Films: The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
New Zealand, 2009, 84 Minute Running Time
Bay Area Premiere
Genre/Subjects: Aging / Elders, Documentary, Health / Medicine, Lesbian, Music / Music Video, Parenting / Family, Politics
Program: Showcases
Language: English
DIRECTOR: Leanne Pooley
As director Leanne Pooley says, “It’s not every day you get to work with yodeling, lesbian, comedian, twin sisters.” The Topp Twins, Jools and Lynda, have spent more than 25 years writing songs and performing their quirky brand of country-musicinspired comedy and activism. Featuring characters such as Camp Mother and Camp Leader (who run the Happy Valley Camping Ground and give out recipes for scones) and taking to the streets and the stage in favor of LGBT rights and against nuclear weapons, the Topp Twins manage to seamlessly combine their politics with camp, through methods accessible to a diverse fan base.
What could have remained a novelty act became a national treasure for New Zealand, and in 2008, the twins were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. In this documentary romp, Pooley shows us how these two artistsslash- activists captured the hearts of a country, while simultaneously delving into 50 years of New Zealand history and revealing the individuals behind the characters. Their activist spirit hits especially close to home as Jools survives breast cancer, with Lynda beside her the whole way.
These twins continue to charm the pants off audiences in this feature film, as well, winning numerous festival awards, including the Cadillac People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Festival in 2009 and Best Feature Documentary at the Portland Film Festival in 2010. — ALLISON STELLY
Text Voting Code: D325
Copresented by
The Breast Cancer Fund and
Mostly British Film Festival
Sponsors:
Luna Fest, Yahoo! Inc.
Official Film Website
Print Source PDF
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