Bi the Way
Encyclopedia
Bi the Way is a 2008 documentary film
about bisexuality
in the United States. It had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas
. The film has aired at film festival
s throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Australia, Brazil, and Taiwan, including at Silverdocs Film Festival, Outfest
, Newfest, !f Istanbul, and Rio De Janeiro Film Festival. It was aired on the Logo Network in summer 2009.
The film follows the lives of several young bisexual people in the United States. Its makers, Brittany Blockman and Josephine Decker, also appear on camera to frame the stories.
, navigates between the tolerance and sexual openness of her friendship group and the conservatism of her southern Catholic family. Black hip-hop dancer Tahj, enjoying little success with girls, forms a relationship with a man he meets on MySpace and must weigh the rejection of his community against his newfound love. 28-year-old Taryn is contemplating marriage to her boyfriend but also embarks on a new romance with a woman, testing the limits of monogamy and the boundaries of gender roles. David, 24, defies the expectations of his parents and ex-girlfriends to assert his bisexuality, while seeking to reconcile his traditional values with his open-minded views. And in San Antonio, Texas
, Josh, 11, fears his gay father will reject him if he pursues his growing interest in girls.
The film interlaces these stories with commentary from evolutionary biologists, psychologists, and anthropologists to discuss themes of sexual ambiguity.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about bisexuality
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
in the United States. It had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The film has aired at film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Australia, Brazil, and Taiwan, including at Silverdocs Film Festival, Outfest
Outfest
Outfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
, Newfest, !f Istanbul, and Rio De Janeiro Film Festival. It was aired on the Logo Network in summer 2009.
The film follows the lives of several young bisexual people in the United States. Its makers, Brittany Blockman and Josephine Decker, also appear on camera to frame the stories.
Synopsis
The film is structured around a roadtrip, during which the creators introduce five young Americans confronting issues relating to bisexuality. Former cheerleader Pam, from Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, navigates between the tolerance and sexual openness of her friendship group and the conservatism of her southern Catholic family. Black hip-hop dancer Tahj, enjoying little success with girls, forms a relationship with a man he meets on MySpace and must weigh the rejection of his community against his newfound love. 28-year-old Taryn is contemplating marriage to her boyfriend but also embarks on a new romance with a woman, testing the limits of monogamy and the boundaries of gender roles. David, 24, defies the expectations of his parents and ex-girlfriends to assert his bisexuality, while seeking to reconcile his traditional values with his open-minded views. And in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Josh, 11, fears his gay father will reject him if he pursues his growing interest in girls.
The film interlaces these stories with commentary from evolutionary biologists, psychologists, and anthropologists to discuss themes of sexual ambiguity.
Awards
- 2008: The film won the Alternative Spirit Grand Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.
External links
- Official site
- What Women Want (Maybe) (The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
) - Podcast on Bi the Way at GreenCine