June Docurama of the Month: Southern Comfort
In honor of Pride Month, June's Docurama documentary of the month is Southern Comfort. This documentary stars Robert Eads and Lola Cole, directed by Kate Davis. Southern Comfort is a break through hit, receiving critical acclaim from around the globe and the winning title at nearly 20 major film festivals, including the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival. The documentary follows the last year of Robert's life as a female-to-male transsexual who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Director Kate Davis does a beautiful job documenting the life of Robert, his adopted family of other transsexuals and Robert's vibrant girlfriend, male-to-female transsexual, Lola - - all living in the heart of Georgia. Southern Comfort is an honest, straight forward portrayal of a community standing strong against the world around them. The trials and heartbreak are evident in each scene as is the warmth, humor and love within their family. -Sara
Below is a special message from Kate Davis, the director of Southern Comfort.
This June marks the 40th Anniversary of the
Stonewall riots. In June of 1969, for the first time, transgendered and gay
youth fought back against the police because they were fed up with oppression,
and many felt they had nothing to lose by risking their lives and throwing
bricks at the establishment. To the amazement of many during those violent
nights, they found they had a collective voice. This grew into the annual Gay
Pride parades which continue across the world, all testaments to the power of
speaking out. These themes of courage and stepping out of the
closet were also the backbone of Southern
Comfort. When I met Robert Eads at a conference for transgendered men, I
found myself living with a very hidden minority, hidden because they pass so
well as men, and hidden to protect themselves against the daily perils of
living as a transperson in a world which still persecutes them and makes every
day a dangerous prospect. The men in Southern
Comfort were fine living their regular lives, and hardly jumped at the
chance to be part of a documentary. In fact, Robert himself resisted for
months, and one day called to tell me that he was up for it. That he would be
dead by the time the film would be finished. And so we all started to help tell
Robert’s extraordinary tale of being a transman, a parent, a shotgun-toting guy who can pass for a classic Redneck
from rural Georgia, and as someone who was falling in love during the final
year of his life. During the filming, I began to hear one recurring idea: the
importance of accepting oneself. From that comes the strength to live a more
honest life, and from that comes the chance to open up the hearts and minds of
others. And so the six main people in Southern Comfort, most of whom had
survived rejection from their families, friends, employers, and the medical
world, decided it was time to speak out and let others know how that feels.
That they are human too. Many times at the end of a shoot, I would fly back
from Atlanta feeling inspired by their strength — wouldn’t it be great if we
all could simply accept ourselves? — but also I felt outraged that such
prejudice still exists and continues to kill. Southern Comfort
has, since then,
reached millions of people around the world. There was even a town in rural Japan
which celebrated "Robert Eads Day." Those in the film now know they did a
lot to help break down stereotypes about those society condemns for being
different. In a quieter way, the film reflects the spirit which was needed to
ignite the Stonewall riots. Enough hiding. Time to be on an equal footing with
everyone else. In the end, this isn’t a story of GLBT rights or
transgendered rights, but of human rights.
-
Kate Davis, Director, Southern Comfort
