Dykes, Camera, Action!

Lesbians didn’t always get to see themselves on screen. But between Stonewall, the feminist movement, and the experimental cinema of the 1970s, they built visibility, and transformed the social imagination about queerness. Filmmakers Barbara Hammer, Su Friedrich, Rose Troche, Cheryl Dunye, Yoruba Richen, Desiree Akhavan, Vicky Du, film critic Ruby Rich, Jenni Olson, and others share moving and often hilarious stories from their lives and discuss how they've expressed queer identity through film. Activism, born from the AIDS crisis and the life-affirming need for visibility, is another vital piece of the puzzle. The film explores the beginnings of the dyke march, the first of which many of the filmmakers attended or organized. Like this film, it spoke to the need for spaces dedicated solely to queer women and dykes, lest they risk fading into the background up against the glorious glow of gay men. An essential view of a bygone era that should never be forgotten.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Caroline Berler

Cinematography: Melanie McLean Brooks

Editing: Caroline Berler

Sound: Gisela Fullà-Silvestre

Music: Gil Talmi

Actors: Barbara Hammer, Rose Troche, B. Ruby Rich, Su Friedrich, Cheryl Dunye, Yoruba Richen, Vicky Du, Rachel Reichman, Sarah Schulman, Carrie Moyer, Kay Turner, Yvonne Welbon, Janet Baus, Jenni Olson, Lesli Klainberg

Producers: Caroline Berler, Rebecca Benson

Co-producers: Rose Vincelli Gustine

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: USA

Production Year: 2018

Duration: 61'

Contact: Frameline

Awards/Distinctions: Audience Award – OUTshine FF 2018, Emerging Talent Award – L.A. Outfest 2018