In the Catalogue
Check out these e-videos and documentaries or find more in the Library Catalogue.
e-Videos & Documentaries
- Our Dance of Revolution Listening to Angela, a Black lesbian feminist who is rousing a crowd, we understand that, no, this particular revolution wasn't televised. Rather, from out of the shadows, it was hugged, chanted, marched and danced into existence. Our Dance of Revolution tells the story of how Black queer folks in Toronto faced every adversity, from invisibility to police brutality, and rose up to become a vibrant, triple-snap-fierce community. Capturing first-person accounts across a span of four decades, this feature-length documentary is more than a previously untold oral history, more than a reclamation of unsung people and events. Our Dance of Revolution is a human-scale reckoning of how audacious individuals find themselves by finding others, and how they muster the courage, tenacity, and creativity to prevail against the forces of marginalization.
- Rainbow's End - The European LGBTQ Movement Rainbow's End is a revealing and entertaining multinational journey throughout Europe, examining the progress of the LGBTQ movement during the mid-aughts. From parades and protests in Warsaw and Krakow to touching personal stories with social, religious and political insights, the film delves in every corner of the debate from street activism to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. A starting point for any relevant discussion regarding LGBTQ rights within Europe and throughout the world. Canvassing the European countryside, Rainbow's End covers significant territory from Berlin partygoers looking for an online hookup who stumble upon an activist organization's website and rethink the relationship between gay culture and the internet to an English man fighting for the basic human rights of his lover who has been deported to Russia. The film delves into gay Arab men in the Netherlands, Polish protesters invoking memories of Auschwitz, and the violent hate crimes, providing a quick "101" on LGBTQ progress in Europe at the time, and invoking intersecting philosophies of nationalism, religion, and the neverending battles for human rights.
- Ruthie and Connie: Every Room in the House Ruthie and Connie are in many ways typical Jewish New Yorkers. They married men in the 1950s, became mothers, and eventually divorced. But when Ruthie and Connie fell in love, these "ordinary" housewives became plainspoken activists and international icons of equality.. Audience Award Winner for Outstanding Documentary at L.A. Outfest, and Winner of Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival.. “Two of the funniest and most outrageous queer activists you’ll ever see. Whether they are in City Hall, on the shores of West Palm Beach, or dancing on the Coney Island boardwalk, they move, enlighten, and inspire.” - Dennis Harvey, Variety. "A wonderful, wonderful 54-minute documentary ... Never once holding back for a second, they unleash their very souls for the camera, and beautiful souls they are, without a doubt. No one will leave without smiling or shedding a tear.” - Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner
- Before Homosexuals John Scagliotti, executive producer of the landmark film *Before Stonewall*, guides us in a wondrous tour of erotic history, poetry and visual art in his new documentary on same-sex desire – from ancient times to Victorian crimes. Traveling all over the world and talking with dozens of experts on history, art and sexuality, he revels in lesbian love spells from ancient Rome, censored chapters of the Kamasutra, Native American two-spirit rituals and much more. BEFORE HOMOSEXUALS unearths the diverse and fascinating garden of human same-sexual desire. Nominated for Best Documentary at **Out Film CT**.
- An act of love This award-winning film addresses the emotional intersections of religious tradition, LGBTQ rights, and family ties. Reverend Frank Schaefer was put on trial in the United Methodist Church for officiating his son's same-sex wedding. At the beginning of his career, Schaefer had no intention of getting involved in the controversy over gay marriage in the Church. However, several years into Frank's ministry at a small church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, his eldest son, Tim, began to quietly struggle with his sexual orientation. Amidst fear of rejection from his Church and his family, Tim became withdrawn and teetered on the verge of suicide. Tim never felt comfortable in Lebanon, so he moved to Boston for college in an effort to live in a more progressive area. It was in Boston where he met his future husband. After college, they were married in a private service in Massachusetts, where Frank officiated. The Schaefers knew that having Frank officiate Tim's wedding was a risk to his career, but they figured since it was a private family affair that it wouldn't ruffle any feathers. They were wrong. This compelling documentary chronicles the Schaefer family's struggle and the movement for LGBTQ equality in the nation's second largest protestant denomination.
- The Gospel of Eureka Welcome to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a one-of-a-kind oasis in the Ozarks where Christian piety rubs shoulders with a thriving queer community. This lushly photographed documentary spotlights the space where the town’s seemingly contradictory factions intersect: Lee and Walter, out and proud husband-owners of a local gay bar they liken to a “hillbilly Studio 54,” talk about their deep-seated faith; a Christian t-shirt designer describes his love for his gay father; and everything comes together in a show-stopping mash-up of a spectacular passion play and raucous drag show. The result is a joyously offbeat slice of Americana that breaks down the red-state-blue-state divide. Nominated for Best Documentary at the **SXSW Film Festival.**
- Woman Dress Pre-contact, a Two Spirit person named Woman Dress travels the Plains, gathering and sharing stories. Featuring archival images and dramatized re-enactments, this film shares a Cuthand family oral story, honouring and respecting Woman Dress without imposing colonial binaries on them.
- My Transgender Life A moving documentary on what it's like to be transgender, to grow up in the wrong gender and eventually transition to a different sex. A documentary designed to record, share and celebrate the personal stories of transgender women and men and their stories of struggle, of courage and of triumph. Though they vary in age, ethnicity and socioeconomic backgrounds, each person has fought to cast off the gender assigned to them at birth and embrace their true selves. The decision to transition from one gender to another is a life changing one not just for the transgender person but for their family and friends. Male or female, boy or girl? Most of us can answer that question without a second thought, but for some people, the answer isn't so simple. Encouraging classroom discussion, this program helps students to think of the differences in each of us in a positive way, breaking stereotypes, acceptance, challenging prejudice and increasing visibility for the transgender community.
- Kate Bornstein is a queer and pleasant danger Transgender-dyke. Reluctant-Polyamorist. Sadomasochist. Recovering-Scientologist. Pioneering Gender Outlaw. - Meet Auntie Kate. Trailblazing performance artist-theorist-activist, Kate Bornstein, takes us on a mind-bending quest through her world dismantling gender and seeking answers to the age-old question: What makes life worth living? Kate Bornstein is... captures rollicking public performances and painful personal revelations bearing witness to the pioneering gender outlaw who inhabits a space between male and female with wit, style, and astonishing candor. Frequenting 1990's day-time talk shows, Kate's book Gender Outlaw secured her place in history. While paving the way for generations of gender non-conforming people, she alienated others resulting in live protests and open letters going viral on the Internet. Increasingly, films narrate the personal lives and transitions of transgender people. Moving the genre forward, Kate Bornstein is... focuses on Kate's brilliant work and multiplicity of complicated identities. As she receives a grim cancer diagnosis, Kate confronts her own mortality and purpose in life, giving her own motto renewed urgency: "Do whatever it takes to make your life worth living. Just don't be mean." By turns meditative and playful, the film invites us on a thought-provoking journey through Kate's world seeking answers to some of our biggest questions.
