Are You Still A Faggot?

Directed by Duane Michals

A grandfather struggles to understand his grandson’s sexual identity. The tension builds as a consequence of their conflicting emotions. Their dialogue has a brutal tempo, a staccato that mirrors the characters’ own discomfort. As in his still photographs Michals deftly orchestrates the effects of multiple exposure using the technique to convey the complexity and emotional resonance of a charged situation. The actors’ words imply one thing, while beneath their dialogue exists an empathy they are unable to articulate.