Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride
Encyclopedia
Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride is a 2009 award-winning documentary directed by Bob Christie
, where he examines relevance of Gay Pride celebrations internationally, against the backdrop of opposition to such events in a number of countries. The documentary tries to portray Gay Pride as more than just a parade, but rather an important step on the road to equality and fight against homophobia and discrimination. It was produced with Transmission in association with Border2Border Entertainment and Nomadic Pictures.
, Hungary
, Russia
, Sri Lanka
and others where there is great opposition to pride parades. In North America, Pride is complicated by commercialization and a sense that the festivals are turning away from their political roots toward tourism, party promotion and entertainment. Christie documents the ways larger, more mainstream Pride events have supported the global Pride movement and how human rights components are being added to more established events. In the New York sequence, leaders organize an alternative Pride parade, the Drag March, set up to protest the corporatization of New York Pride. A parade in São Paulo
, the world's largest Pride festival, itself includes a completely empty float, meant to symbolize all those lost to HIV and to anti-gay violence.
Others
Bob Christie (film director)
Bob Christie is a Canadian documentary film director Bob Christie is a Canadian documentary film director Bob Christie is a Canadian documentary film director (born in a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is well-known for the 2009 documentary Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride that...
, where he examines relevance of Gay Pride celebrations internationally, against the backdrop of opposition to such events in a number of countries. The documentary tries to portray Gay Pride as more than just a parade, but rather an important step on the road to equality and fight against homophobia and discrimination. It was produced with Transmission in association with Border2Border Entertainment and Nomadic Pictures.
Synopsis
Over the course of a year, film follows Vancouver Pride Society president Ken Coolen to various international Pride events, including PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and others where there is great opposition to pride parades. In North America, Pride is complicated by commercialization and a sense that the festivals are turning away from their political roots toward tourism, party promotion and entertainment. Christie documents the ways larger, more mainstream Pride events have supported the global Pride movement and how human rights components are being added to more established events. In the New York sequence, leaders organize an alternative Pride parade, the Drag March, set up to protest the corporatization of New York Pride. A parade in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, the world's largest Pride festival, itself includes a completely empty float, meant to symbolize all those lost to HIV and to anti-gay violence.
Appearances
A number of personalities appear in interviews for the documentary including:- Ken Coolen - Parade Director, Vancouver Pride Society
- Gilbert Baker - Creator of the GLBT Rainbow flag
- Sahran Abeysundara - Director of Equal Ground Sri Lanka
- Tomasz Baczkowski - President, Warsaw Equality Parade
- Dean Nelson - Director, Vancouver Pride Society
- Libby Davies - Member of Parliament, Vancouver East
- Fatima Amarshi - Executive Director, Pride Toronto
- Scott Long - Human Rights WatchHuman Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
- Rev. Brent Hawkes - Metropolitan Church of Toronto
- Gareth Henry - J-FLAG Jamaica
- Franco Reinado - President, Gay & Lesbian Travel Assoc of Brazil
- Nikolai AlekseevNikolai AlekseevNikolay Alexandrovich Alexeyev, also written in English as Alekseyev, Alekseev and Alexeev born on December 23, 1977 in Moscow) is a Russian LGBT rights activist, lawyer and journalist....
- Founder, Moscow Pride - Cleve Jones - Creator of Names Project Memorial Quilt, friend to Harvey Milk
Events covered
The documentary shows footage of a number of parades including:- InterPride 2007 (Zurich Switzerland) where Ken Coolen and parade co-director, Dean Nelson, attend an international conference of Pride organizations. Many human rights activists are interviewed, including American artist and activist Gilbert Baker creator of the first rainbow flag.
- Sao Paulo Pride Parade (Brazil) where 4 million participants in a government-sponsored Pride with the theme of the year Homophobia Kills!
- Moscow Pride (Russia) with archiving clandestine preparations for this event and a violent counter protest
- Pride Colombo (Sri Lanka) where Pride events are only advertised after they take place, in order to protect the identities of those brave enough to attend. Meeting Sahran Abeysundra, who later travels to Canada to be a Grand Marshal in Vancouver Parade.
- Vancouver Pride (Canada) for the anniversary entitled Celebrating 30 Years of the Rainbow
Awards
Morris Chapdelaine, Oliver-Barret Lindsay, Charlie David and Bob Christie:- 2009: Won Jury Award for Best Documentary at Image+Nation Festival in Montreal, Canada
- 2009: Won the Audience Award for "Documentary" category at Atlanta Film FestivalAtlanta Film FestivalThe Atlanta Film Festival is an Academy Award qualifying, international film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia. Started in 1976 and occurring every April, the festival shows a diverse range of independent films, including genre films such as horror and sci-fi...
- 2009: Won the Best Documentary Award at Fairy Tales International Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalFairy Tales International Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalThe Fairy Tales International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is an annual event held at the end of May in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.It is the only LGBT film festival in Alberta....
, Calgary Alberta - 2009: Won the Best Documentary Award at Q Cinema, Fort Worth Texas
- 2009: Won the Best Documentary Award at Reel PrideReel PrideReel Pride is an annual gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and two-spirit film and video festival produced by the Winnipeg Gay and Lesbian Film Society in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada....
, Winnipeg Manitoba - 2009: Won the Jury Award for "Best Documentary Film" at Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
- 2009: Won the Audience Award for "Favorite Documentary" at Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
- 2010: Won the HBO Best Documentary Film Award at the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
- 2010: Won the "Best of the Festival" award at Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival
Others
- 2010: Michael Wiskar Nominated for "Best Musical Score in a Documentary Program or Series" at Leo AwardsLeo AwardsThe Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry, celebrating excellence in artistic achievement. Held each May in Vancouver, Canada, the Leo Awards honour nominees and winners in 13 program categories and up to 19 craft categories...
- 2010: Steve Schmidt Nominated for "Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series" at Leo Awards