What makes life meaningful? What do we leave behind? How can we make sense of a life cut short? Can we reconstruct a life from a collection of pieces and memories, and what is it that makes us want to try? These are among the questions Uncle Howard, a new documentary by Aaron Brookner, attempts […]
I Love You Both Review: aGLIFF
I Love You Both is like a slow motion train wreck of dysfunction, codependency, and existential crisis coupled with an unchecked white privilege festival. I have very mixed feelings about it. Watching the film made me feel very uncomfortable, but I’m not sure whether that was intentional or not on the part of the director. […]
Heartland Review: AGLIFF
I’ve seen my fair share of LGBTQ films about living in the American South. So many that at times it feels like an overdone trope – and this from a queer woman who was raised in the South and still lives there. I will admit I approached my viewing of Heartland with some skepticism, braced […]
AGLIFF Review: Une Nouvelle Amie
Une Nouvelle Amie (The New Girlfriend) is a film by French director François Ozon. It is utterly sweet and charming throughout. The film is at once very distinctly French and also approachable enough that I believe even viewers completely unacustomed to French film will be able to enjoy and appreciate it without any trouble. I […]
AGLIFF Review: S&M Sally
I’m ready for an honest, mature, and realistic film portrayal of BDSM and Polyamory. S&M Sally is unfortunately not that film. The film follows the story of a group of friends exploring their sexualities. Jill and Jamie, a lesbian couple, start experimenting with BDSM in their relationship. Jill is supposedly experienced, having been a regular […]
Mad Max: Fury Road and the Future of Feminist Film
With the exception of watching Indiana Jones with my father growing up, I’ve never been a huge fan of action films. I would watch them if that’s what everyone else wants to watch, but it wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice. With all the media buzz about how Mad Max: Fury Road is a feminist action […]
Austin’s Fusebox Festival: The Measure of All Things
There are times when I’m reminded that performance can be a transformative event, and am honored to witness the magic uniquely found when a group of individuals come together to share their time, energy, and attention with one another. The opening night of Austin’s Fusebox Festival proved to be just such a moment. When I […]
Thoughts on Auntie Kate
Kate Bornstein has had a profound effect on my life in a way she may never know (unless I decide to get brave and tweet this post @ her). In September, I saw Kate Bornstein is a Queer and Pleasant Danger as a part of the Austin Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. In the film, […]
OUTsider: Connections, Conversations, and Family
One of my favorite aspects of art and performance is putting related pieces into conversation with one another, enriching the conversation surrounding a given topic. I’m so very happy with the way OUTsider Festival’s programming is facilitating those sorts of conversations, and I only wish I had the opportunity to participate more fully this year. […]
OUTsider Festival: Narcissister and Gay Wax Museum
I wasn’t sure what to expect when headed to see Narcissister for the opening night of OUTsider Festival in Austin. Narcissister’s name is what it sounds like; the complication of our cultural understanding of the narcissist juxtaposed with the idea of sisterhood, and how being a “sister” relates to the identities of women of color […]