Jodie: An Icon

A film by Pratibha Parmar

England | 1996 | 24 minutes | Color | 16mm/DVD | Order No. 99475

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SYNOPSIS

Jodie is a fast paced, breezy look at the transatlantic phenomenon that has made Hollywood actress Jodie Foster an icon for lesbians who identify with, adore and celebrate the screen personas of her remarkable career. Fans and queer cultural critics share their favorite ‘iconic’ moments giving illuminating lesbian readings of Foster’s key films which trace the charismatic actor’s progression from early tomboy parts as a child star to mature performances depicting active, strong willed women with attitude. Die hard Foster fans like comedienne Lea de Laria’s comment that “If I was Hannibal Lecter, it wouldn’t be her liver I’d want to eat,” express the desire and lust shared by Foster’s lesbian fans around the world. The film captures the Jodie Foster look alike contest in San Francisco and a visually slick montage of views on Foster’s butch femme indeterminacy all help to confirm Foster’s status as a dyke icon.

PRESS

“The real stars in this valentine to Foster are the critics, filmmakers, and just plain movie-goers for whom her star image has been so formative. Foster ought to be pleased with her supporting role.”

Patricia White Swarthmore College

SCREENING HIGHLIGHTS AND AWARDS

  • Berlin Film Festival
  • Denver Film Festival
  • South by Southwest Film Festival
  • NY, LA and SF Int’l Lesbian and Gay Film Festivals

ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)

Pratibha Parmar

Pratibha Parmar is an award-winning British filmmaker – a writer, director and producer with a track record of bringing deeply compelling stories into the mainstream media, stories that resonate beyond the margins. She has worked across multiple genres – feature documentaries, short dramas, music videos, a narrative feature, and is a recent director of episodic television, LAW & ORDER SUV and Ava DuVernay’s QUEEN SUGAR. Her work has appeared in a variety of broadcast and theatrical platforms.

Pratibha’s documentary A PLACE OF RAGE, on African American women and the civil rights movement, which focused on June Jordan and Angela Davis, received international critical acclaim and was named Best Historical Documentary at the National Black Programming Consortium in the US. Her other documentaries include the award-winning KHUSH, the first film to document the lives and experiences of South Asian lesbian and gay people in UK, Canada and India. KHUSH was the recipient of multiple international awards and became a cult classic in India where bootlegged copies created community screenings and opportunities for Indian LGBT people at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in India. Pratibha’s debut narrative feature, NINA’S HEAVENLY DELIGHTS, a rom-com set in Scotland, was released in the UK and US. Her documentary ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH is the definitive film on this Pulitzer Prize-winning author and was broadcast on American Masters (PBS) and BBC.

A globally recognized filmmaker and human rights activist, Pratibha Parmar's films WARRIOR MARKS and KHUSH helped gain much-needed rights for women and girls as well as contributing to the visibility of marginalized LGBT communities. Her accomplishments have been recognized with multiple awards. In 2017, Pratibha was awarded the ICON award presented by Bagari London Indian Film Festival in Association with the British Film Institute for Outstanding Contribution to Indian and World Cinema. In 2016 she was included in the BBC’s list of 100 inspirational and influential women. Pratibha was awarded the Pink Peacock Award in recognition of exemplary Service to the South Asian Queer Community. She is the proud recipient of the Frameline Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award (US), presented to an individual who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to lesbian and gay media. Pratibha is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Directors Guild of America. (2/24)

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