Kiss the Moon (2010) 98 min

Kiss The Moon

“Kiss the Moon” tells us about the Khusras’ rituals, their own independently created morality, the alternative family structure they build in order to bond themselves together and their own private festivities. People from all categories of transgenderism, including transsexuals, transvestites, hermaphrodites and intersexual people, are drawn to the special role of “Khusra”.  In Pakistan, many people believe in the power of Khusras to bless or curse others, known in the local language as “bad du’a.” This implies the faith that every supplication prayer (“du’a”) will be fulfilled when carried out by a faithful Khusra because the Khusra have been specially blessed, in compensation for being unable to have children.

The principal role of Khusras in society is to perform ritual dances, mainly on two occasions: weddings and when “giving Lori”, a set of ritual songs and dances on the occasion of the birth of a boy. For the Khusras, these highly traditional activities are not merely a means of making their living, but are also a passion and a way of life.

Jupiter's Wife 1 hour 18 minutes

Michel Negroponte, a documentary filmmaker, meets Maggie one day in Central Park. Maggie claims to be married to the god Jupiter and the daughter of actor Robert Ryan. Michel gets to know Maggie over the next couple of years, and attempts to use her often outlandish stories as clues to reconstruct her past.

The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) (2008) 96 min

Filmed over the course of 23 years Director Ellen Kuras works with Laotian co-director Thavisouk Phrasavath who is the main focus of this film. Phrasavath and his family escape the grips of the communist regime in Laos directly after American soldiers back out of Vietnam and the allied troops they trained in Laos to help combat the North Vietnamese.  Phrasavath finds life in America as much of a struggle after losing a member to gang violence and how fear of these gangs forced them to live in their NYC apartment as prisoners.

Dad's in Heaven with Nixon (2010) 86 min

Screaming Queens (2005 )57 min

Screaming Queens - The Riot at Comptons Cafeteria
Very few are aware of the historical event that occurred at the Comptons Cafeteria in August of 1966. Comptons was a part of a chain of cafeterias in the west that was open all night and this particular location served transgender people who were not allowed to enter most gay bars since cross dressing was against the law - (having a transexual on site was the cause of many gay bars being raided).  Comptons was in  the Tenderloin district of San Fransisco and became the site of one of the first known riots against police brutality, three years before the Stonewall Riots.  This documentary manages to track down some of the original rioters and captures an important part of history not only for the LBGTQ community but for all Equal Rights Enthusiasts at large.

You're Looking At Me Like I Live Here and I Don't (2011) 54 min

After watching this documentary I felt that the title should have been called: "Alzheimer's Raw".  The film shows clips of Lee Gorewitz's day inside an assisted living facility where she dances to Frank Sinatra, sings with staff and shows some of the other clients what is to live as this disease slowly progresses inside her body.  Lee refuses to lye down.  Every moment is an opportunity to dance or have fun.  It matters not that she can barely form a coherent sentence, in her mind she is making sense.  Lee does not seem to suffer the frustration that some patients with Alzheimer's do upon realizing their memory is failing them. It may not seem an depiction of this disease because Lee was not shown to express sadness as many others rightfully do when their in the stages of this disease.   I hope to have the "fun" Lee appears to have if I ever find myself in the grips of Alzheimer's. 

Through A Dog's Eyes (2010) 57 minutes

PBS has put together this insightful documentary that spotlights an agency outside of Atlanta, Georgia called Canine Assistants which raises these wonderful pups from birth right up until they are 18 months old at which time they are paired up with a partner for life.  The magic has very little to do with the numerous tasks these canines are capable of but more to do with the love that is almost instantaneous between dog and human.  It is evident that these dogs desire nothing more than to please humans and to have someone to be proud of them.  The hour long story left me wanting more.