The Year We Thought About Love Explained

The Year We Thought About Love
Director:Ellen Brodsky
Producer:Ellen Brodsky
Associate Producer, Pam Chamberlain
Runtime:68 minutes
Country:United States

The Year We Thought About Love is a 2015 feature-length documentary film about the LGBTQ theater group, True Colors: OUT Youth Theater, directed by Ellen Brodsky.[1] As of December 2015, the film has been seen in 21 states and 6 countries[2] with a DVD available to community groups, public libraries, community colleges, and colleges and universities.

Synopsis

The film focuses on a Boston-based group of LGBTQ youth of color band together and dare to be 'out' on stage about their lives and their loves. The cast of True Colors: OUT Youth Theater[3] transforms their struggles into performance for social change. The film's cast members include a transgender teenager, Alyssa, who is kicked out of her home, a devout Christian, Chi, who challenges his church's homophobia, and a genderqueer individual, Ayden, who likes to wear masculine clothing, even as they model dresses on the runway. After the Boston Marathon bombs explode yards from their rehearsal space, the troupe becomes even more determined to share their stories of love to help their city heal.[4]

Production notes

The Year We Thought About Love was filmed in Boston and premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on January 31, 2015.

Awards

Awards
AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipients and nomineesResult
Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Best Documentary AwardOctober 22, 2015Audience SelectionEllen Brodsky
16th Annual Social Justice Award for Documentary FilmJanuary 30, 2015Social Justice Award for Documentary FilmEllen Brodsky

2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award

True Colors: Out Youth Theater was one of the 12 winners of the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award and the first LGBTQ organization ever to receive this award. The group was invited to the White House on November 15, 2016, to receive the award from Michelle Obama.[5] [6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Keough . Peter. Living, loving, celebrating. The Boston Globe. 2015-02-15. 2015-04-13.
  2. News: Chamberlain . Pat . The Year We Thought About Impact . The Huffington Post, Blog . 2015-12-02 . 2015-12-15 .
  3. News: Comingore . Aly . 45 Films to Find . . Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. . 2015-01-27 .
  4. Web site: Monroe. Irene. The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name. The Bilerico Project. 2015-03-22. 2015-04-13.
  5. News: Hetrick . Adam . White House Will Honor LGBTQ Youth Drama Group . . 2016-10-02 . 2017-10-02 .
  6. News: Curve . Staff . First Lady Michelle Obama To Recognize True Colors: Out Youth Theater . Curve . 2016-11-13 . 2017-10-02 .