PPL is pleased to present a free, three-part film series with panel discussions of queer history and filmmaking, film archives, and preservation. Offered in conjunction with PPL’s 2022 Exhibition & Program Series Identities, these events will focus on different aspects of storytelling and filmmaking, all tied to the RI LGBTQ+ community.
“The RI LGBTQ+ Community Archive at PPL is a community archives initiative to
ensure the preservation of materials chronicling the social, cultural, and political history of RI LGBTQ+ people and organizations. We are excited for the opportunity to gather in-person to celebrate the work of local filmmakers for our first programs supporting this project,” said Kate Wells, Curator of Rhode Island Collections at PPL.
Film screenings will be free and open to the public in PPL’s Donald J. Farish
Auditorium (3rd floor), 150 Empire Street, Providence, RI 02903
Each event will include moderated conversations with those involved in either the creation or preservation of film.
Events to be held as follows:
Tuesday, June 7 (6:00 – 7:30 pm; doors open at 5:30 pm)
Queer Archives Movie Night (in-person screening)
View archival film footage only recently available to the public! We’ll screen film footage from the RI LGBTQ+ Community Archive and audio-video recordings from the Rhode Island Historical Society holdings. Learn about the importance of film and audio archives to researchers and historians and how you can best preserve your own home movies.
Preserving historical evidence is essential to our abilities to learn from the past and celebrate the communities and lives of those who came before us. Engaging with archival records of the LGBTQ+ experience can be emotional, especially since materials may contain a reflection of oppression and trauma. Our goal with this program is to celebrate the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Rhode Island and to honor their legacy with preservation.
Program is free and open to the public; masks are required in the Auditorium.
Click here to register for this film.
Death Drop Gorgeous (in-person screening)
Join us for a screening of Death Drop Gorgeous — a campy drag exploitation horror film set in the seedy gay nightlife of Providence, RI. Inspired by Giallo films & 80s slashers, the movie balances dark humor, crime, mystery, and supernatural elements to create a unique cinema experience that has all the makings of a horror cult classic. A discussion with filmmakers Brandon Perras-Sanchez, Michael Ahern & Christopher Dalpe will follow the film.
This film is rated “R” and includes images of sex and violence. Program is free and open to the public; registration is required; masks are required in the Auditorium.
Tuesday, June 21 (6:00 – 8:15 pm; doors open at 5:30 pm)
I’m Gonna Make You Love Me (in-person screening)
I’m Gonna Make You Love Me is a full-length documentary about the life of Brian
Belovitch, who grew up in Providence and who in the 1980s, as a transgender woman named Trish, was one of New York’s most famous downtown divas. Then, after more than a decade as Tish, she transitioned back to Brian. Now in his sixties, Brian’s iterations include army wife and loving husband; sex worker; club performer; actor; author; AIDS survivor, and playwright. Today, he holds a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling and works with the LGBTQ community. His unique odyssey is a moving and thought-provoking look at gender identity. It’s also a love story and a tale of survival about the
universal desire to feel comfortable in one’s own skin, and the reality that some of us have to work much harder to get there.
This film is rated “R” and includes images of descriptions of sex, addiction, and domestic violence. Program is free and open to the public; Masks are required in the Auditorium.