Article 18 of the Polish Constitution talks about the protection of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. This fact has been used as a weapon by those in Poland who are opposed to formalizing same-sex unions. After a quarter century of freedom, not only are same-sex marriages still prohibited, but there hasn’t been any sort of regulation of civil unions whatsoever. In his film, Bartosz Staszewski tries to find out why this is the case. In addition to giving a voice to activists and experts, he creates a portrait of gay and lesbian couples and raises awareness among the wider public about the kind of problems that this sort of systemic discrimination creates for them. How it fundamentally negates their right to a decent and safe life. And how much it says about contemporary Poland. This first film chronicle about the debate on same-sex relationships in Poland was financed by individual contributions. While it is entirely apolitical, it painfully exposes the lack of substance in Polish politics.

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To A More Perfect Union: U.S. v Windsor is a feature-length documentary that tells a story of love, marriage and a fight for equality. The film chronicles unlikely heroes -- octogenarian Edie Windsor and her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, on their quest for justice: Edie had been forced to pay a huge estate tax bill upon the death of her spouse because the federal government denied federal benefits to same-sex couples – and Edie’s spouse was a woman. Deeply offended by this lack of recognition of her more than forty-year relationship with the love of her life, Edie decided to sue the United States government – and won. Windsor and Kaplan’s legal and personal journeys are told in their own words, and through interviews with others of the legal team, movement activists, legal analysts, well-known supporters and opponents. Beyond the story of this pivotal case in the marriage equality movement and the stories behind it, the film also tells the story of our journey as a people, as a culture, and as citizens with equal rights.

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‘Shakedown’ was a series of parties founded by and for African American women in Los Angeles that featured go-go dancing and strip shows for the city’s lesbian underground scene. Inspired by transwoman Mahogany who, as the mother of the scene, presided over queer strip shows and balls for non-heterosexual audiences in the 1980s, butch Ronnie Ron created, produced and presented the new shows. In them, the largely female clientele from the ‘hood’ slipped dollar notes into lap dancers’ panties while celebrating lesbian sexuality to pulsating hip-hop beats.

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