Bloodsisters: Leather, Dykes And Sadomasochism. In-depth & groundbreaking look at the San Francisco Leatherdyke scene. Directed by Michelle Handelman. Featuring Tala Brandeis, Patrick Califia, J.C. Collins, Queen Cougar, Amy Marie Meek, Skeeter, Wickie Stamps, Peggy Sue, Ann Soucy-West & others.
With music from Chris + Cosey, Coil, Fred Giannelli, Frightwig, Typhoon
Available for viewing with OUTFEST 2020 starting Wed, Aug 26
https://www.outfestnow.com/bloodsisters-leather-dykes-and-sadomasochism
LIVE DIGITAL PANEL – Fri, Aug 28, 9pm ET / 6 PM PT
Michelle Handelman, Leather/Kink/S&M community leaders
Queen Cougar, Patrick Califia & Pony Lee
Moderated by Outfest Legacy Project Manager Brendan Lucas
From pushy bottoms to macho femmes, Bloodsisters is an A-Z documentary guide that takes an in-depth look at the San Francisco leatherdyke scene during the mid-nineties, shattering assumptions about gender and lesbian sexuality. Handelman’s film doesn’t describe the bounds of permissible fantasy in the women’s leather community; rather it broadens the discussion about private expressions of eroticism and their political implications. Eight self-described leather dykes tell their stories about participating in a subculture cast off by its own immediate ally, the larger lesbian community.
Surrounded by the paraphernalia of S/M ritual, these women collapse the cheap stereotypes used to demonize them. This film documents a subculture within a subculture; seen by some within the gay/lesbian community as being traitors to the cause, these practitioners are the queerest of the queer, and the group’s strong desire for self-definition shines through.
This controversial film was attacked in Congress by the conservative American Family Association for its depictions of radical lesbian sexuality, but the film reveals a fluidity to role-playing that is far more complex. As one woman declares S/M is about “finding your own boundaries and moving beyond.” Slave auctions, activist events, and the International Ms. Leather competition are artfully joined to the interviews, while a soundtrack by SF riotgrrl punk bands Frightwig and Typhoon and industrial music masters Coil and Chris & Cosey propel BloodSisters along.
USA / 1995 / English / Hi-8 video, 65 min
“A groundbreaking documentary!” Time Out, New York
“Handelman is exploring the wincing face of power and culture in light of sexual difference.” Steve Seid, Pacific Film Archive
About OUTFEST LA:
As an Academy Award qualifier and the largest film festival in Los Angeles, Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival is one of the preeminent festivals in the world representing Queer cinema. Outfest LA 2020 includes 160+ world-class films, 35 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres, live concerts and conversations. Outfest LA 2020 is our most inclusive and diverse ever – 70% of our films have been directed by women, trans and people-of-color. The films, selected from thousands, represents the future of entertainment. The Festival is digital, nation-wide, and streaming on Outfest Now – available on desktop, mobile, Roku, Amazon FireTV and AppleTV. https://outfest.org/outfestla2020/