Week of May 6
Take a couple views of Queer Cinema history this week, from the unseen to the problematic AF. Golden Gate Girls unearths the work of 1930s lesbian director Esther Eng; a Douglas Sirk/Rock Hudson double feature is a showcase of 1950s domestic drama, and Ed Wood's Glen or Glenda is a messy look at cross-dressing in the 50s (and maybe the most unlikely movie ever to be programmed at the Academy Museum).
Glen or Glenda (1953)
May 11, 7:30pm, Adacemy Museum
The first film from "worst director of all time" Ed Wood (a lifelong cross-dresser) is one of his many cult classics--and a progressive/problematic exploration of cross-dressing and trans identities long before we had our current vocabularies.
Golden Gate Girls (2013)
May 10 @ 7:30pm, Hammer Museum
A documentary portrait of lesbian director Esther Eng, who directed 10 early Cantonese "talkies" in the 1930s, but was little known until film scholars rediscovered her work in the 1970s.
Presented with short film The World of Dong Kingman and with a talkback to follow.
Tickets from UCLA Film & TV Archive >
All That Heaven Allows // Magnificent Obsession
May 8 & 9 @ 7:30pm, New Beverly
The 1950s domestic melodramas of Douglas Sirk have gone on to inspire generations of Queer filmmakers: Todd Haynes, John Waters, Almodóvar, Fassbinder and more have all cited his influence on their work.
This Rock Hudson double feature is a great introduction to Sirk.
Also This Week
When Night is Falling (1995)
May 7 @ 7:30pm, Laemmle Royal
Patricia Rozema in person
This steamy lesbian classic about a college professor's sexual awakening at the hands of a circus performer is one of Patricia Rozema's most beloved Queer films. Join for a special screening followed by a Q&A with the director.
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2023)
May 12, 7:30pm @ Academy Museum
The frantic runaway train vibe of Everything Everywhere All At Once drops in and out of too many genres and ideas to be just one thing--but story of a mother reconnecting with her queer daughter is the warm heart at the center of all the madcap universe-hopping hijinks.
In Cinemas
I Saw the TV Glow
Set in the 90s, two queer teens share an obsession with a supernatural TV show (cough Buffy cough), living their hardcore queer fandom in the show's fictional universe.
Summer Qamp - Opens Friday
At Camp fYrefly in rural Alberta, queer, non-binary, and trans teens get to just be kids in a supportive space, surrounded by counselors who can relate to their experience ― and help them toast the perfect marshmallow.