Closer
Directed by Tina Gharavi
Thomas 110
"...takes documentary film to the next level."
Shari Frilot,
Sundance Film Festival
"…a highly stylized film where fiction and documentary collide as ‘scenes’
from the main subject's life are reenacted for the camera.",
Planetout.com
"The realism in this riveting experimental documentary will make your
heart stop. Gharavi nails the subject of young lesbian identity right on the
nose.",
Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film
2000
24 minutes
UK
Saturday April 6
9:30 A.M.
An experimental documentary which has at its heart a poignant character study of a 17 year-old lesbian living in Newcastle, England, Closer innovatively explores the process of documentary filmmaking and boldly challenges traditional forms of storytelling. Produced without a script and in close collaboration with the subject, Annelise Rodger, the filmmaker presents a hypnotizing array of montages and fictive sequences to introduce the day-to-day happenings of this extraordinary person. From the streets of Newcastle – where we find Annelise speaking frankly to the camera about her experiences as a young
lesbian – to the emotionally charged reenactment of her coming out to her mother, this highly original film provides a rare auto-portrait where fiction and documentary collide. In the end what emerges is not
only a remarkable encounter with a young woman, but also a story that has broader implications about being young, being at the cusp of adulthood, and finding one's identity. A Bridge & Tunnel Production.
