The Royal Road
Acclaimed essay film is now available for educational purchase
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“This affecting, thought-provoking film is sure to be an important addition to college media libraries for students in LGBT Studies, Film Studies and many other disciplines.”
— Arlene Stein,
Professor of Sociology,
Rutgers University
“A breathtaking cinematic essay…a masterpiece.”
— Sam Fragoso
RogerEbert.com
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“An outstanding resource for scholars and teachers in a wide variety of fields—from Queer Studies, to Film Studies, Ethnic and Women’s Studies, and Cultural Studies—The Royal Road performs what we hope might happen in our best teaching: the linking of personal expression, artistic vision, scholarly research, and the cultural politics of women, queers, Latinos, and others who find themselves longing on the American margin(s).”
— Dr. Alexandra Juhasz,
Professor of Media Studies,
Pitzer College
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Now available for educational purchase from
The Film Collaborative
Educational DVD Price
(with Public Performance Rights* plus 44-page full-color illustrated screenplay booklet)
$295
Discounted DVD Price
for LGBT Community Centers
$195
Click to ORDER NOW
Subject Areas:
LGBT Studies, Film Studies, Women’s Studies, American Studies, California Studies, U.S. History
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*DVDs are available for sale to educational organizations in North America (universities, libraries, and other cultural institutions), and include public performance rights.
Click to WATCH THE TRAILER
ABOUT THE FILM:
A cinematic essay in defense of remembering, THE ROYAL ROAD offers up a primer on Junipero Serra’s Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, the pursuit of unavailable women, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo—all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes, and featuring a voiceover cameo by Tony Kushner. This bold, innovative film from acclaimed San Francisco filmmaker Jenni Olson combines rigorous historical research with lyrically written personal monologue and relates these seemingly disparate stories from an intimate, colloquial perspective to tell a one-of-a-kind California tale.
2015 | USA | 65 min. | 16mm on HD
Director, Writer, Voiceover Jenni Olson
VOICEOVER CAMEO Tony Kushner
Producer Julie Dorf
Editor Dawn Logsdon
Cinematographer Sophie Constantinou
Sound Jim Lively
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More Praise for The Royal Road
“The Royal Road by Jenni Olson is a beautiful and thought provoking film. It connects the present of Olson’s life to the difficult past of California’s conquest and the Missionization of native peoples. It will be quite useful for a variety of courses from California history to cultural studies to film. Students will find it provocative and fascinating. Faculty will appreciate its nuanced presentation of both individual relationships and larger historical currents. It will work particularly well for upper division and graduate classes.”
— Victor Silverman, Professor, History and American Studies, Pomona College
“A beguiling meditation…serenely accomplished.”
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Historical Advisors
Prof. Steven Hackel, UC Riverside — author of Junípero Serra: California’s Founding Father (2013)
Prof. Lisbeth Haas, UC Santa Cruz — author of Conquests and Historical Identities in California, 1769– 1936 (1995)
About Jenni Olson
Well known for her poetic and innovative documentaries, San Francisco-based filmmaker Jenni Olson has established her reputation as a unique voice in American independent cinema. Jenni’s stunning urban landscape films have been shown around the world earning wide acclaim for their unique storytelling style. Her most recent feature-length essay film, THE ROYAL ROAD premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and recently won the Best LGBTQ Film Award at the prestigious Ann Arbor Film Festival (the oldest and largest showcase for experimental film in North America). The film also has an upcoming theatrical release (October 30-November 5) at the Anthology Film Archive in New York City. Jenni's debut feature, The Joy of Life world premiered at Sundance in 2005 and went on to play a pivotal role in renewing debate about the need for a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as earning the 2005 Outfest Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement and the 2005 NewFest Award for Best U.S. Screenplay. Jenni was also the 2005 recipient of the Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in Bay Area filmmaking from the San Francisco Film Critics Circle. A queer media historian, activist and online pioneer Jenni is also one of the world’s leading experts on LGBT film history. |
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