'It's time for happy stories:' The evolution of LGBTQ storytelling in film
CBC
Peter Knegt remembers sneaking out to video stores as a teenager searching for films that he could relate to.
Sometimes, he couldn't find anything.
"The accessibility that queer youth have now to this content is very new," Knegt said. "It's remarkable ... and is going to go a long way in helping them get through tough times if they have them."
The abundance of LGBTQ film and television programs available to stream now gives audiences — both inside and out of the community — a wide variety of content to choose from.
It's all part of a shift from one-dimensional storytelling to accommodate demand for stories that showcase the joy of LGBTQ life, those in the industry told CBC. Films that once centred around trauma-filled coming-out narratives or rejection by family members are getting replaced by original stories.
That's also due to the rise in LGBTQ filmmakers, many of whom take inspiration from authentic personal experiences.
Knegt says he's excited about this nascent diversity — and to see where things are going.
"I think people are curious about cultures … that they don't belong to because that's not what their day-to-day life is like. We all watch The Crown, but none of us know what that feels like," Knegt said.
In curating the recent Inside Out film festival in Toronto, Andrew Murphy and Elie Chivi were keen on highlighting films that depict heartwarming, funny and joyful stories, something they felt was missing within LGBTQ cinema.
"We deserve happy stories ... it's time for happy stories," said Chivi who is director of development and co-head of the festival.
Growing up in the Middle East, Chivi had trouble finding films that depicted anything outside of heteronormative culture. If he had access to LGBTQ content, he said it was inherently negative or very dark.
But stories that speak to the truth of LGBTQ lives are essential, he said.
"It's like a snapshot of what life could be for someone on the other side of the world," he said.
As the audience for these stories grows, so has the demand for films that showcase the full breadth of what LGBTQ life can be.
