ADVOCATE: The film showcases the courage of those who've endured hate crimes and other horrific instances of bigotry, from New York to Denver to India.
Those who’ve endured anti-LGBTQ+ hate are more than victims, more even than survivors — they’re incredibly brave and resilient people, says filmmaker Cheryl Allison, who is honoring them in her latest documentary, Pieces of Us. “This is a story of hope, this is a story of courage ... no matter how you identify, you can see a piece of yourself in this story,” Allison says. Unlike some other films about hate crimes and other horrific instances of bigotry, Pieces of Us isn’t primarily about those incidents, she says. “This was about what happens afterwards and how you handle it,” she explains.
The film, which will make the festival rounds this fall, tells the stories of multiple subjects. Jipsta is a gay rapper and school psychologist in Brooklyn who was beaten on a New York City subway platform for holding hands with his partner. Leia Pierce is a single mother from Denver whose 9-year-old son, Jamel, took his own life after being bullied for being gay. Mykel Dicus is a gay New York performance artist who was physically attacked in his home by a man he met in a bar. Victoria Cruz is a transgender veteran of the Stonewall riots and longtime activist who was Dicus’s crisis counselor. Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India, known as the world’s first out gay royal, received death threats after coming out and was initially disowned by his family. The movie shows how all have responded to traumatic events by becoming advocates for their community, and it spotlights other activists and allies as well. » | Trudy Ring | Wednesday, July 14, 2021
