"Queer Theory An Introduction"

Queer: 1: questionable, suspicious2 a: differing in some odd way from what is usual or normal b (1): eccentric, unconventional (2): mildly insane: touched c: absorbed or interested to an extreme or unreasonable degree: obsessed d (1) often disparaging: homosexual (2) sometimes offensive: gay 4b3: not quite well -Websters Online Dictionary

I found “Queer Theory An Introduction” to be a great crash course lesson in queer history with many insightful looks into how the queer identity came to be and how gay has changed alongside our capitalist society over time.

“One of the ways in which the gay liberation movement of a decade ago differed from most of its predecessors was in its insistence that only radical change to society could bring about genuine acceptance of homosexuality. The thrust of the gay movement over the past decade has been away from this perception toward the idea that all that is involved is the granting of civil rights to a new minority.” –Altman.

As a queer person reading this I got to look at where this identity I chose for myself started and what were the steps leading up to its emergence from the gay and lesbian identity. I could reflect upon my own experience in Jan Clausen’s quote: “I do not want to become an identity junkie, hooked on the rush that comes with pinning down the essential characteristic that for that moment, seems to offer the ultimate definition of the self, the quintessence of oppression, the locust of personal value—only to be superseded by the next revelation.” I have often felt when reading Queer theory or talking with fellow queers about identity that it can become an obsession to see who is the most oppressed, the most original, the most “out there.”

I read this book in combination of watching “Before Stonewall.” The two together gave me a real sense of the foundations of identity politics in western culture. It was fun to read about the start of the Mattachine society and then watch the founders in a documentary. Annamarie Jagose lays out a clear path to understanding the steps to the making of this complex identity and in the process shares all angles on the debate beneath this controversial word “queer.”

“Instead of assuming that collective identities simply reflect differences among persons that exist prior to mobilization, ‘ writes Stein, ‘we need to look closely at the process by which movements remake identities.” I liked this perspective on how an identity is made by a group coming together. A lot of my reading in this book was referencing the community I belong to.

In the Production of Travel Queeries a few of our interviewees cited Queer theory when talking about what this word means to them. I believe this subject has given people a vocabulary to use when discussing their personal identity. At the same time it seems this “language” has alienated many people who live their lives in a queer way without labeling it as such. I have gained more perspective on this identity and on my own community.

Notes 2 on "Between The Sheets and in The Streets"

The ability to hold together intense devotion to something with a simultaneous irony or even derision towards it is characteristic of much gay culture.” Richard Dryer

Film and video is analyzed in this series of essays in a way that made me understand new ways to express my ideas on documentation and analysis of queer documentary. I was able to engage with such terms as cinema verite, “the reflective cinema verite camera is regarded not as a fly on the wall, but as an engaged participant. Such “interactive” films typically foreground the camera, its operator, and the present-tense filming situation.” This description made me think about weather Travel Queeries could be likened to a fly on the wall or me the filmmaker as an engaged participate? I learned more about the term ethnography, “to know and experience the life and community of another.” Travel Queeries could become even more of an intriguing document and window into an “other” culture by looking through the ethnographic lens. At the same time I want to make TQ a mirror reflecting back into itself and the community I, as a filmmaker, choose to document. The film wears these two hats. As I become more familiar with the footage I will be able to construct a story arch that will express both of these realms.

In Chris Holmlund’s essay “When Autobiography Meets Ethnography: The Dyke Docs of Sadie Benning and Su Friedrich,” Holmlund comments on how these two filmmakers are put into the box of making “autobiographical” work. “Most critics easily label them autobiographies, diaries, or confessions. However, almost no one discusses these works as ethnographies. No mention is made of Benning’s consistent condemnation of homophobia, racism and sexism and no recognition is given to her general concern with young people and women. It is as if “autobiography” were understood solely as the inscription of a self-absorbed subjectivity uninvolved with others.”
In the context of TQ I could see how my work could be viewed in similar terms. Hearing the story of a life from the person who has lived it and who is making the document by themselves is very powerful and can tell you a lot about the demographic they are representing. I was impressed and inspired with Benning’s work. In “If every girl had a diary” and “Jollies” I was able to see her filming skills progress and her metaphors become deeper as she got older. I noticed her complete un-self-consciousness of sharing her world and stories with the viewer. I will share more about this in my film viewing post. The dyke doc’s chapter taught me how to reference autobiography and see it as more then just subjectivity but as an actual document through the filmmaker’s eyes.

Notes1 on "Between the Sheets, and In the Streets, Queer, Lesbian and Gay Documentary"

“Our project, once again, is one of suggestion, provocation, and encouragement, meant to remind ourselves and our readers how important it is to acknowledge and value the shifting layering of identity and community, even as we work toward what we feel is the crucial task of coalition building.” This phrase in the introduction to “between the sheets” drew me in immediately. I felt as I read this book that I was talking to friends about their experiences in making queer film. I could draw correlations between the filmmakers movies and my own.

In Chris Cagle’s essay “Imaging the Queer South” he states that, “Though it is posed as a national movement, “queer” frequently means specifically Northern and/or metropolitan, while Southern queers living in the South are viewed as an amorphous group of “Others.” I could easily see this happen between Eastern and Western European queers. As we filmed in the East we could see how the Western Europeans viewed the queer Eastern situation as tragic and went there to help as much as they could. While the Eastern European queers could see the Westerners as helpful but felt okay with the situation they had and wanted to do more organizing in the regions they lived in amongst themselves without using methods and ideas imported from the West.

Cagle uses the term “Gay and Lesbian affirmational documentary” to mean a “retroactive narrative of coming out and personal journeys as political testimony.” While editing Travel Queeries I am getting ideas for what language I want to use in discussing the film and the kind of documentary it is becoming. I see Travel Queeries as a combination of participatory and performative documentary. I appreciate reading descriptions about the choices filmmakers use to express the feelings they are trying to encourage their audiences to have. In “Greetings from Out Here” Ellen Spiro talks from an insider’s perspective on being queer in the south, Spiro lets herself become a part of the documentary by reconciling her past as a Southerner living in the North while at the same time documenting modern Southern queer culture. I look forward to more insider information and a larger perspective on what my documentary could represent as I continue to read these essays.

“In the Blink of an Eye, a Perspective on Film Editing”

I really appreciated reading this book for its fun and articulate way of explaining editing. I noticed all the creative examples Murch gave on how one thinks and how that shapes what one sees. At one point he describes filmmaking as “the closet to thought process of any art form.” (60) Though Murch mainly talks about narrative film editing and not documentary video editing I could relate a lot of what Murch says to my project. I liked Murch’s thoughts on following the blinks of the actor’s eyes to get a sense of when to make the cut. ”In film a shot presents us with an idea or a sequence of ideas, and the cut is a “blink” that separates and punctures those ideas.” (62)
Murch gave me perspective on how to follow a conversation and make a good scene by following these procedures for an ideal cut. (18)
1. Emotion, what you want your audience to feel
2. Story, how it relates to your entire story
3. Rhythm, how it flows with the rest of the story
4. Eye Trace, concern with where the audience is looking
5. Two-dimensional plane of screen, stage line and planarity technical
6. Three dimensional space of action, where people are in relation to one another
I will use these techniques as well as Murch’s ideas of taking stills of different parts of the film to piece together the story visually. I will also use Murch’s method of cutting out paper dolls to put on the editing screen to always have perspective on how the audience will ultimately see my film. This book made me ask myself the question, "What do I want people to feel when they are watching Travel Queeries?" I will take this question into the editing room as I work.