By Jamie Rogers
“Out in the Night” is a documentary that tells the story of a group of African American lesbians criminalized after defending themselves against an attacker in August 2006 in New York. Photo courtesy of thefilmcollborative.org.
When Giovanna Chesler began work at George Mason University, she was waist-deep in a film project that would bring to light issues faced by lesbian and gender nonconforming people of color.
Chesler, director of George Mason’s Film and Video Studies Program, is a producer of the documentary film, “Out in the Night,” which premiered on PBS in June. It is simulcast on PBS and Logo network, and is streaming on pbs.org through July 23. View it here.
Fenwick Library has purchased the longer, theatrical version of the film.
Before it took the national stage, the film was screened at more than 100 film festivals and 20 universities, including twice at Mason.
It’s important for students to learn from faculty who are in the process of making work, Chesler said.
“Our faculty give their students a chance to learn experientially,” Chesler said. “Film and Video Studies is a program where we teach students that stories matter. We encourage our students to tell stories that may be unpopular or complex, but are necessary.”
“Out in the Night,” tells the story of four African American lesbians from New Jersey, now known as the NJ4, who were convicted in court after defending themselves against an attacker in 2006.
Chesler became involved in the project four years ago after meeting the director, blair dorosh-walther.
While working on the project, Chesler said she became deeply impressed by the women featured in the movie.
“I can’t wait to see what they do from here,” Chesler said. “These women are my heroes. They are extraordinarily fearless.”
“The documentary is the only in-depth telling of this story of the NJ4, and it needed to be done accurately,” Chesler said.
This meant much care was taken and lots of time in the editing room, she said.
In October, the Film and Media Studies program brought the director of the documentary and one of the women involved, Renata Hill, to campus as part of their documentary screening series in the Johnson Center Cinema, so students could learn more about social justice.
Chesler has used her work in “Out in the Night” to teach students about moving film projects forward through developing social media channels, grant writing, and running crowd-funding campaigns.
After the Mason screenings of the film, Chesler said she could see the students were thinking about the subjects of their next projects, the importance of documentaries and what it takes to tell a story like the one told in “Out in the Night.”
“We had a very rich conversation that lasted more than hour,” Chesler said of Mason’s October screening of the film. “What happened at Mason is a model for what has been happening across the country . . . I’m so thankful that the story of these women is finally reaching a mass audience.”