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The best-kept secret in lesbian film: Su Friedrich comes
to DVD & MOMA
by JENNI OLSEN, Popcorn Q, September 17, 2006
One of the most esteemed experimental filmmakers working today,
Su Friedrich has won fans at film festivals around the world for
the last 20-plus years. But without mainstream distribution, she
has in many ways remained the best-kept secret in the world of lesbian
filmmaking. With the recent DVD release of her entire body of work
(from Outcast Films) and a retrospective this month at the most
prestigious cinema venue in the United States, New York's Museum
of Modern Art, Su Friedrich is finally getting the exposure she
deserves.
Lyrical, poetic, passionate and innovative, Friedrich's films
are among the most rewarding cinematic delicacies you'll ever find,
and an exhilarating experience for adventurous audiences weary of
the same old conventional lesbian movies. While Friedrich (who happens
to be a lesbian) has often made films that are not specifically
"about" being a lesbian, she always manages to have a
uniquely queer perspective on any topic she tackles. Her filmmaking
defies traditional genres, falling to rest in a hybrid genre that
incorporates fiction, nonfiction and so much more.
She has made too many films to give in-depth reviews of all of
them here -- but a few career highlights include:
"The Odds of Recovery"
Friedrich's most recent feature documentary is a bold, intimate
and often witty chronicle of her years-long struggle with various
health problems and her personal exploration of both Western and
Eastern medicine.
"Hide and Seek"
Friedrich's poignant exploration of lesbian childhood smartly combines
documentary interviews, crazy vintage sex education films and a
terrific narrative about a young tomboy coming of age.
"Sink or Swim"
A backward trip through the alphabet serves as a brilliant storytelling
device for Friedrich to remember and reflect on her father.
"Damned If You Don't"
This legendary, innovative lesbian nun film starring Ela Troyano
and Peggy Healey broke new ground 20 years ago and is still stunning
to watch today.
"The Ties That Bind"
Through interviews, archival footage and personal voiceover Friedrich
tells the complex and compelling story of her mother, who grew up
in Nazi Germany.
And my personal favorite: "Rules of the Road"
The wonderfully clever reflection on an ex-girlfriend's car that
seems to be everywhere on the streets of New York City. As in so
many of her films, Friedrich uses her own intimate personal experience
as a lens for us to come face-to-face with our own vulnerability.
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