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Rob Epstein
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 The
Celluloid Closet
Inspired by the late Vito Russo's seminal book
on the depiction of homosexuality in Hollywood cinema, this funny,
informative and occasionally moving documentary offers -- through
interviews and a vast assortment of film clips -- a candid
mini-history of gays and lesbians on-screen. The Celluloid
Closet takes a chronological approach to the subject, offering
clips from the turn of the century (The Gay Brothers) thru
the silents to the effeminate caricatures of the 1930s (Broadway
Melody), the pitiful homosexual of the 1950s and '60s, the
violently deviant homosexual of the '70s and '80s, and concluding
with the squeaky clean image of recent times. While encompassing
in scope, the film is too simplistic and suffers from the lack of
critical analysis and a central point-of-view. And, there are too
many straight actors who offer nothing other than having played a
gay/lesbian -- only Tony Curtis and Susan Sarandon offer insight
into the queer roles they have played. With that said, however, The
Celluloid Closet is more than recommended (and should be
required viewing for those interested in the subject), but for
something deeper, it is best to also read Russo's book
 Where
We Are
A vacation through the American South becomes a
heart-felt sociological odyssey for filmmakers Epstein and
Freidman. With camera in hand and a genuine interest in people and
what makes them so different, the two travel to the diners, bars
and street corners of heartland America. The kaleidoscope of
people they meet reveals many funny, sobering and poignant life
stories. Highlights include gay marines who venture into a
"forbidden" off-base gay bar and a couple who, in homage
to Elvis, have constructed a mini-Graceland in their backyard.
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Excerpt:
"The Celluloid Closet" is Rob
Epstein's (Writer/Director/Producer) fifth non-fiction
feature. In 1985, Epstein received his first Oscar
for nonfiction feature "The
Times of Harvey Milk," which he conceived, directed, coproduced
and coedited. "The Times of Harvey Milk" was named one
of the two best documentaries of the decade by an American Film
critic's poll, and also won three national Emmy
Awards, the Peabody Award, the New York Film Critics' Circle
Award, the American Film Festival Blue Ribbon, the International
Documentary Association's Distinguished Achievement Award, the
Grand Prize at the Nyon Film Festival, and numerous other
international awards. "The Times of Harvey Milk," with
an original score by Mark Isham and narrated by Harvey Fierstein,
premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and then went on to the
New York Film Festival, the Sundance
Film Festival, the Berlin
Film Festival, and many others. "The Times of Harvey
Milk" has played in theaters and on television throughout the
world...
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Site for Telling Pictures, company run by the
directors of The Celluloid Closet, Common Threads: Stories From
the Quilt and Paragraph 175.
In 1987 Rob
Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman set up an office in a former convent
and Catholic girls’ school in San Francisco and started Telling
Pictures. Since then, they have produced four non-fiction feature
films and numerous documentaries for television and corporate
clients. They are among the most highly honored non-fiction
filmmakers, having been awarded, collectively or individually, two
Academy Awards, multiple Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards and a
Guggenheim Fellowship.
Their latest film, Paragraph
175, explores a hidden chapter in history: the experiences
of homosexuals during the Nazi regime in Europe. Narrated by
Rupert Everett, and filmed in Germany, France and Spain, Paragraph
175 tells a complex and moving story of persecution and
resistance. The film had its US premiere at the Sundance Film
Festival in January, 2000, where it was awarded the documentary
jury prize for directing, followed by a European premiere at the
Berlin Film Festival in February, where it won the FIPRESCI
(International Film Critics Association Award).
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Names Index:
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G H
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