video i Season 14
#1409 - LGBT: We Are Family
Original Airdate: Fri, September 18, 2009 at 11pm
Perspectives from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community on how we define family.
JUST ME (Dir. Amy Neil)
In this heartwarming documentary, the filmmaker is a young lesbian who feels isolated in her large extended family. When she discovers a stockpile of old photographs that reveals the hidden life of her great grandmother, she begins to suspect that her great grandmother was "in the family" in more way than one. Comprised largely of vintage photographs spanning over 100 years, Just Me? explores the meaning of family, the nature of belonging, and the enduring power of love. For more about this film, go to: http://cart.frameline.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=T758.
Filmmaker Bio
Amy Neil is a licensed clinical social worker and she also spent over 10 years in software project management and design. This film represents the first time Amy has pursued her creative interests on a full time basis.
TWO SPIRITS (Dir. Ruth Fertig)
Joey Criddle is a Two Spirit man fighting with other LGBTQ Native Americans to reclaim the place of honor that many Two Spirits once held prior to colonization. The film follows Joey as he leads parallel lives - one as a co-director of the Two Spirit Society of Denver and the other as a father attending the Mississippi wedding of his Pentecostal son. Joey's words bridge the gap between the closeted man he was in Mississippi and the Two Spirit activist he is today. For more about the film, go to: http://cart.frameline.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=T771.
Filmmaker Bio
Ruth Fertig is a documentary director and producer based in Austin, Texas. In addition to making her own films, she has also served as an associate producer and researcher on documentaries that have aired on ABC, A&E, FX, the Discovery Channel and the History Channel, among others. She is currently pursuing an MFA in film and video production at the University of Texas.
FINDING FAMILY (Dir. John Ireland)
The national debate over gay marriage is making way for its natural consequence: gay parenting. With a patchwork of laws concerning gay adoption, the states are anything but united in what makes a family. Presenting a comprehensive overview of gay adoption rights state-by-state, "Finding Family" features social workers from across the country, a researcher with the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, gay adoptive parents, and the grown son of two lesbians. For more about the film, go to: http://cart.frameline.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=T772.
Filmmaker Bio
John Ireland works as a freelance journalist and filmmaker, based in Los Angeles. "I am fascinated by democracy in action," he says. "In my work, I get to meet people who have a passion for life...who choose to live life in their own terms. It's where these lives and the rest of society intersect where I find the story." He has focused on the gay rights movement, the electoral process and the effect of linguistics and semantics on everyday exchanges that connect us to one another. To learn more, visit the filmmaker's web site at www.JohnIrelandOnline.com.
