Queers on the Verge 2005; The nine short films were produced between1994-2004
Distributed by Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre, 171 East Liberty St., Suite 220, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 1W9; 416-588-0725
Producer n/a
Directed by Janie Fung, Cassandra Nicolau, Susan Justin, Adam Brown, Paul Lee, Roy Mitchell, Robert Kennedy, Allyson Mitchell, Ken Anderlini
DVD, color and b&, 61 min.
College
Gay and Lesbian Studies, Film Studies
Date Entered: 02/16/2007
Reviewed by Debra Mandel, Head, Media Center, Northeastern University Libraries, Boston, MAThis DVD is part of the Canadian Filmmaker’s Distribution Center (CFDC) series, Experimental Works for Educational Environments.
Queers on the Verge, directed by nine Canadian filmmakers, is an excellent compilation of short subjects featuring contemporary gay, lesbian, and transgender themes. Between three to 13 minutes long, these entertaining films incorporate expressive visual, audio, and narrative styles to articulate real experiences with raw emotions.
Family dynamics regarding one’s lesbian identity are bitingly explored in Janine Fung’s Leftovers, a home movie with voice over, and in Susan Justin’s powerful Listen, an angry mother and daughter conversation hand-drawn as a cartoon. Christian Porn pokes fun at a Christian Right protest outside a public library showcasing a LGBT film festival. In the collage-like Between You and Me, Ken Anderlini examines the challenge of respecting one’s sexual life while homophobia still prevails.
The Queers on the Verge artists demonstrate considerable talent in scripting, camera work, editing, and sound in video, 16mm and 13mm film formats .This DVD is highly recommended and will be a great catalyst for discussion in high school and colleges, not just to gay audiences. It should be accessible in all collections.