Gen Silent

Movie Information

In Brief: Powerful and powerfully moving film about the plight of aging LGBT people and the discrimination — and even abuse — they face in finding health care in their declining years. This is a film that needs to be seen.
Score:

Genre: Activist Documentary
Director: Stu Maddux
Starring:
Rated: NR

When this was presented to me for review for a special screening at the Fine Arts Theatre, I didn’t even have a clue what the title Gen Silent meant. Now I do, and it disturbed me deeply — even though in retrospect, I can’t say it surprised me. The press notes put it bluntly: “What would you do if you were old, disabled or ill — and the person feeding you put down the spoon and said that you are going to hell unless you change your sexual preferences? Sound absurd? Social workers around the world say it’s happening every day.” The film on that very topic observes how six lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors deal with that very situation on a day-to-day basis, raising the question of whether or not they have to hide their sexuality in order to survive in the system. The film takes the course of following its subjects for a year — allowing us to get to know them not as a problem, but as people. It puts a face on the issue — and does it with compassion and dignity, but without shying away from just how grim all this can be. This is strong filmmaking on a strong issue — and it’s a film that should be seen by the widest possible audience.

Gen Silent is being shown at Fine Arts Theatre on Sun., Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. Filmmaker Stu Maddux will be at the screening.

SHARE
About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.