Educational Media Reviews Online

Outcast Films is distributing a 5-DVD collection of 13 of Su Friedrich’s 16 films to date. Her most recent work is also available separately on DVD. This very ambitious compilation should serve as an example for future undertakings to preserve experimental and independent film/video. If the material is not accessible, it will not be shown, if it is not shown, an artist stands a very good chance of being forgotten. Academic oblivion has already occurred in the cases of several 60’s avant-garde filmmakers simply because academics have little time, money or inclination to find their works. This collection of Friedrich’s work will undoubtedly bring her to a wider audience.

Great care has been taken to transfer the 16mm and video works and many films have a choice of multiple sub-titles. One of the most innovative features is the scene accessibility which provides a written length of each section. This feature will certainly be appreciated by anyone showing Friedrich’s work in class or during a presentation. The program notes are informative and the Outcast website (outcast-films.com) also provides links to criticism and full-text essays on Friedrich’s work.

The Ties that Bind is a portrait of Su Friedrich’s mother and her life in Germany during WWII. It is almost like a scrapbook with hand scribbled comments and images, but in this case, moving images rather than still ones. The film is personal but with implications of outside responsibility for the mother who grew up in Nazi Germany. It is a very moving portrait of a woman who had to make the choices she did.

The Lesbian Avengers Eat Fire, Too (55 minutes, 1993) is the bonus film on the disc. This is a co-directing effort for Friedrich and the film does not display the thoughtful approach and usual image quality found in other Friedrich works. It is a documentary on the first year of the existence of the Lesbian Avengers in New York and includes footage of their fight to get the Rainbow Curriculum accepted in Schools. During one event, filmmaker Yvonne Rainer movingly reads from Alice B. Toklas’ book about Gertrude Stein’s last day.

This collection as a whole is very highly recommended for public libraries with gay and lesbian collections as well as for academic libraries with programs in gay and lesbian studies, as well as film studies.