BORN THIS WAY - Outfest Documentary Competition!

Friday, July 14th - 7:30pm / Harmony Gold Theater

Directed by Shaun Kadlec & Deb Tullmann

More people are imprisoned each year for homosexuality in Cameroon than any other country in the world. With intimate access to the lives of two young gay Cameroonians, Born This Way sketches a vivid portrait of day-to-day life in modern Africa. Lyrical imagery, devastating homophobia, glimpses of American culture and a hidden-camera courtroom drama coalesce into a story of what is possible in the global fight for equality.

Born This Way explores the underground gay and lesbian community in an intensely homophobic culture that is taking its first steps toward greater acceptance. More people are imprisoned each year for homosexuality in Cameroon than any other country in the world, serving sentences up to five years. The film focuses on two people who dream of sharing with their families the truth about who they really are: Cédric wants to come out to his mom, and Gertrude wants to come out to the Mother Superior who raised her in a Catholic convent.

Cédric and Gertrude work at a nonprofit that officially operates as an HIV/AIDS clinic, but also functions as a safe space where LGBT people can come together without fear of going to jail, being attacked or being rejected by family and friends. When two young women in a remote village are arrested for “lesbianism and witchcraft”, they turn to brilliant human rights lawyer Alice Nkom to defend them. Cédric and Gertrude’s activism becomes bolder and stronger as they work with Alice to help the two women.

Born This Way is a view from the inside of a secret community on the verge of transforming into a social movement. It offers an inspiring portrait of this young, courageous community as it struggles to find its voice in a deeply traditional culture. The film is not only an eye-opening work of art, but also a key component of a global campaign to raise awareness about an unjust, anachronistic law and the compromised legal system that enforces it. Lyrical imagery, devastating homophobia, glimpses of American culture and a hidden- camera courtroom drama coalesce into a story of what is possible in the global fight for equality.