On Friday the 13th last November, I attended
"Real Dialogue" : the first (of many, I hope) Hunter College Department of Film & Media and the IMA/MFA Program, documentary film screening and discussion forums.
This evening’s films shared in the topic(s) of LGBT's: current media representation ("NO MORE LIES: a portrait of a filmmaker" by Sam Feder (hunter student); familial relationships to traditionally heterosexual parents and siblings ("DON’T BRING SCOTT" by David Pavlosky (hunter student); and today's labor laws and rights in the U.S. ("OUT AT WORK" by Kelly Anderson and Tami Gold (hunter professors).
Each filmmaker stayed after the screenings to answer questions about their films and to participate in an open discussion on some of the issues brought up by the provocative selection of social activist's films. The evening’s moderator opened the Q&A with a question for the audience: "Where do you place yourself being a part of the progression of change? (+ in terms of some of these issues).
I thought much about this question when viewing David’s film “Don’t Bring Scott” as he attempted to capture an ongoing confrontation with his conservative Midwestern parents and his three brothers of varying generations on his relationship with his partner Scott and whether or not Scott was welcome at family gatherings.
What seemed to be initially a tearful maybe even an indulgent personal journey for David, who invited us into a home video (many hand held shots – what has become a reality T.V. visual aesthetic), ended up building in emotion and intimacy with his family and the audience, effectively revealing very honest and varied opinions on David’s “lifestyle” in a hugely compelling way.
His family represented a microcosm of the current American social climate – fear, tolerance, acceptance, and indifference. By David's patience and silence during these interviews with his family these incredible point of views were explored and proved that it is important to ask why one holds certain values and if they are important when they hurt and others.
It raised the question for me as an audience member and a filmmaker “Why do we care?” and why does David care? Why not live and let live?
Again, the moderator's question to the audience was where we saw ourselves in relation to activism and again I wondered – what makes someone push themselves in a path to instigate change and push others to change with them? David’s film was a very successful portrait and journey from “Don’t Bring Scott” to family gatherings to Scott taking family portraits with all the Pavlovskys at Christmas time, and this change was possible because he dared to ask hard questions and listen for the answers. Once explored, these harsh barriers once firmly erected, fell down everywhere and the film triumphantly ended with Scott meeting David's family and being included in the holiday portrait.
The moderator's question coupled with the miraculous change in David's film, prompted me to ask the question of David: "What drew you to social and personal activism, especially in your own home?"
To listen to David’s response click here.
In short, David needed to complete a project for his documentary film class, but it was his longing "to have a life" that made him push through the restrictions of who he was formerly able to be with his family in contrast to who he was independent from them with his lover.
He said that change doesn't come quickly - that it takes time and patience.
And so, I will patiently await the next scheduled “Real Dialogue” screening and forum as each film was not only entertaining, educational and provocative, but a great way to inspire fellow filmmakers and artists attending Hunter – and beyond.
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