What are the most effective narrative strategies in queer cinema for conveying intersectional identities?
Intersectionality is an approach to identity politics that recognizes the interconnectedness of multiple social categories such as race, gender, class, ability, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, and others. Queer cinema has become an important platform for exploring these categories and their intersections through storytelling. This article will explore some of the narrative strategies employed in queer films to convey intersectional identities, including but not limited to characters with multiple identities, nonlinear narratives, and representation of marginalized groups.
One strategy is to have characters who embody more than one identity.
In Moonlight (2016), the protagonist Chiron struggles with his identity as both black and gay. The film shows how his experiences as a young black man growing up in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood shape his sense of self and relationships with other people. Throughout the film, he must navigate between his mother's expectations, peer pressure, and personal desires, all while grappling with his own sexuality. Another example is Pariah (2011), which follows a young lesbian woman of color named Alike as she navigates her sexual awakening while dealing with family pressures and cultural expectations. The film reveals how she must balance her desire for freedom and independence with her need for support from her family and community.
Another strategy is to use nonlinear narratives, where the timeline jumps back and forth between different periods or perspectives. In But I'm a Cheerleader (19999), Megan Bloom-Kelly struggles with her sexuality while attending a conversion therapy camp. Her journey to accept herself involves flashbacks to her childhood and memories of her relationship with her parents. By showing these memories interspersed with the present day, the film illustrates how her past traumas and family dynamics influence her current situation. Similarly, The Watermelon Woman (1996) uses a nonlinear structure to explore the experiences of its black lesbian protagonist, Cheryl, who is trying to make a documentary about black actresses while investigating her own racial and sexual identity. The film weaves together scenes from her life, including encounters with her white girlfriend and her research on forgotten black actresses from the silent era.
Queer films often feature marginalized groups such as people of color, immigrants, or those living in poverty. These characters are often overlooked by mainstream society but play important roles in shaping the identities of their communities.
In Moonlight, Naomie Harris plays Paula, Chiron's drug-addicted mother who struggles to provide for her son despite her own difficulties. She represents the many women of color who face challenges due to social and economic factors beyond their control. Likewise, in Paris Is Burning (1990), drag performers of color share their stories of survival against discrimination and violence. Their experiences highlight the intersectional nature of oppression faced by LGBTQ+ individuals who come from minority backgrounds.
Narrative strategies used in queer cinema can help viewers better understand the complexities of identity politics through explorations of intersecting identities, nonlinear storytelling, and representation of marginalized groups. By delving into these themes, queer films offer valuable insights into the lived experiences of diverse individuals and their relationships with each other and society at large.
What narrative strategies in queer film best convey intersectional identities?
Intersectionality is a concept that describes how different forms of oppression intersect and influence each other. It means that people can be oppressed on multiple levels, such as based on gender, race, sexual orientation, class, etc. The most common way to depict this in media like film is through characterization by highlighting their individual struggles and experiences that are unique due to their identity combination.