a little journalism

Last week I posted a review of the documentary The Believers which I saw at its Los Angeles premiere at Outfest. I found out about the film because I work for my school's Office of Alumni Relations, and the co-producer Beth Burkhart is an alumna of my school, Claremont McKenna College. I was able to ask her a few more detailed questions than the ones I had time to get answers to at the screening and the Q&A that followed.


How did you get involved in the making of the film?
The director, Todd Holland, and I met in Los Angeles in 1996, shortly after I graduated from CMC, and then were roommates for awhile in San Francisco in 1999. He studied film in undergrad and I dabbled in a few independent/student productions when I lived in LA. He always talked about making a film and I always said I wanted to help. One day early in 2002, I was sitting at my desk at work and he called to say that he had found his subject and I asked if I would produce. I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

What was the most meaningful impression that it made on you?
How the Transcendence Gospel Choir and the members' personal stories can really open hearts and minds, generating empathy for and acceptance of difference. Good stories can really change how people think. My 76-year-old, conservative father cried throughout the film and then at the post-party, hugged Prado, one of the main characters, to tell him how much he identified with and appreciated his story.

What message do you hope the film sends in the end?
I hope the film demonstrates the power of inclusion and acceptance. Bobbie, one of the main characters, has turned her own life around, primarily because she found a community of transgender people when she came to San Francisco, and a supportive, community-based network in the City of Refuge Church and the Transgender Gospel Choir. Similarly, we believe the film will help save lives.

What would you like to see happen in the future with the film?
Frameline picked the film up for distribution last summer. The Believers will begin airing on LOGO cable station on Saturday, 8/11/2007, in the evening. We have just started receiving reviews from the educational market. Fortunately, they are really good, so we hope to have a large outreach push through the course of the next two years, promoting the film at churches, universities, and community venues. In addition, we are applying to international film festivals.

Do you have any other plans to continue producing?

Yes. I would love to continue producing. In reality, this project still needs a fair amount of attention, so for the time being I am not working on anything else as I do have a "day job" as a Marketing Manager at the Clorox Company. I have an idea for another documentary and can trace the roots to my CMC Economics education and Professor Roth's "Perspectives on the American Dream" (that's all I will say for now!).

Please read my review of The Believers here, and tune in to watch it on LOGO starting August 11th!

the believers

Documentary feature The Believers made its Los Angeles debut at Outfest this Wednesday night, opening audience member’s eyes to the participants in Transcendence, the world’s first transgender gospel choir. Directed by Todd Holland and co-produced by Beth Burkhart, The Believers follows the journey of the choir and its members from its inception until winning an Outmusic Award in 2004.

The film opens with the voices of the choir each proclaiming, “I am made in the image of God.” This statement sets the stage for the balancing act that the members of Transcendence must perform, being caught between two seemingly opposing forces – the transgender community and the Christian ministry. Many from both sides of this spectrum could at first be shocked or offended to find that members of their community are in some way ‘fraternizing with the enemy.’ The main mission of Transcendence is to show that there is no ground for there to be hostility between Christians and transgender individuals.

Holland decided to make the documentary after his coworker, Ash, shared news of his impending transition. After witnessing the transformation, Holland said that he learned so much about the issues present in the transgender community that he had been unaware of. Now called Ashley, Holland’s coworker felt a void in her life where faith and worship were needed to help soothe the pain caused by ignorant accusations that transgender people are “abominations” in the eyes of God. As Ashley began taking steps to create the Bay Area choir, Holland started filming.

Ashley and fellow choir members Prado and Bobbie Jean are the main focus of the film, giving personality to the struggles of the choir at large. They each tell a different story about what their transition was like, but they share the experiences of trying to succeed as a musical group whose member’s vocal ranges are tempered by inexperience and hormones. As the film progresses, the characters grow more comfortable with their performances, their status as notable figures in the transgender community, and their message that Jesus made them the way that they are and will return their love completely.

After Wednesday night’s screening, Holland and Burkhart expressed their relief that as they documented the growth of the choir, a story emerged about their journey to the United Church of Christ international synod in 2003 where they performed and shared their anecdotes in order to promote acceptance of LGBT people in the UCC’s official policies. The film makes it evident that Transcendence has had the ability to open up a lot of people’s minds to the overlapping communities portrayed in it.

The Believers premiered last summer at Frameline in San Francisco, where it won the audience award for Best Documentary. It will be screening again this Sunday, July 22, at 2:15 pm at the Directors Guild of America. Tickets are $12 at the door.