In Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance, director Noam Gonick and producer Justine Pimlott explore the history of 2SLGBTQI+ activism in Canada. We posed our Qs à la mode to Noam and Justine, and here’s what they shared!
If I had to describe our film using only three adjectives, they would be:
Noam Gonick: Jubilant, edgy, loud.
Justine Pimlott: Powerful, poignant, necessary.
I wanted to make this film because:
NG: It was time for a refresher on how to fight for one’s rights.
JP: Many people, both from the 2SLGBTQI+ community and the general population, do not know this history of queer activism or whose shoulders we stand on. It was time they knew.
The thing that surprised me most while making our film was:
NG: How much history can be packed into 97 minutes.
JP: How vulnerable our visual archives are, whether they’re photos or moving images. Many are being lost and need financial support so that we can preserve our histories. The development period for our film was a long and intense process of searching for community archives. So many times I heard, “Oh, I don’t know where that is” or “I lost that.”
My favorite moment/scene/sequence in our film is:
NG: The Operation Soap riot.
JP: The bath-house-raids demo, like Noam said, does stand out because it was a spontaneous action where people reacted very quickly and came into the streets to protest. This is before the internet and social media, so the act of getting word out and coming together that fast was extraordinary.
My most invaluable piece of doc-making equipment was/is:
NG: The EyeDirect.
JP: Agree with Noam. We had early creative conversations on how we wanted the viewer to feel a strong sense of intimacy with our interview subjects, not just in what they tell you but in your relationship to them. The EyeDirect makes it seem like it is only you they are talking to.
My must-have snack to get me through hours in the editing room is:
NG: Sushi.
JP: KIND Bars. Preferably Cherry Dark Chocolate Cashew.
One piece of documentary-filmmaking advice I’d like to share with aspiring documentarians is:
NG: Work with smart researchers.
JP: As a creative producer, one of my roles is to make sure I have assembled the best team. You have to make sure you have the best people and the support to make the best film, from the foundation up.
Want to check out their film, or just learn more about it?
Get the scoop, and your tickets, here!
