Films: OUT of ANNAPOLIS
OUT of ANNAPOLIS
USA, 2010, 73 Minute Running Time
World Premiere
Genre/Subjects: Activism, Black / African American, Coming Out, Discrimination, Documentary, Gay, Homophobia, Lesbian, Local Filmmakers / Subjects, Politics
Program: Documentary
Language: English
DIRECTOR: Steve Clark Hall
Especially relevant considering the current debate surrounding “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” OUT of ANNAPOLIS is a riveting look at the lives of some of the U.S. Naval Academy’s lesbian and gay alumni.
The documentary tells the stories of eleven former sailors and Marines who attended Annapolis in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Through candid interviews, these former midshipmen discuss the reasons why they entered the Naval Academy (most wanted to serve their country and get an Ivy League-quality education) and the struggles they faced both while students and once they entered the fleet.
Some of these former officers entered the Academy knowing they were gay, while others didn’t discover that aspect of themselves until much later. A few had same-sex relationship while at the Academy, many waited until they were in the fleet to have their first same-sex sexual encounter. While some of these former midshipmen had careers spanning only a short while, some served for many years both before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” when gay witch-hunts were common, and after passage of the landmark legislation.
Director and subject Commander Steve Clark Hall, USN (Ret.), hits all the right notes for a powerful documentary, including sweepingly beautiful shots of the Annapolis campus and entertaining archival photos of all the subjects. What emerges is a remarkably intimate, incredibly positive portrait of the group’s experiences. Perhaps most fascinating for civilians is the final question: if you had a second chance, would you go to Annapolis again? — KATE CARROLL
Text Voting Code: D315
Copresented by
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - SLDN and
The Palm Center
Sponsor:
Regent Media - gay.com
Print Source PDF
You might also enjoy...
-
USA
,
2010
,
78 min.
Fresh from Sundance,
8: The Mormon Proposition shows the devastating emotional impact caused by the Mormon Church’s fight against gay marriage in California. Text Voting Codes: Always My Son: S604 8: The Mormon Proposition: D323...
more
-
USA
,
2010
,
93 min.
When a decorated Marine officer (Dreya Weber of
The Gymnast) unexpectedly returns home from the war, she's recruited to help a troubled teen prepare for boot camp. This unflinching film distills Don't Ask, Don't Tell down to be intimately personal. Text Voting Code: F118...
more