ORLANDO @ Alamo Drafthouse

Explore the fluidity of gender and time with immortal fae creature Tilda Swinton
"Same person. No difference at all..."
Let’s talk about gender, y’all! The complex and sticky social construct of behavioral traits and visual cues that, for some reason, tells us how to treat other people and what color explosives to deploy upon its reveal. Yeah, gender, an easy subject to unpack for sure. Wait, gender doesn’t exist in a vacuum, right? (Does anything exist in a vacuum?) I digress. Gender and the fluidity of identity are at the heart of this month’s Queer Film Theory 101 screening. ORLANDO, adapted in 1992 by filmmaker Sally Potter from the 1920s novel by Virginia Woolf, is perhaps the holy grail of gender-bending historical fantasy, and yet, 30+ years later, not enough people have seen it!
An unconventional epic narrative with frequent fourth-wall breaks, ORLANDO follows the supernaturally long life of its title character (Tilda Swinton) as he is granted immortality by Queen Elizabeth I (Quentin Crisp). Beginning in the 1600s and ending in the early '90s, ORLANDO explores the various historical events, relationships, trials, and achievements of its boundaryless lead. Think INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, but with fewer vampires and more Billy Zane. Gorgeous, sumptuously decadent, and deeply subversive, this film is a must-see for any queer film lover. The striking visual style and modernist approach to period drama in ORLANDO became massively influential across film, prestige television (*cough* Fleabag), and fashion; in particular, the costumes of prolific designer Sandy Powell are a feast for the eyes. See you in time. Wait…is time a construct too?