Marjo Pipinen: New Queer Cinema (lecture)

An excellent lecture belonging to the U.S. Independents cycle at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 3 April, 2009.

- Traditional queer cinema: American Underground, European directors (Pasolini, Jarman, Fassbinder, Akerman), San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 1977
- Gay representations in mainstream cinema (The Children's Hour, Rebel Without a Cause)
- The 1980s: Born in Flames, Lianna, The Times of Harvey Milk, Desert Hearts, Mala Noche, My Beautiful Laundrette, I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, Looking for Langston
- New Queer Cinema. B. Ruby Rich (Sight & Sound, Sep 1992, March 2000). Festivals the main distribution channel. "A new kind of film and video-making that was fresh, inventive, unapologetic, sexy and stylistically daring". No consistent aesthetics or strategy, but a common style: Homo Pomo
- Characteristics: roughness (low budget); appropriation - pastiche - re-interpretating the past; pleasure!; no clear identities; an unapologetic attitude; aesthetizing violence
- Themes: re-interpreting the past: Looking for Langston (Isaac Julien, GB 1988), The Hours and the Times (Christopher Münch, 1991), Edward II (Derek Jarman, GB 1991), Swoon (Tom Kalin, 1992), Orlando (Sally Potter, GB 1992), The Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye, 1996)
- Themes: AIDS. RSVP (Laurie Lynd, 1991), The Living End (Gregg Araki, 1992), Blue (Derek Jarman, GB 1993), Derek (Isaac Julien, GB 2008), Zero Patience (John Greyson, CA 1993), Fig Trees (John Greyson, CA 2009), Safe (Todd Haynes, 1995)
- Themes: Queers of Color. Looking for Langston (Isaac Julien, GB 1988), Young Soul Rebels (Isaac Julien, GB 1991), Paris Is Burning (Jennie Livingston, 1991), Tongues Untied (Marlon Riggs, 1991), Khush (Pratibha Parmar, GB 1991), A Place of Rage (1991), The Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye, 1996)
- Themes: Outside Society. Gus Van Sant: Mala Noche (1985), My Own Private Idaho. - Todd Haynes: Poison (1991). - Tom Kalin: Swoon (1992), Savage Grace (2007). - Gregg Araki: The Living End (1992), Mysterious Skin (2004). - Negative representions?
- Lesbian Cinema. Su Friedrich: Sink or Swim (1990), Lesbian Avengers Eat Fire (1994). Sadie Benning: A Place Called Lovely (1991). Aerlyn Weissman & Lynne Fernie: Forbidden Love (CA 1992). Rose Troche: Go Fish (1994). Cheryl Dunye: The Watermelon Woman (1996). Lisa Cholodenko: High Art (1998).
- After New Queer Cinema? - From a radical impulse to a market opportunity. - Rather a moment than a movement. - Queer motifs int0 the mainstream: Lesbian chic, trendy gays. - A flood of hlbt film festivals. - Genre cinema: coming out, romantic comedy.
- Cam Archer: Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006), EX: Gus Van Sant
- Queer in the 2000s: old film-makers. Gus Van Sant (1952. Elephant, Paranoid Park, Milk). Gregg Araki (1959. Mysterious Skin, Smiley Face). Bruce LaBruce (1964. The Raspberry Reich DE/CA, Otto; Or, Up With Dead People DE/CA). Todd Haynes (1961. Velvet Goldmine, Far from Heaven, I'm Not There). Tom Kalin (1962. Savage Grace). Todd Solondz (1959. Happiness, Storytelling, Palindromes).
- Queer in the 200s: new film-makers. John Cameron Mitchell (1963. Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus). Michel Cuesta (1963. L.I.E.). Jonathan Caouette (1973. Tarnation). Cam Archer (1982. Wild Tiger I Have Known)
- L Code employing Lesbian directors. Rose Troche (D, SC, P), Go Fish. Kimberly Peirce (D), Boys Don't Cry. Jamie Babbitt (D), But I'm a Cheerleader, Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Angela Robinson (D, SC), D.E.B.S.
SOURCES:
- “New Queer Cinema”, Sight & Sound, Sep 1992
- B. Ruby Rich, “Queer and Present Danger”, Sight & Sound, maaliskuu 2000
- PopcornQ: http://www.planetout.com/popcornq/
- Michele Aron (toim.), New Queer Cinema: A Critical Reader (2004)
- Richard Dyer, Now You See It (1990, 2003); The Culture of Queers (2002)
- B. Ruby Rich, Chick Flicks: Theories and Memories of the Feminist Film Movement (1998)