Catholicism, witchy-woo-woo, forests, churches, loners, goths, Jennifer Miller, independent wimmins, Jean Rouche, Sam Green, Carrie Lozano, Sarah Schulman, Larry Kramer, pre-9/11 NYC L.E.S. trash ’n flash queer performance art, Sinead O’Connor, Audrey Lorde, Rusty Mae Moore, Chelsea Goodwin, Sylvia Rivera, Lesbian Avengers, Joan Nestle, Sandra Bernhard, Morrissey, the documentary Barbara queens (Koppel & Sonneborn), P.O.V., IFP-East, Jade Barbee, Needles Jones, Val Obstruction, misunderstood country kids making it big in the city.
Directors
dandypants
Professional Affiliations
BAVC, BAWIFT, Scribe Video, Big Tea Party, San Francisco Film Society, PIFVA, Queer Lounge @ Sundance, Women's Audio Mission, IFP-East, Media Tank.
Bearded Lady Film's Interests
General
Carnivale Sideshows, Freaks, Oddities, Feminism, Spirituality, Women's rights, trans-inclusive ENDA, finding commonalities between women's and trans herstories, herstory, pro-choice, grassroots, slow it down.
Movies
Chronicle of A Summer, Harlan County U.S.A., Paris Is Burning, Blue, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Philadelphia, River's Edge.
Television
Carnivale, The Decalogue, Golden Girls, The X Files, In Living Color.
Books
Castle Waiting, Love + Rockets, American Sideshow, Girls, Visions & Everything, Stir Fry, The Affected Provincial's Companion, cinema and video technical manuals, Shade The Changing Man.
A journey into the public and personal lives of Bearded Ladies and their admirers, The Bearded Lady seeks to contextualize the herstories and experiences of defiant whiskered women who have existed in past and contemporary societies; including the Carnivale Sideshow and “Human Oddity” entertainment industries, as well as religious iconography that presents bearded women as fierce, female empowered icons, who continue to influence a diverse array of cultures, including North Americans artists and scholars, European Christians, as well as the Afro-Caribbean Yoruba spiritual diaspora.
Portraits of contemporary Bearded Women who have found places of acceptance and commonality within oppressed sub-cultures, such as the lesbian feminist, queer and transgender communities are presented, as well, along with their shared experiences of feeling largely under-represented and misunderstood by the identity politics movement as a whole. However, despite the social and economic challenges they face in their daily lives, The Bearded Lady documentary is a story of triumph and joy, for these women recognize that they have a special place within their families, friendship circles and communities. In the increasingly complex world of queer and transgender identity politics, the film will shed light on a diverse group of women who share with those movements, the common trait of affirming their right to be respected and loved for who they are.
Additionally, the film examines how the models of gender (femininity/masculinity) and sex (female/male), have been literally “shaped” by the profit driven industry of hairlessness, (electrolysis, shaving, waxing and “womanscaping/manscaping”), and how this industry has impacted the lives of women over the past century. The Bearded Lady will explore how these industries have successfully used marketing to influence North American women into conforming to the binary gender system, through the gendering and pathologization of body hair. By drawing a comparison between the culturally sanctioned ideals of feminine and masculine attractiveness, to the rejection of this system by bearded women, the film will provide the viewer with examples of how bearded women can serve as a positive inspiration for women who struggle with self-esteem and self-worth issues due to their inability to conform to a capitalist model of hairlessness.
Featuring interviews, historical footage and scholarly research, the film will showcase a diverse cast of characters from all walks of life.
Please note that our blog has moved here:http://beardedladyfilm.wordpress.com/
Who I'd like to meet:
Anyone who is bearded, female identified and who is inclusive of women of colour, transgender folks, differently abled peoples, kids, multi-lingual super sisters, and anyone who is fabulous and wants to help us bring this thing to completion!
But in particular, there are still a few select openings for participants in this project.
See the blog for more info.
Please note the Statement of Inclusive Feminist Practice before you apply to become a participant or crew member. The BL Film follows the Federal EEOC and all equal opportunity laws. In the State of California these protections also include size, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, etc. Thank you!
*Please also note: If you want to friend the Bearded Lady on your MySpace, you either need to be someone we know, or you need to send us a message along with your friend request stating who you are and why you want to be our friend. No one under 18 years of age will be accepted, unless we know you.
NO solicitations of ANY kind. No band requests, unless we contacted you first. No CHASERS or creeps. We welcome related filmic and cultural cross promotion, but we'd need to discuss the particulars via email.
You are always welcome to email us if you need information: beardedladyfilmATTgmailDOTcom
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