All Women Are Equal

All Women Are Equal

black and white, sound, 15 min
All Women Are Equal is a black and white 15- minute documentary filmed in Nottingham England in 1972, about Paula, a male to female transsexual made by veteran lesbian filmmaker Marguerite Paris (1934-2007). ...
Rental format: 16mm

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About

All Women Are Equal is a black and white 15- minute documentary filmed in Nottingham England in 1972, about Paula, a male to female transsexual made by veteran lesbian filmmaker Marguerite Paris (1934-2007). This very early and non-exploitative representation of an ordinary well- adjusted transgendered person is historically significant for its treatment of the subject. While other films may have depicted drag queens and other performers (such as Frank Simon's 1968 feature The Queen), they were not made by a women. Also unique is that Paris produced, directed, shot and edited this film, which, unlike there other representations, allows the individual to tell her own personal story, without resorting to spectacle or focusing on performativity. Through Paris's lens, see Paula fixing her make up and discussing the difficulty of living as a woman and meeting other trans people. The discussion is remarkably detailed and offers incredible insights into both the time and Paul's individual psyche. The film was shot on East German 16mm B&W reversal film stock, and edited with cement splices. The sound was recorded on 1/4" reel to reel tape, then transferred to mag stock, and finally united with the edited reversal original, which had been mag striped.

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