I just saw the trailer for the film Pariah, which looks amazing. It’s part of the Netflix Find Your Voice competition – it needs to be in the top five to move on to the next round, and at stake is a package worth $150,000 in cash and $350,000 in services that go toward producing the feature film.
The trailer looks amazing, check it out:
It looks beautifully done, complex, and emotional, and I’d love to see the full-length film get made. I haven’t heard of Dee Rees, the director, but clearly she’s one to watch.
If you like the trailer, go over to Netflix Find Your Voice and vote FIVE STARS for it to move forward in the competition, and, hopefully, eventually, become a full feature film. Take a look at the Pariah website or more information about the film. (Thanks, Jenni, from butch.org, for sending on the link.)
The trailer is so good! It's currently in 5th, so hopefully all the sugarbutch votes will at least keep it in the top five.
HOWEVER, people need to vote down the #1 trailer, "Touchback." Not as a move to boost "Pariah," but because it's pretty antithetical to everything sugarbutch is about.
"Touchback" is about a boy, Bug whose older brother Truck belongs to the "Tough Club" at high school all about deflowering virgins and racking up points. He has to choose between the "dark fate" his brother has chosen and his love Kallea when she becomes "another tally on their scoreboard."
Bah! so problematic. For one, did anyone go to a high school with such rampant predatory sexuality? Also god forbid if young girls have sex, that's the problem! Don't we all need a young morally pure boy to protect our chastity from sexual promiscuity? (Also – they're all white. Don't we have enough movies filled with white people?)
Anyway, five stars for Pariah and one for Touchback!
PS – Don't get me wrong, Touchback is technically well-executed, but the message is so problematic.
I was lucky enough to see this movie at the 2007 Seattle queer film festival. It was as provocative and engaging in its entirety as this trailer. The story of a young butch trying to make her way in an unforgiving environment – I imagine a lot of you will be able to relate. I hope it wins. I would love to be able to see it again. I'm going to go vote for it right now…
I also saw it at a film festival in L.A. It was incredible, I'd love the chance to see it again.
I was also fortunate enough to see this film at the Women of Color Film Festival in Santa Cruz, CA.
The feeling was incredibly raw and beautiful, and everyone in the auditorium seemed incredibly moved. I enjoyed it as a short film. It'd be interesting to see it as a feature picture.