A blend of impressionistic camerawork, sumptuous cinematography, and deeply felt examinations of queerness, this program of films by Su Friedrich and Paula Gauthier is an intimate study of sexual expression and repression.
This program of black-and-white 16mm films explores different means of searching for purpose and a sense of belonging by queer individuals.
Damned If You Don't (Su Friedrich, 1987) and First Comes Love (Su Friedrich, 1991): The characters in Su Friedrich’s Damned If You Don’t and First Comes Love attempt to find solace and order by assimilating themselves within traditional institutions that don’t quite fit them, such as religion and marriage, only to find that these are catechistically flawed. [Damned If You Don't: 42 min; drama; English and German | First Comes Love: 22 min; experimental; English]
Which Is Scary (Paula Gauthier, 1991): Which Is Scary takes the opposite approach of Friedrich's films, seeking to explore the similar feelings of alienation and rejection shared across seven different LGBTQI+ portraits and determine whether, despite vastly differing circumstances, these might have cause-and-effect relationships on how queer culture is formed. [15 min; experimental; English]
“Damned If You Don’t is a real prize. Beautifully shot in black and white, it blends conventional narrative technique with impressionistic camerawork, symbols and voice-overs to create an intimate study of sexual expression and repression. The film is as hypnotic as a dream.” — Andrew Rasanen, Bay Windows
"A work of nuance and irony, [First Comes Love] elicits emotional peaks and valleys, gently yet forcefully asking you to deal with questions of commitment and love and the public announcement of them." — Leslie Kossoff, Gay Community News (Boston)
"Throughout [First Comes Love], Friedrich keeps a gracious distance, building a critique that doesn’t patronize the very real, very naked emotion she captures. A virtuoso of clarity, Friedrich recasts the personal as political, makes the public curiously intimate." — Manohla Dargis, The Village Voice
Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.
