Photo: Courtesy Outfest
Any great community film fest meets all sort of missions and goals and cultural needs, and to pick one as the most significant seems like Sophie's choice. But, if shoved really hard and forced to choose, tonight's gala at Outfest in Los Angeles would get my vote. Word is Out is the second film in the Outfest Legacy Project, a partnership with UCLA dedicated to preserving and restoring gay films that are on the brink of extinction.
And believe me, that's not hyperbole. There are scores of queer films out there from the '70s and '80s which, to most studios, have no commercial value. And even if we'd disagree, their negatives and prints are in horrific condition, too tattered to be shown. The Legacy Project is the life preserver that is working to save our history and bring these movies back to life, not just for archive, but for rediscovery on the big screen today.
Last year's film, the project's first, was Parting Glances, an undisputed milestone in gay cinema. Word is Out is equally worthy, if less well known. The film, by Oscar-winning documentarian Ron Epstein, was, at the time of its release in 1978, the best and most comprehensive cinematic telling of the gay experience. (Because it was also aired on PBS, it was many American's first thoughtful exposure to the idea of a gay community.) Epstein speaks to 26 subjects who tell us what it meant to be gay during a very specific slice of time. They knew, after all, that they were just past Stonewall, but they couldn't have predicted AIDS. It's a fascinating and deeply moving film. It will stay with you, and the project needs you. Go!
-- EDDIE SHAPIRO
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