KGW 8 TV- Josh Leake, Executive Director of Portland Film Festival talks with Lacey Evans, host of Hello Rose City
"In Portland there are between 10 and 18 percent of our neighbors who have some form of disability and in this film we look at burlesque dancing not just an an artistic movie, but a movie that actually helps people’s mental health ... .so it not just your typical burlesque and I love it. It’s a celebration of artistic value, healing and empowerment.”
~ Josh Leake, Executive Director Portland Film Festival
Jesus Figueroa, This Funktional talks with Eileen Wright, Susan Wolf and Mx.Pucks A’Plenty
“It’s a fantastic watch! …The LGBTQ+ community is attracted to the burlesque scene and I think it’s that self acceptance, that self love, that I think everybody needs. … I think we all need that instance where we accept ourselves for who we are and I think this film highlights that very beautifully. …It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride watching this film.”
~ Jesus Figueroa
Janeane Bernstien KUCI 88.9 fm - Get The Funk Out- Stories of Inspiration and Change
“I’ve seen the film. It’s tremendous. People are going to love this film.”
~Janeane Bernstein
ENTERTAINMENT, HOLLYWOOD, MOVIE NEWS,
by Sophie Williams
Director Susan Wolf’s Groundbreaking Documentary “Learning to Be Naked” Wins Best Documentary at the 20th La Femme International Film Festival.
“We are deeply honored to receive the Best Documentary award at the LA Femme International Film Festival. This recognition affirms our film’s mission to celebrate diversity and challenge conventional views of beauty, bodies, and empowerment through the transformative art of burlesque,” says Wolf.
“This film is a tribute to the resilience, passion, and community found in burlesque, and we are incredibly grateful to the performers who bravely shared their stories of self-acceptance and healing. We hope that this recognition will help us reach more audiences with this uplifting story, inspiring viewers to embrace their true selves and discover the joy of self-expression.
Thank you to the LA Femme International Film Festival for this incredible honor and for supporting films that amplify the voices of women.”
THE HEALING POWER OF BURLESQUE
by Vicki Larson
Photo by Badenclare PhotographyBY
New documentary takes on stereotypes of what’s beautiful and preconceptions about what kinds of bodies deserve to be seen.
Filmmaker Susan Wolf didn’t know much about burlesque when she and her film partner hired someone to work on their documentary on Mata Hari who happened to be in the burlesque world.
Like most people, Wolf, of the San Francisco Bay Area, thought burlesque was just about beautiful young women stripping and performing an erotic dance solely for the pleasure of men.
That couldn’t further from the truth.
With origins dating back to ancient Greek satirical plays, burlesque combines dance, music and parody as a way to both celebrate and ridicule sexuality while also poking fun at social mores and push boundaries, overwhelmingly performed and driven by women and femme-presenting women— for women.