Roland Emmerich’s much-maligned Stonewall isn’t the only movie around about the events that took place in New York in 1969 that helped kick off the modern gay-rights movement, as Reina Gossett and Sasha Wortzel have been making Happy Birthday, Marsha!, starring breakout Tangerine star, Mya Taylor.
The film will be seen by many as a welcome antidote to Stonewall, which was hugely criticised by those who believed it white-washed the riots and under-represented the contribution of trans people, as Happy Birthday, Marsha! is about the elgendary Marsha P. Johnson.
It’s a fairly unique film as both its main star and screenwriter are trans women of color. However, the complete the movie and Indiegogo campaign has been launched, which is hoping to raise $30,000 to help with post-production costs.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘Happy Birthday, Marsha! (HBDM!) is a film about legendary transgender artist and activist, Marsha “Pay it No Mind” Johnson and her life in the hours before the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City.
‘The film is written, directed and produced by Reina Gossett and Sasha Wortzel. We are artists and activists who have been sharing the story of trans activists, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, for nearly a decade.
‘It’s been 46 years since the Stonewall Rebellion yet the leading role that street queens, people doing sex work, trans women of color and gender non-conforming people had during the riots hasn’t received the recognition it deserves. Rarely do marginalized people drive stories about themselves on-screen, but this project is different. Happy Birthday, Marsha! is written, produced and directed by a trans woman of color, and will be the first of its kind to reach a wide audience.’
So take a look at the trailer below, and if you like what you see, head over to Indiegogo. [Read more…]
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We posted a 
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