Trailer for “The Main” – a documentary

JulieCR Dec 04, 2009 7 Comments

Check out this short trailer for the upcoming documentary, The Main! It takes place in the Duluth/Superior area. The doc should be screened in Duluth in the spring.

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7 Comments

Barrett Chase

about 15 years ago 

I remember seeing a documentary about the Superior gay bar scene on WDSE about 10 years ago. Is this one related to the older documentary?

Derek in Madison

about 15 years ago 

I'm sorry, but so many of the people filmed are idiots.

"The more assimilated we become, the greater chance we run of becoming persecuted against."

Uh, no.  That's not how it works.  If the dumbass who made the statement in the "trailer" actually visits this blog I'd be happy to inform him as to why.  Until then I'm pretty sure I don't need to waste my breath--and that most readers here are more informed than many commentators in that clip.

edgeways

about 15 years ago 

I suspect the person who said that wasn't terribly clear on what assimilated actually means sociologically, and was going off of emotions rather than accuracy. Assimilation just sounds nasty and has some (rightly) negative connotations for many people. I think the filmmakers fell down on the job in including it though. It may well be the sentiment meant to be expressed was something along the lines of "The less visible we become the greater chance we run of becoming persecuted against." Which is at least an arguable point. "Assimilated" and "less visible" are analogous in some ways, but I also don't think it clicks as actually accurate in this context.

Using an inaccurate word doesn't make you an idiot, it does make you sound ill informed, and is distracting and I'd bet we've all been there. Actually including it in the film is the bigger problem and hints at sloppiness. So rather than talking about the film's intended message/s we end up nattering on about production choices.

Carla

about 15 years ago 

This topic is more complicated than some would have you believe.  More to come....

Wes Scott

about 15 years ago 

I think perhaps the better word would
be mainstream. "Assimilated" sounds like
something right out of Star Trek.

rediguana

about 15 years ago 

I think Carla's right, it is more complicated. There are differences within the gay rights community, and always have been, over whether to try to fit in with heterosexual society and lobby for equality in as non-threatening to a way as possible, or whether to be flamboyant and proud and politically radical, identify as an oppressed group with others facing oppression, and demand the rights that heterosexuals take for granted. It seems from the trailer that this documentary takes the latter approach. It's telling, for instance, the inclusion of the "stop hate crimes" sign as an example of straight-friendly "gay" bars and how they sideline the politics of gay rights--hate crimes legislation is a weak stand-in for marraige/domestic partner rights that tries to co-opt gay activists onto the side of the police, who have so often been their oppressors. I am very interested to see the rest of the movie.

cj

about 15 years ago 

I also believe the issue is a bit more complicated.  Also...a teaser trailer is just that...a 'tease' of information.  I'm sure if you see the movie, then you'll better understand the context of "the more assimilated, the more persecuted..." 

Other parts of this trailer actually back up the assimilation comment even if different words are used.  I think it's a little overblown to jump on one truncated statement in a trailer that contains 1/60th of the information presented in the actual film.

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