~Thursday~ Tonight, as part of the 18th annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, I saw The Campaign, which was preceded by the short, Win or Lose.
This was the third film that Bob and I saw together, and we took a seat up high in the theater, by one of the back exits, so that we could slip out should any discussion take place after the film, which did end up happening.
Synopsis: In this inspiring story from the struggle for marriage equality, a photographer takes up his camera to fight a proposed amendment to the North Carolina Constitution.
My thoughts and observations on this short film:
- I’ve heard of Curtis Brown, and in fact I had visited his website some time in the last month or two, although I can’t now remember why I did. I think I’d seen attribution given to him on a photo, and I wanted to learn more about him.
- With that said, I didn’t realize he was the photographer behind the Vote Against Project, which I’d certainly heard of.
- I thank him for his work.
Synopsis: The Campaign tells the inside story of the fight to stop California’s wildly controversial Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage and ignited a movement.
With exclusive access to the state Headquarters of the “No on 8” campaign in San Francisco, filmmaker Christie Herring captures the essence of the emotional journey. In-depth observational footage and interviews follow stakeholders, from Executive Committee Members to first-time volunteers.
The Campaign explores fault lines of religion, race and identity at the critical turning point in the push for LGBT rights, offering an intimate portrait of committed individuals inside a pressure cooker, compelled by both circumstance and their passionate beliefs to go far beyond their everyday selves.
My thoughts and observations on this short film:
- I found this documentary interesting enough, but nowhere near as compelling as “8,” which I both watched online and saw as a play.
- You, too, can watch the entire 1.5-hour work online: Featuring an all-star cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, Kevin Bacon and others, “8” is a play written by Academy Award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and directed by acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner.
- This film wasn’t bad, but in retrospect, I wish I’d seen another festival film instead.