THE WOUND to Open the Panorama Program of Berlin International Film Festival
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The Wound, John Trengove[/caption]
Just after celebrating its selection to have its world premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, the film-makers of the South African film The Wound, have received news that the film has been selected to open the Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama section in February 2017.
Produced by Urucu Media, directed by John Trengove and co-written by Trengove, Thando Mgqolozana and Malusi Bengu , The Wound stars multi-talented musician and novelist, Nakhane Touré in his acting debut, with Bongile Mantsai and Niza Jay Ncoyini.
The Wound tells the story Xolani, a lonely Xhosa factory worker who joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood. When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani’s entire existence begins to unravel.
Speaking from Cape Town, producer Elias Ribeiro said “We could not have wished for a stronger start for The Wound. We will have the spotlight in the two top festivals in North America and Europe, and that bodes well for its future, as Pyramide, our International Sales Agents will be representing the film at their booth inside the European Film Market in Berlin in February.”
“The fabrication of masculinity has long been a consistent theme in Panorama,” said the statement from the festival. “Producer Elias Ribeiro previously delighted festival audiences in Panorama 2015 with Necktie Youth.”
John Trengove commented: “I was interested in what happens when groups of men come together and organize themselves outside of society and the codes of their everyday lives. I wanted to show the intense emotional and physical exchanges that are possible in these spaces and how repressing strong feelings leads to a kind of toxicity and violence. As an outsider to this culture, it was important that I approach this story from the perspective of characters who are themselves outsiders, who struggle to conform to the status quo of which they are part.”
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YOUTH IN OREGON Starring Frank Langella, Christina Applegate, Sets February 2017 Release Date
[caption id="attachment_19190" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]
Youth in Oregon[/caption]
Youth in Oregon, directed by Joel David Moore will be released in 2017 via Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films. The film will be released in U.S. theaters and VOD on February 3, 2017.
Youth in Oregon, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and is set to screen at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival, stars Frank Langella, Billy Crudup, Christina Applegate, Mary Kay Place, Josh Lucas, Nicola Peltz and Alex Shaffer.
“This beautiful film tackles one of humanity’s most universal dilemmas, told through the lens of an estranged, intimacy-parched family that has to bear the burden of a patriarch’s decision to leave them all behind,” Moore said of the drama.
Frank Langella, Billy Crudup, Christina Applegate, Mary Kay Place and Josh Lucas star in this moving family road trip dramedy. Raymond Engersoll (Langella) aims to reach Oregon in time for an appointment to legally end his life under the state’s laws, but his headstrong daughter (Applegate) sends her unwilling husband (Crudup) along for the ride, convinced they can talk him out of the scheme before he reaches his destination. Along the way Engersoll works to reconcile with his estranged son (Lucas) and convince his tuned-out wife (Place) of the veracity of his purpose. Tribeca Film Festival
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Next American Masters Season to Kick Off with Exclusive U.S. Broadcast Premiere of BY SIDNEY LUMET
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By Sidney Lumet[/caption]
Prolific and versatile filmmaker Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) made 44 films in 50 years, earning the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement after four Oscar nominations. Considered a quintessential New York filmmaker, Lumet frequently used New York City’s urban mettle to infuse his films with a realism and intensity that kept audiences in suspense while prodding them to consider their own morality.
In American Masters: By Sidney Lumet, he tells his own story in a never-before-seen interview shot in 2008 by late filmmaker Daniel Anker and producer Thane Rosenbaum. With candor, humor and grace, Lumet reveals what matters to him as an artist and as a human being. Launching Season 31, American Masters: By Sidney Lumet premieres nationwide Tuesday, January 3 at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and features a new, exclusive interview with Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-nominated actor Treat Williams, who starred in Lumet’s Prince of the City, afterward.
Peabody and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Nancy Buirski (Afternoon of a Faun, The Loving Story, Loving) weaves Lumet’s personal stories and commentary with scenes from his films to create a portrait of one of the most accomplished, influential and socially conscious directors in the history of cinema. Clips spanning his canon, from 12 Angry Men, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Prince of the City, The Verdict, and many more, reveal the spiritual and ethical lessons at the core of his work.
Looking back over his career, Lumet speaks intimately about the experiences that informed his work, which he loved. His Depression-era, working-class Lower East Side beginnings as a child actor with his father in Yiddish theater, on Broadway, and his gradual transition to directing live TV, informed the stories he chose and his ability to translate important stage works into film, such as The Sea Gull, The Fugitive Kind and Long Day’s Journey into Night. In clips from these films, American Masters: By Sidney Lumet underscores Lumet’s own journey: his relationship with his father mirrored in Long Day’s Journey into Night, Daniel, Running on Empty and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.
Marching for workers’ rights in the 1930s, standing up to McCarthy-era blacklist interrogation and finding ways to employ his blacklisted friends, Lumet developed an appreciation for people who question authority. His movies often featured characters fighting for justice, standing up to the crowd and questioning personal responsibility. First and foremost a storyteller, Lumet’s strongly moral tales captured the dilemmas and concerns of a society struggling with essentials: how does one behave to others and to oneself?
“Sidney Lumet started in theater, learned about directing in television and made a career in film,” said Michael Kantor, American Masters series executive producer. “His work is legendary, and Nancy Buirski and her team were able to pull insights from the 14-hour goldmine of an interview and couple them with Lumet’s remarkable work to create a deeply insightful master class for the ages.”
“It was my job to distill what I felt were the crucial threads, the story Lumet most wanted to tell,” said Buirski. “What our film reveals is a man whose life experiences infused his movies with a sense of fairness and conscience, and whose strong moral code, conscious or not, found expression in his art.”
By Sidney Lumet had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival and was featured at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film will be available on digital video on demand and DVD/Blu-ray from FilmRise on January 9.
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Animated Film SGT. STUBBY: AN AMERICAN HERO Sets April 2018 Release Date
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Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero[/caption]
Fun Academy™ Motion Pictures, an innovator in educational entertainment for digital cinemas, has set an April 13, 2018 U.S. release date for “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero,” a new animated feature based on the life and times of the United States Army’s most decorated dog.
The film is produced by Labyrinth Media & Publishing, Ltd. with animation by Mikros Image, a Technicolor company, from their studios in Paris and Montreal. Fun Academy will distribute the film throughout North America.
Academy Award® nominees Helena Bonham Carter (“The King’s Speech,” “Harry Potter” franchise) and Gérard Depardieu (“The Life of Pi”) will star, with more voice cast to be announced. The film will also feature a score by award-winning composer Patrick Doyle (“Brave,” “Cinderella”).
Production of “Sgt. Stubby” is led by Laurent Rodon and Richard Lanni, who co-wrote the original screenplay with Mike Stokey. César Award-nominated filmmaker Bibo Bergeron (“Shark Tale”) will serve as director of story and 2016 Annie Award nominee Céline Desrumaux (“The Little Prince”) as production designer.
“Sgt. Stubby” tells the incredible true story of a stray dog and the bond he forged with the doughboys of the 26th “Yankee” Division at the onset of America’s entry into World War I.
As writer and executive producer Richard Lanni explains, “2018 marks the 100th anniversary of American involvement in the WWI, leading up to the armistice in November. Our film will be part of the global conversation about the Great War and remembering those who served.”
After being adopted off the streets by Private Robert Conroy, Stubby saved hundreds of lives by sounding the alarm for incoming attacks and catching an enemy spy in the trenches. For his valorous actions, Stubby was the first dog to be promoted in U.S. Army history.
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Interview: Paul Hildebrandt Talks About His Documentary FIGHT FOR SPACE
“If you have ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what is out there, this is the film for you.” Director Paul Hildebrandt puts into perspective the danger and detachment of America’s growing apathy for astronomy in his documentary Fight for Space. Though the Space Race inspired several generations to chase space and seek careers in science and technology, we’ve seen a steady decline in educational pursuit of space exploration in recent years. Fight for Space urges viewers to reawaken the sense of wonder and discovery and includes interviews with big names such as Bill Nye and Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell who share Hildebrandt’s vision for the future of the final frontier. We sat down with Paul, who’s love for astronomy, fascination with science fiction and concern for future generations galvanized this push to reinvest money and minds into space education.
What was your main motivation for making the documentary?
As an aspiring science fiction writer and soon-to-be father in 2012, I began to think of both how little the future seemed to be offering the next generation in terms of space flight. With the Space Shuttle just having been retired, and the Constellation program canceled, things were not looking up. I dropped the pen on trying to write a science fiction movie, believing that the Star Trek future would never exist until we figure out how to get out of low earth orbit. I had the idea to do a documentary on these issues as a way of bringing attention to them, and off we went.
Have you always been interested in Astronomy or is it something you came to later in life?
For as long as I can remember I’ve always been interested in space. Through both practical astronomy and science fiction. I’ve always wondered what could be out there.
Why do you think we lost interest in space education?
Interest in space education and space flight in general has had a bumpy road. In the 60s we were in a cold war with the Soviet Union and this spurred science education further than it had ever been before. Ever since then the focus has been mostly on earth bound problems which seem to resurface and repeat themselves constantly. Today space gets a few headlines and tv specials when NASA or SpaceX announces something, but we haven’t seen any of this come to be yet. To reignite interest in space we need to actually do something, not just talk about. Pulling back from the Moon and ending that program was I believe, a huge mistake and the ultimate answer to your question.
How long did it take to shoot? Did you run into any challenges while making it?
The film took about 4 years and change to make and it was incredibly challenging for me, both personally and professionally. NASA for example, did not want any part of the project because the question of “Why haven’t we gone back to the Moon?” Was too negative for their PR. I was given great help in finding footage and acquiring information but completely restricted from visiting any NASA facility or interviewing any NASA personnel officially. So a film that was originally going to be a film looking at how NASA was going to do all these great things in the future turned into more of a tragedy about why we stopped going and how messed up things are today. I learned a lot making this film and I’m excited to take these lessons into my next film, producing it quicker and more efficiently.
Can you tell our readers why they should see Fight for Space and what you want the audience to take away from the film?
Fight for Space is a film about the great things that we have done, and what we can do if we put our heads together and just do it. I’d like the audience to take away from this film all of the benefits that can be gained by doing space exploration and to see how badly it’s been messed up over the years. If you have ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what is out there, this is the film for you.
Can you give tips to any prospective Documentary film makers and what did you learn while making Fight for Space?
First, film making is collaborative, you can’t do everything yourself as much as you want to try. With that said it’s also important to follow your heart and make the film how you want to make it. Be expressive with your style of film making.
I learned more making Fight for Space than I ever did in any film class or formal training. Trial and error in both film making, dealing with people both close and far, public relations, technical requirements, archival research, the list is endless. I think the greatest way to learn how to make a movie is to make one. You can’t be told how to do it.
What’s next step for both you and the doc?
For the doc, I hope to continue showing it around the country and various festivals and then finally get it on some streaming services so everyone can see it as soon as possible.
As for me, after I wind down from this it’s off to make more documentaries, maybe about space, maybe not. Taking what I’ve learned and doing it better than I did last time, that’s what it’s about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e58zMy9kvuU
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Julie Sokolow Talks WOMAN ON FIRE, Her Documentary on NYC’s First Openly Transgendered Firefighter
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Woman On Fire[/caption]
In addition to the grueling physical and emotional strength it takes to be a firefighter, Brooke Guinan bore the weight of judgment and the weight of hormonal changes to carry out both her desire to be a firefighter and her destiny to transition from male to female. Woman On Fire documents the life and struggles Guinan went through to fulfill both sides of who she was meant to be. The documentary takes a powerful look at the path of transitioning your gender in an overwhelmingly macho profession. We interviewed the director Julie Sokolow to discuss the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of making the film and the message it gets across.
This is such an important and moving topic, can you briefly describe what Women on Fire is about?
Woman on Fire tells the story of Brooke Guinan, the first openly transgender firefighter in NYC. She’s also a third generation firefighter whose father and grandfather served in the FDNY. We follow Brooke as she emerges as a national role model – working against all odds to come out as transgender in an old-school, conservative workplace all while recruiting and training women and LGBTQ people for one of the most traditional jobs in the world.
What was your main motivation for making the documentary?
In 2014, an empowering photograph of Brooke went viral. She’s standing tall with her hands on her hips in a shirt that reads, “So Trans So What”. I thought, wow, she is the future. Her story sparked my imagination of a society in which we work peacefully alongside trans individuals in all sorts of professions. Brooke’s father George is a respected lieutenant with 35 years on the job. He’s also Republican, devoutly Christian, and very accepting of Brooke. To me, their relationship embodied the polarized political forces in America today. I wanted to explore that and celebrate Brooke’s unique life and family.
How long did it take to shoot? Did you run into any challenges while making it?
The film took about a year and a half to shoot. I was simultaneously editing while shooting towards the end. Brooke’s life was so dynamic, I didn’t want to leave anything out of the edit. She was busy working at FDNY headquarters and volunteering with the United Women Firefighters, all while buying a house with her partner Jim and considering marriage. So the film is all of these things – part family history, part love story, part expose.
Can you tell our readers why they should see Woman on Fire and what you want the audience to take away from the film?
You should see Woman on Fire because it is authentic, funny, sweet, and inspiring – just like Brooke. Brooke and I became great friends through the making of this film. I hope our friendship is contagious to audiences and people leave the theater with a sense of kindness for the trans people they encounter in their own lives.
Can you give tips to any prospective Documentary filmmakers?/What did you learn while making Woman on Fire?
One of the coolest parts of making this film was getting really close with Brooke and her family. I would stay at their house for weeks at a time while filming. I know that’s not possible for every documentary, but I really liked the intimacy. It wasn’t just me filming for a couple of hours and then running back home to my own life. Brooke became part of my life and I became part of hers. I think that helped me tell a better story. So I guess the advice is to be immersed and invested in the stories you tell as best you can.
What’s the next step for both you and the doc?
Woman on Fire premieres at DOC NYC on November 15th, followed by an encore screening on November 17th. After that, we’ll play more festivals, tour around, and try to share Brooke’s story as much as we can. The story is a beacon of hope in these tough times so I can’t wait for people to be able to see it and get inspired by Brooke the way she inspired me.