Educational Media Reviews Online

Feminist scholar Catherine Stimpson and Australian musicologist Elizabeth Wood have a decades-long romance that started in the 1970s and spans a winding road that entails living in two different continents, contending with homophobia, and undertaking custody court cases. The documentary frames their stories through a series of letters and tapes they sent to each other over the years, where they loved and supported each other from afar.

The film begins with each woman discussing their respective stories of coming out as lesbians and how they abided by traditional societal expectations–marrying men and having children. Despite this, they overcame many obstacles over the years and their love persisted and challenges mounted, including Wood needing to defend herself in court to get split custody of her children – something most lesbian women had been denied under the guise of being unfit. Their story reflects a changing society where the second-wave feminist movement was burgeoning, and gay rights liberation was underway.

The documentary serves as a great primary source for understanding queer oppression in the 1970s and serves as a reminder of how far the feminist and queer movements have progressed in the subsequent decades. Stimpson and Wood’s tale is heartwarming and worthy of library collections supporting women and gender studies, families, and social movements.

Awards:
Best Documentary Short, Queens World Film Festival

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