Queer Screen Interview: Sally! Co-Directors Ondine Rarey and Jörg Fockele on bringing the story of Sally Gearhart to life on screen

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The joyous and jubilant documentary Sally! - the exclamation mark is deliberate - is a delightful and educational journey through the life and history of Sally Miller Gearhart: a professor of Speech, Theatre, and Women Studies; a fantasy writer; and most known as a lesbian feminist activist who helped transform the world for women and queer people alike.

If, like me, you haven't truly heard the name Sally Gearhart before, then you might know of her activist work alongside Harvey Milk, notably from a pointed interview where Sally joined Harvey to debate John Briggs about his noxious and harmful bill dubbed Proposition 6, or the 'Briggs Initiative', which, if passed, would have seen homosexuals from academic positions in public schools. This debate with Briggs is one of the pivotal points in Sally's life, which also included her appearance in notable documentaries like WORD IS OUT: Stories of Some of Our Lives in 1977 and in Barbara Hammer's short film Superdyke.

What delights the most about Sally!, the documentary, is that it meets the energy, vibrancy, and advocacy of Sally, the person, and acts as a celebration of activism, queer liberation, queer culture, feminism, and so much more. It is, quite simply, a rapturous delight to watch and spend time with.

The film details Sally's life, featuring in depth interviews with those she knew, loved, campaigned with, and built a community alongside. It also features some joyously funny and engaging interviews with Sally herself, recorded in the years before her passing. Sally! is more than just a history lesson, it's a reminder that in a time of great societal upheaval and distress, one of the purest forms of resistance is laughter, community, and joy. They can't take that away from you.

I was fortunate enough to talk with two of the co-directors of the film, Ondine Rarey and Jörg Fockele, while they were in Sydney for the Mardi Gras Queer Screen Film Festival screening of the film. Fellow co-director and producer Deborah Craig was unable to attend, but the sense of community and energy around the film and the following discussion carries her energy forward.

This interview talks about how Deborah discovered Sally, and why telling Sally's story on screen right now is so deeply important. Ondine and Jörg also talk about the importance of being able to screen a film like Sally! in the world right now, and about the importance of keeping queer activist history alive and relevant.

Sally! is a delight of a film, and you can see in person at the Mardi Gras Film Festival on Saturday 15 February. This is a special community screening, where all tickets are just $12. You won't want to miss it. However, if you're unable to attend the screening in person, then Sally! is also screening on demand later in the festival. For all ticketing details, visit QueerScreen.org.au.

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