Program 12: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

Directed by David France

Next Generation Series, Documentary Feature, Sunday, Oct. 8 / USA / 2017 / 105 mins

Program 12: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

Little Theatre 2
October 8, 2017 12:30 pm Buy Tickets

Description

On July 6, 1992, Marsha P. Johnson’s body was discovered in the Hudson River near Christopher Street. Police quickly closed the case, ruling her death a suicide, but those closest to her said she would never have taken her own life. So what really happened? That’s what Victoria Cruz hopes to find out.

Cruz, a trans woman, works for the NYC Anti-Violence Project as a crime victim advocate. A survivor of sexual assault herself, she is all too familiar with the dangers faced by those in the trans community. Before retiring, Cruz wants closure on Marsha’s death. For how can she hope for justice for today’s numerous trans victims of violence when an icon like Marsha never got any?

Marsha P. Johnson was a veteran of the Stonewall Riots, and was considered by many to be the Queen of Greenwich Village. She was a mother figure to many LGBT youth, and a pioneer in the fight for LGBT civil rights. Along with friend Sylvia Rivera, Johnson founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) to advocate for drag queens and the trans community.

We may never know what happened to Marsha P. Johnson. It may have been an accident, but there is also evidence to suggest she was killed by the mob. What is clear in this fascinating film by Academy Award nominated filmmaker David France (How To Survive A Plague), featuring never-before-seen footage, is that she was one of the highest profile members of a community that remains the target of harassment, discrimination, and violence to this day. And if the LGBT community is to be truly worthy of the word “community,” it is up to each of us, and our allies, to look out for our trans brothers and sisters – just as they were on the front lines in the riots in 1969 that kick-started the gay rights movement.

— Christopher Roesch

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AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Freedom Award – Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival
Official Selection – Tribeca Film Festival
Official Selection – Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival
Official Selection – Seattle International Film Festival
Official Selection – Provincetown International Film Festival
Official Selection – Sheffield Doc|Fest (UK)
Official Selection – Barcelona LGBT Film Festival
Official Selection – Torino Gay & Lesbian Film Festival