We are thrilled to screen the newly restored archival print of Word Is Out, the landmark documentary created by a group of young filmmakers in 1978 and the second feature film restored by the Outfest Legacy Project for LGBT Film Preservation.
"Word Is Out is often touching and generally engrossing. Its quality lies not just in the fact that it gives us the most intelligent, telling cinematic look to date at the homosexual experience in America, but beyond that, it is quite funny and speaks not only to the homosexual, but to all of us who have experienced the pain of being different; which is to say, all of us." --John Wasserman, San Francisco Chronicle, 1978
"Word Is Out impacted audiences around the world in 1978 by destroying stereotypes of the gay experience. Today, the power of this film lies not only in its disarming interviews but in how these beautifully woven interviews stand as a watershed to our history. These stories are a record of our struggles, our dissension, our joys, our loves and our lives.
"The filmmakers capture the innocence and charm of 26 people—ranging in age from 18 to 77, from San Francisco to New Mexico to Boston, from beehived housewife to sultry drag queen. You will laugh at the irony as one woman explains how doctors put her on a diet of two salads a day to cure her 'sickness.' You might feel humbled or grateful as one ex-member of the Women's Army Corps tells how the women expected to get beat up for dancing in gay bars by angry servicemen in the late 1940s and early 50s. Either way, you will leave the theater affected by the fierce courage and love emanating from these stories, our stories." --Kristin Pepe, Legacy Project Manager
*IN PERSON: Documentary subjects; members of the Mariposa Film Group, including Academy Award-winning director Rob Epstein; and Ross Lipman, Film Preservationist, UCLA Film & Television Archive.
This screening takes place at the DGA. For more information about this screening or for Outfest tickets call 213.480.7065 or visit www.outfest.org.