Queens at Heart (1967)

Opis: Produced in 1967, this amazing 22-minute short film introduces us to Misty, Vicky, Sonja and Simone-four transwomen who are subjected to a six-month psychological project and then grilled about their personal lives by a weird guy in a wood-paneled office who claims to have interviewed "thousands of homosexuals" (and who obviously doesn't understand the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity). Queens at Heart offers a rare glimpse into pre-Stonewall queer life as it takes us to a New York City drag ball and follows the women through their daily lives. They talk about their double-lives-going out as women at night but living as men during the day, and about how they take hormones and dream of "going for a change." One talks about avoiding the draft, another about her fiancé and another about the torment of childhood as an effeminate youth. This unique exploitation documentary offers a rare and provocative glimpse into pre-Stonewall queer life. —Jenni Olson