2 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE October

Centenarian's

life story begins black gay film festival

Ruth Ellis

At a time when AfricanAmericans were not allowed in gay bars, Ellis and her lover opened their home every weekend for many years so that the black gay and lesbian community would have a place to socialize.

by Denny Sampson

Cleveland During the month of October, Brother2Brother, an organization dedicated to developing a more cohesive and constructive black gay community, is sponsoring Cleveland's first black gay film festival. The films will be shown on Mondays starting at 7:45 pm at the Ohio Bell Theater at the Cleveland Institute of Art, 11141 East Boulevard, in Cleveland. All films will be free to the general public, although donations to the AIDS Taskforce of Cleveland will be accepted.

The films featured on October 18 will be Living with Ruth Ellis at 100, directed by Yvonne Welbon and Badass Supermama directed by Etang Inyang.

Living with Ruth Ellis at 100 was the only one of the films that was available for preview. It is a fascinating historical documentary that tells the life story of Ruth Ellis, a 100-year-old woman still living today in Detroit. Ellis gives a firsthand account as an individual who has experienced triple oppression--she is black, she is a woman, and she is a lesbian. Ellis has been a wonderful role model throughout her life. She was the first woman business owner in northeast Detroit when she opened her own print shop, which went on to flourish because of her fast, reliable service and her reasonable prices.

At a time when African-Americans were not allowed in gay bars, Ellis and her lover opened their home every weekend for many years so that the black gay and lesbian community would have a place to socialize. She taught herself to bowl as a senior citizen, and now has several championship trophies. Ellis still loves to dance, bowl, and flirt with women.

Life with Ruth Ellis at 100 is a delightful film that touches multiple issues that impact the GLBT community such as racism, homophobia, feminism, ageism, and lesbian pride. It is a powerful testimonial of a remarkable woman who lives a happy and prosperous life in spite of the odds that were stacked against her. Don't miss this film.

The remaining films were not available for advanced screening. Badass Supermama will also be shown on October 18. It tells the story of a secret lesbian love affair between a young woman and a 1970s version of an African-American liberated woman.

The film fest will conclude on October 25 with three featured films: Among Good Christian People, directed by Salfield and Woodson, All God's Children directed by Mosbacher, Reid, and Rhue, and Two-Spirit People.

Among Good Christian People gives an African-American lesbian's perspective of life after the Jehovah's Witnesses. All God's Children is a short documentary about the acceptance of African-American gays and lesbians by black churches. Two-Spirit People explore a tradition in Native American culture in which individuals who are androgynous are believed to act as a conduit between the spiritual world and the physical world.

“Brother2Brother is very excited about presenting these films," said Robert Burns, a spokesperson for the organization. “We want the black gay . and lesbian community to feel empowered by seeing positive role models that look like them on screen”