BFI Flare: Grey Power

Jewelle: a Just Vision

The word legacy is thrown around a lot in Jewelle: A Just Vision, which I find interesting, as the writer Jewelle Gomez is still with us at 74, still working and still fighting. I am sure she would like to be appreciated now and not just in future, so it's good that Madeleine Lim made this doc. I well remember Gomez from my time in SF and her book The Gilda Stories remains a touchstone for black lesbian literature. 

Watching the doc, I found out a lot about her early life in Boston, her family origins and her interactions with a whole bunch of circles in NYC, SF and beyond. I hope a new generation discovers her now when they can still see her in action. 

The short G Flat, starring Richard Wilson, showcases a rather sadder older life, as a man struggles to adapt to his reduced circumstances and finds brief comfort in the shape of a sex worker. 

Another short, Where Do All the Old Gays Go?, looks at a range of older LGBT folk in Ireland although I was surprised to find no bisexuals among them. The lesbian couple were total couple's goals, however. 

Afterparty is a bit of a puzzle, as a man played by David Hoyle gets into a bath and is joined by party people one assumes are from his past.