This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous
Description
With the immense strides made by the trans community in recent years, now rendered vulnerable by the Trump administration, the time has never been better for a documentary like This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous. Directed by two-time Oscar-winner Barbara Kopple, it chronicles the inspiring story of trans social media superstar Gigi Gorgeous. She first became a YouTube celebrity in her teens with makeup tutorial videos, made when she was a gender non-conforming boy using the moniker “Gregory Gorgeous.” His vivacious personality and defiantly upbeat messages of affirmation and inclusivity earned him a massive following. But after his mother’s death, Gregory made the ultimate revelation: his true gender identity was female, and Gregory became Gigi. By this point a full-fledged YouTube celebrity (she currently has 2.5 million subscribers), Gigi invites the world to follow along with her transition, providing an intimate glimpse of a trans person’s odyssey. At the center of it all is Gigi’s relationship with her conservative father, David, who serves as a steadfast and committed caretaker throughout her procedures despite his ongoing struggle to understand her experience. Kopple seamlessly weaves Gigi’s videos with her own footage to reveal a personal evolution that is entwined with today’s technology. —Jason LeRoy
Following the screening on April 12, Gigi Gorgeous will be joined by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple; Ian Roth, who oversees development and launch of YouTube Originals; and special guests for a conversation around YouTube, social media and its impact on our lives. More guests to be announced.
One of the world’s most celebrated documentarians, Barbara Kopple has been an active presence in the film community since 1972. She’s the winner of two Academy Awards in the Best Documentary Feature category, for Harlan County, USA (1976) and American Dream (Festival 1991). She also received a Director’s Guild of America award in 1998 for helming an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street, and the Festival’s Persistence of Vision Award in 2012. Kopple’s recent nonfiction films include Shut Up & Sing (2006), about the Dixie Chicks’ rebound from their scorching Bush-era political controversy, and Miss Sharon Jones! (Festival 2016), which chronicled the late soul singer’s cancer battle.
Trailer
//player.vimeo.com/video/207678675?autoplay=1Film Details
Language English
Year 2017
Runtime 92
Country USA
Director Barbara Kopple
Producer Barbara Kopple, David Cassidy
Editor Michael Culyba, Anne Fratto, Hemal Trivedi
Cinematographer Gary Griffin