Esther Newton

Esther Newton was drawn to the drag scene as a student in the 1950s. Identifying as both butch lesbian and between genders, she felt a kinship with the queens; what the feminine clothing society expected her to wear felt like a form of drag. Her 1972 book ‘Mother Camp: Female Impersonators in America’ is noted as the first rigorous study of its kind. Now entering her sixth decade writing about queer communities, Newton exudes wisdom and a healthy dose of New York no-nonsense. The film’s amazing archive footage encompasses gay liberation, the feminist sex wars, AIDS activism and life on the safe haven of Fire Island. Her other main passion is dog training, so this illuminating history lesson is peppered with poodles!

A short film that pays homage to a photo album from the 1940s/50s/60s given to the director by a Great Uncle who was also a pre-Stonewall Gay Man. Combining a wide range of historical and archival material with a passionate look at photography itself, the film examines generational changes in one family by looking at the changes in GLBT presence.