Before You Know It
As it hops across the country, the film depicts a generation that has seen profound advances in gay rights but struggles with common issues of aging.
Before You Know It
The subjects of Before You Know It are no ordinary senior citizens. They are go-go booted bar-hoppers, love-struck activists, trouble-making baton twirlers, late night Internet cruisers, seasoned renegades and bold adventurers. They are also among the estimated 2.4 million lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans over the age of 55 in the United States, many of whom face heightened levels of discrimination, neglect and exclusion. But BEFORE is not a film about cold statistics and gloomy realities, but rather a film about generational trailblazers who have surmounted prejudice and defied expectation to form communities of strength, renewal and camaraderie—whether these communities be affable senior living facilities, lively activist enclaves or wacky queer bars brimming with glittered trinkets and colorful drag queens.
Dennis is a gentle-hearted widower in his 70s who begins exploring his sexual identity and fondness for dressing in women’s clothing under the name “Dee.” Ty is an impassioned LGBT activist who hears nothing but wedding bells once gay marriage passes in New York. Robert “The Mouth” is a feisty bar owner who presses on when his neighborhood institution comes under threat. Born before the Civil Rights era, these men have witnessed unbelievable change in their lifetimes, from the Stonewall Riots and gay liberation, to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and Queer Nation, to gay marriage and Lady Gaga, and have lived to become part of an unprecedented “out” elder generation. BEFORE focuses on the lives of these three gay seniors, but reminds us that while LGBT elders face a specific set of issues, aging and its challenges are universal. An affirmation of life and human resilience told with a refreshing humor and candor, BEFORE confirms that you are never too old to reshape society.
“A crucial addition to the LGBT doc canon.” (Indiewire)
“A heart-breaking, uplifting and life-affirming collage...this is a beautiful, humane movie.” (Movies.com)
Dennis is a gentle-hearted widower in his 70s who begins exploring his sexual identity and fondness for dressing in women’s clothing under the name “Dee.” Ty is an impassioned LGBT activist who hears nothing but wedding bells once gay marriage passes in New York. Robert “The Mouth” is a feisty bar owner who presses on when his neighborhood institution comes under threat. Born before the Civil Rights era, these men have witnessed unbelievable change in their lifetimes, from the Stonewall Riots and gay liberation, to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and Queer Nation, to gay marriage and Lady Gaga, and have lived to become part of an unprecedented “out” elder generation. BEFORE focuses on the lives of these three gay seniors, but reminds us that while LGBT elders face a specific set of issues, aging and its challenges are universal. An affirmation of life and human resilience told with a refreshing humor and candor, BEFORE confirms that you are never too old to reshape society.
“A crucial addition to the LGBT doc canon.” (Indiewire)
“A heart-breaking, uplifting and life-affirming collage...this is a beautiful, humane movie.” (Movies.com)
Genre
Documentary
Web Site
Runtime
110
Language
English
Director
PJ Raval
FEATURED REVIEW
Abby Garnett, Village Voice
In PJ Raval's moving documentary Before You Know It, three aging gay men navigate their lives' third acts, and find that the setting of the story continues to shift. Each has overcome obstacles to living openly: Two of the subjects, Dennis and Ty, are veterans of the armed forces, while Robert, who ...
Played at
Playhouse 7 2.23.14 - 2.23.14
Lumiere Music Hall 6.13.14 - 6.19.14
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