ABOUT THE PROJECT
LOGLINE
Gay history pioneer, activist and artist Jonathan Ned Katz, now in his 80s, looks back on his storied life in the gay liberation movement in NYC with vulnerability, wisdom, deep love and sardonic wit, while questioning his relevance in the modern LGBTQ+ world.
SYNOPSIS
In 1976, Jonathan Ned Katz made history. Literally. His book, Gay American History, a groundbreaking and painstakingly researched milestone of gay liberation, transformed the Stonewall generation and refuted four hundred years of criminalization, pathology, morality, and shame. From same-sex Native American and colonial period relationships to the pioneers of modern-day gay liberation, Jonathan Ned Katz used unprecedented archival research to trace gay people’s history of oppression, resistance, and love.
With the book’s success, Katz barnstormed the country, speaking at lecture halls and community groups, and on radio and television—Studs Terkel and Phil Donahue. Jonathan—only recently out himself—became a gay folk hero. Hearing his sincere, informed and impassioned voice, few guessed that Jonathan still struggled with the trauma of a closeted childhood. But today, the book is long out-of-print, forgotten by all but dedicated academics and journalists. DO YOU KNOW JONATHAN NED KATZ? will return Jonathan and his landmark accomplishment to its deserved position of acclaim and admiration in the public consciousness.
The film is a vibrant and emotional collage of one-on-one footage of Jonathan, woven together with never-before-seen archival material, interviews of friends, family, and fellow activists, and seamless re-enactments and motion graphics.
The core of the film is Jonathan himself, a gay man with a lifetime of experiences and wisdom. At 82 years old, he is quirky, energetic, introspective. For the past six years, we’ve filmed Jonathan—from his base in the Greenwich Village brownstone he grew up in—as he winds through the streets of New York, visits with old friends, creates art, and carries on his important historical work. The film is a compelling portrait of a Stonewall-era activist fifty years later, struggling to accept himself and the value of his accomplishments.
PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature
DIRECTOR Philip Harrison
PRODUCER Philip Harrison
WEBSITE doyouknowjnk.com
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