The Sum of Our Parts
Am I simply the sum of my parts—my flesh, emotion, intellect, thoughts, and experiences? Perhaps this is a bit existential for a simple blog, but so many times, I find myself discounting myself because of my negative experiences. But if it is reasonable to believe that the total of my life is unfavorable as a result of my many negative experiences and how I apply meaning to them, it also stands to reason that positive outcomes can have a cumulatively positive effect as well. One of those positive cumulative effects is attending college later in life as a non-traditional student, and as part of that, participating in the San Francisco Immersion trip the past three years, which culminates in a queer film festival on the UWEC campus each October bookending National Coming Out day.
The Frameline film festival has taken place in San Francisco each June for the past 43 years, offering independent and queer films as the longest-running and largest queer film festival in the world. It is here that one can experience the insight that queer cinema offers by seeing the world through the eyes of others who are adapting to the world around them through their identity. The advantages of queer films are apparent, both globally and locally—allowing our UWEC audience to watch and listen to the story of another to gain insight into a world and culture that is vastly different than what we experience on campus. Queer cinema gives the viewer a world-friendly and empathic perspective that is healthy, and productive for our LGBTQ+ community, and that of our straight students as well.
I am reminded of the benefit for students who are part of the immersion trip to San Francisco. If it were just about seeing the plethora of films, it would justify the experience. Watching queer film after queer film with an audience who responds to the onscreen activity creates an affirming and validating experience for each person in the theatre. By seeing so many movies in a short period is a life-shaking experience for anyone, where we can introspect and consider mindsets, actions, and advocacy that help shape who we are, and how we interact with diversity that may be outside our comfort zone.
But Frameline doesn’t just offer queer film, it provides insight to the films through the eyes, ears, and approach of the producers, actors, and directors through Q&A sessions after the films, which gives the opportunity to understand why a particular story was told in a specific way, how the story was enhanced by certain scenes, and specific aspects of the film that may not be overt. The Q&A sessions offer an opportunity to grasp a movie at a deeper level, through the additional insight afforded by access to filmmakers and their films. The double-whammy of watching a plethora of queer cinema, along with digesting the filmmaker insights on many of the film projects not only affects the viewer on a deeply personal level but adds a layer of understanding beyond a purely superficial perspective.
And though the benefits are apparent from the films and filmmakers gathered in one location, the fact that this all takes place in San Francisco—the queer-mecca capital of the world — elevates the depth, breadth, and height of the experience. The Bay Area provides the foundation for all queer enterprises the world over, and it allows an individual to express who and what they are in an environment that supports the expression because it matters, it matters to the individual who is expressing, and the individual who is a community member.
The three intersecting influences make a notable mark on an individual who is visiting or living in the area. The cumulative effect on a person seeking insight into identity, whether queer or un-queer—it is through our lived experiences that we gain meaning of our world.
I am pleased that UWEC values and supports the San Francisco Immersion trip, for the students who work it, and for those who experience the film festival on campus. It is not a cheap endeavor, but I know many who look forward to seeing a glimpse of the world not readily available in western Wisconsin. I believe the program to be incredibly beneficial as UWEC students gain insight from the experience, the festival on campus stirs the hearts of those who attend, and most every student on campus is influenced by someone who is part of the festival.
