Stonewall Uprising

David Heilbroner and Kate Davis at The Stonewall Inn
 
It’s shocking to think that no in-depth documentary film has been made about the Stonewall riots, but it’s true. “There is a generation of people—gay and straight—who don’t know what Stonewall meant. Yet they [know] about Rosa Parks and other important historical civil rights moments,” admits New York filmmaker Kate Davis, who along with her life and business partner, David Heilbroner, directed Stonewall Uprising (June 16–29 at Film Forum). “It’s really about time that this little-known chapter of American history is told.”
 
The film started out as an installment of the PBS documentary series American Experience but quickly grew into something much bigger. Using David Carter’s heavily researched book Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution as a guideline, the duo combed through archival footage that hadn’t been seen in years and tracked downinterviews with the men and women on both sides of the riot for a dark look into a hateful America. “We found a treasure of archival material to prove how backwards and archaic society was despite civil rights, black rights and anti-war protests going on in all the major cities,” says Davis, 50, best known for her award-winning film about a dying transgender man, Southern Comfort. “We found enough footage to make this film a bigger experience than just the story of the Stonewall riots; it’s really the story of our culture and our country coming to terms with homosexuality,” adds Heilbroner, 53.
 
Now, after sold-out screenings at the British Film Institute the duo brings the project home on a wave of community support. “We took this as a chance to help gay history become part of American history,” Davis remarks. “Hopefully this film breaking out nationally will help the Stonewall Riots gain [their] rightful place in the history of America.”