C.A. Griffith

Alejandro and Beto are in love. Their relationship, however, is being seriously tested. Alejandro is HIV+ and becoming more desperate as he finds the drug treatments in Mexico City are not working as he had hoped, and his t-cells continue to plummet. After much anguish, he decides, without input from Beto, that he needs to go to the U.S. for better information, medication and treatment. That decision unleashes havoc for Alejandro as he and Beto fight, slip up and finally reconcile. At the U.S. embassy, Alejandro is denied a visa, which ultimately leads him to try crossing the border illegally.

An inspiring exploration of the struggles and triumphs of low-income LGBTQ+ people and their communities in the queer coastal meccas of the U.S. and points in-between—from the Deep South, Midwest, Navajo Nation, and Southwest to the Borderlands. Distilled from interviews with over 200 queer people and their fierce allies, the documentary refreshingly challenges the myth of gay affluence to reveal an extraordinary world of resilient LGBTQ+ people trying to survive, thrive, and get everyone free amidst plenty, and in an era of unprecedented hatred and legislative attacks against them.

Thirteen years, two inspiring women, both radical activists-one conversation. MOUNTAINS THAT TAKE WING is a historically rich and unique documentary about two formidable women who share a profound passion for justice. Through conversations that are intimate and profound, we learn about Davis, an internationally renowned scholar, writer and activist, and 88-year-old Kochiyama, a revered grassroots community activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Their shared experience as political prisoners and their dedication to Civil Rights embody personal and political experiences as well as the diverse lives of women doing liberatory cultural work.

1998 film by C.A. Griffith

Shot on b/w video

Film shot on b/w video

Alejandro and Beto are in love. Their relationship, however, is being seriously tested. Alejandro is HIV+ and becoming more desperate as he finds the drug treatments in Mexico City are not working as he had hoped, and his t-cells continue to plummet. After much anguish, he decides, without input from Beto, that he needs to go to the U.S. for better information, medication and treatment. That decision unleashes havoc for Alejandro as he and Beto fight, slip up and finally reconcile. At the U.S. embassy, Alejandro is denied a visa, which ultimately leads him to try crossing the border illegally.

An inspiring exploration of the struggles and triumphs of low-income LGBTQ+ people and their communities in the queer coastal meccas of the U.S. and points in-between—from the Deep South, Midwest, Navajo Nation, and Southwest to the Borderlands. Distilled from interviews with over 200 queer people and their fierce allies, the documentary refreshingly challenges the myth of gay affluence to reveal an extraordinary world of resilient LGBTQ+ people trying to survive, thrive, and get everyone free amidst plenty, and in an era of unprecedented hatred and legislative attacks against them.

An inspiring exploration of the struggles and triumphs of low-income LGBTQ+ people and their communities in the queer coastal meccas of the U.S. and points in-between—from the Deep South, Midwest, Navajo Nation, and Southwest to the Borderlands. Distilled from interviews with over 200 queer people and their fierce allies, the documentary refreshingly challenges the myth of gay affluence to reveal an extraordinary world of resilient LGBTQ+ people trying to survive, thrive, and get everyone free amidst plenty, and in an era of unprecedented hatred and legislative attacks against them.

Thirteen years, two inspiring women, both radical activists-one conversation. MOUNTAINS THAT TAKE WING is a historically rich and unique documentary about two formidable women who share a profound passion for justice. Through conversations that are intimate and profound, we learn about Davis, an internationally renowned scholar, writer and activist, and 88-year-old Kochiyama, a revered grassroots community activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Their shared experience as political prisoners and their dedication to Civil Rights embody personal and political experiences as well as the diverse lives of women doing liberatory cultural work.

1998 film by C.A. Griffith

Shot on b/w video

Film shot on b/w video