Su Friedrich

Since the late 1970s, Su Friedrich has skillfully mixed experimental, narrative, and documentary forms with provocative feminist and lesbian themes to create a significant body of original hybrid films. A groundbreaking member of the avant-garde film community and a pivotal force in the establishment of Queer Cinema, Friedrich has created an oeuvre that is marked by her unabashed—often autobiographically based—investigations of intimate subjects. Her films explore the world of lesbian adolescence and sexuality, women’s adulthood and health, and familial and societal relationships. This midcareer retrospective—on the occasion of the DVD release of a five-volume, thirteen-title Friedrich film collection—includes such classic works as Sink or Swim and The Ties That Bind, along with the East Coast premiere of her newest film, Seeing Red.

Organized by Sally Berger, Assistant Curator, Department of Film and Media. Special thanks to Vanessa Domico, Outcast Films; and Canyon Cinema.

The Ties That Bind. 1984. USA. A fearless dialogue between past and present, and mother and daughter; this meditation on political responsibility and personal loss is viewed through Friedrich’s mother’s experiences growing up in Nazi Germany. 55 min. Sink or Swim. 1990. USA. This landmark in autobiographical filmmaking presents an unflinching account of the highly charged relationship between a daughter and her father. 48 min. Wednesday, September 27, 6:00 (presented by Friedrich); Saturday, September 30, 2:00. T2

Rules of the Road. 1993. USA. A used station wagon embodies the memories of a failed relationship. 31 min. The Head of a Pin. 2004. USA. The beauty and cruelty of nature confronts urbanites. 21 min. Seeing Red. 2005. USA. Seeing Red expresses the notion that a color, melody, or person has multiple characteristics that cannot be understood within a simple framework. 27 min. East Coast premiere. Program 79 min. Wednesday, September 27, 8:15 (presented by Friedrich). T2

Hide and Seek. 1996. USA. Cowritten by Cathy Nan Quinlan. With Chels Holland, Ariel Mara, Alicia Manta, and twenty interview subjects. In this film about lesbian adolescence and awakening desire in the 1960s, Friedrich interweaves a fictional narrative about the escapades of a young tomboy and her friends with adult testimonials and reminiscences about coming of age. Campy, educational footage rounds out the story. 65 min. Friday, September 29, 6:30; Saturday, September 30, 6:30. T2

The Odds of Recovery. 2002. USA. Friedrich turns the camera on herself—an unhappy patient facing her sixth surgery and an ongoing, difficult-to-treat hormone imbalance—in order to analyze her chances for a happier, healthier life. The film boldly addresses the concerns of middle age, mortality, and rarely discussed women’s sexual health issues. 65 min. Friday, September 29, 8:15. T2

Damned If You Don’t. 1987. USA. With Peggy Healey, Ela Troyano. An intimate look at sexual expression and repression through the retelling of Black Narcissus, a film about a nun in an isolated convent, juxtaposed with the reminiscences of a woman’s closeted romance. 42 min. First Comes Love. 1991. USA. Four wedding ceremonies, recorded in all their pomp and circumstance against a backdrop of love songs, are compared to the options for gay marriage around the world. 22 min. Saturday, September 30, 5:00. T2

Pressetext

The Personal Films of Su Friedrich
Kurator: Sally Berger