Saturday, 8 November 08: Documentaries Screening - "The Celluloid Closet" and "Sex Change Soldier"

8 of November 2008 @ PELANGI PRIDE CENTRE

Screening of "THE CELLULOID CLOSET" and "SEX CHANGE SOLDIER"

Date: 8 November (Sat)
Time: 4pm
Venue: Pelangi Pride Centre
Cost: $6 (cost of 2 soft drinks and finger food)

RSVP - This event is by invitation only.
LIMITED to only 30 pax, prior registration is required.
For an invite - please email [pelangipridecentre at yahoo dot com] with your name (in full), contact number, the name/s of your guests.

1) The Celluloid Closet

The film is based on the 1981 (revised 1987) book of the same name written by Vito Russo, and on previous lecture and film clip presentations given in person by Russo 1972-82. Russo researched the history of how motion pictures, especially Hollywood films, had portrayed gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters. It was given a limited release in select theatres, including the Castro Theatre in San Francisco in April 1996, and then shown on cable channel HBO.

The documentary interviews various men and women connected to the Hollywood industry to comment on various film clips and their own personal experiences with the treatment of LGBT characters in film. From the sissy characters, to the censorship of the Hollywood Production Code, the coded gay characters and cruel stereotypes to the progress made in the early 1990s.

Vito Russo wanted his book to be transformed into a documentary film and helped out on the project until he died in 1990. Some critics of the documentary noted that it was less political than the book and ended on a more positive note. However, Russo had wanted the documentary to be entertaining and to reflect the positive changes that had occurred up to 1990.

Directed by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Produced by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Written by Vito Russo, Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Sharon Wood, Armistead Maupin
Starring Lily Tomlin (narrator)
Music by Carter Burwell
Running time 107 min.
Subtitles - Yes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celluloid_Closet

2) Sex Change Soldier
C4's sex change soldier
By DEREK ROBINS
Published: 06 Mar 2008

THE story of the first ever Para to have a sex change is to be told in a Channel 4 documentary.
Sex Change Soldier tells the story of Parachute Regiment Captain Ian Hamilton, 43, who last year had sex change surgery and is now known as Jan.

Before the op Ian was one of the British Army's most decorated officers following service in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

A C4 spokesman said: "The documentary is an intimate and raw portrait of a remarkable year as the alpha male Para transforms into an ultra-feminine woman.

"He has a more feminine face thanks to facial feminisation surgery, breasts have replaced his pecs and he's had sexual reassignment surgery to become a complete woman.

"Now Jan has more battles to face - to be accepted by her friends and family and the Army - she was not allowed to take up a posting as an Army Media Liaison Officer in Gibraltar and is now taking the Army to an industrial tribunal."

The programme reveals how Ian fought to suppress his feminine side by joining the Army at 18 doing officer training at Sandhurst.

He took a career break to train as a cameraman working in war zones covering the first Gulf War and the Bosnian conflict.

He then rejoined the Paras as a captain fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article884976.ece
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/cutting_edge/sex_change_soldier/index.html