{"id":4688,"date":"2014-06-23T13:29:35","date_gmt":"2014-06-23T17:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/?p=4688"},"modified":"2017-07-27T00:48:42","modified_gmt":"2017-07-27T04:48:42","slug":"an-exclusive-interview-with-the-directors-of-this-sundance-winning-documentary-airing-tonight-on-hbo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/an-exclusive-interview-with-the-directors-of-this-sundance-winning-documentary-airing-tonight-on-hbo\/","title":{"rendered":"An Exclusive Interview with the Directors of “The Case Against 8,” a Sundance Winning Documentary"},"content":{"rendered":"

One year ago today, history was made with the two landmark Supreme Court rulings that restored marriage equality: both in California with the overturn of Proposition 8, as well as with the repeal of The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which ended federal discrimination against gay couples.\u00a0 Seeing as we have approached the one-year anniversary of these milestones in marriage equality, some may feel that the sense of urgency surrounding this issue has ebbed.\u00a0 Yet despite the saturated news coverage these cases have received, co-directors Ben Cotner and Ryan White\u2019s documentary The Case Against 8<\/i> chronicles this five-year legal battle in a way that is refreshing, intimate and informative as it reminds us that 33 US states still continue to deny gay individuals something that is now widely recognized as an unalienable right. <\/span><\/p>\n

Winner of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Directing Award in the US Documentary category, The Case Against 8 <\/i>deconstructs the dense, intricate legal process of this arduous case into a compelling, engrossing narrative that illuminates the humanistic aspects of this struggle.\u00a0 Although pretty much every informed audience member knows the outcome of this legislative gridlock, filmmakers Cotner and White are still able to transform the legal logistics of the cases into suspenseful, nail-biting drama.\u00a0 While such credit is largely due to the two couples\u2014Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo\u2014who served as plaintiffs\/documentary subjects and granted the cameras access to their labyrinthine legal ordeal and personal plight, there is another union that informs this tale.\u00a0 Operating behind the scenes, this third odd couple made headlines that further allowed the case to dominate the news.\u00a0 <\/span>The Case Against 8 <\/i>attributes the lawsuit that started it all with the unlikely alliance formed between attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies; who were former opponents in the Bush vs. Gore case. <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite harboring vastly different attitudes regarding many political issues, both Olson and Boies have outspokenly supported marriage equality for all, and thus agreed to team up and represent the California plaintiffs as co-counsels.\u00a0 \u201cMarriage is a conservative value for two people who love each other and want to live together in a stable relationship,\u201d remarks Olson, the conservative powerhouse Republican lawyer who reaffirmed Bush\u2019s presidency following the prolific 2000 court case.\u00a0 The degree of mutual respect these legal legends have for one another soon becomes evident throughout the film, yet Olson\u2019s decision to reach across the aisle and bring onboard his liberal counterpart still feels somewhat surreal.\u00a0 Shocking both right-wing pundits and the LGBTQ community, their collaboration and friendship is enormously inspirational as it strips this case of any political partisanship: revealing that at the heart of this film lies a struggle for basic civil rights.<\/p>\n

It comes as no surprise that this legal partnership also sparked immense controversy: with conservatives viewing Olson as a \u2018traitor\u2019 while the LGBTQ community viewed his commitment with weary skepticism.\u00a0 \u201cWe were also weary of him ourselves, and doubted his sincerity or commitment,” notes Cotner during our interview, “However, any skepticism was eradicated the moment he spoke during the opening arguments.\u00a0 Nobody projects as powerfully or eloquently as Ted Olson, and here\u2019s a conservative icon who\u2019s speaking so passionately and favorably on behalf of the LGBTQ community.\u00a0 In that sense, his involvement is monumental in terms of public perception of this human rights issue.” \u00a0Indeed, Olson emerges here as a man of admirable integrity and open-mindedness\u2014and those eager to label all conservatives as bigots need to feel humbled by this guy.<\/p>\n

\""The<\/a>
Olson (left) and Boies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yet perhaps the most fascinating character to surface as an unlikely hero in this rollercoaster legal odyssey and emotional saga is David Blankenhorn whose beliefs regarding same-sex marriage take a drastic change during the film\u2019s trajectory that undoubtedly served a pivotal role in both the film and trial outcome.\u00a0 Initially a vocal champion in support of Prop 8, Blankenhorn also founded the conservative think-tank “The Institute for American Values\u201d and served as a key witness for the anti-equality legal team.\u00a0 Introduced in the film as the same individual who in 2007 wrote an influential book that argued against same-sex marriage (titled \u201cThe Future of Marriage\u201d), the film then captures his remarkable change of heart: doing a complete 180 during the course of the legal fight to ultimately embrace the notion of gay marriage.\u00a0 What makes Blankenhorn\u2019s story of humility so interesting is that in addition to confronting the fallacies of his ignorance and having an abrupt, epiphany-esque change of heart during his actual courtroom testimony, he subsequently went on to publish an article in The New York Times where he acknowledges that \u201c\u2026legally recognizing gay and lesbian couples and their children is a victory for basic fairness.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is one point in the film where the filmmakers smartly circumvent the court\u2019s decision to block the broadcast of the trial; turning what could have been a setback into one of the film\u2019s most insightful, vulnerable, and humanistic moments as both the counsel and plaintiffs read from transcripts, the text of which is spread across the screen for dramatic effect while childhood photos are spliced with voice-over narrated testimony that is heart wrenching (with the occasional overt sentimentality).\u00a0\u00a0 Indeed, the most evocative testimony comes from Chris Perry, whose simple yet profound statements of struggling with one\u2019s identity while being made to feel like a second class citizen truly resonate – \u201cIt feels like I have to come out everyday, and to some extent when I leave my house I do.\u201d\u00a0 Such moments remind us that at the core of this story is merely a portrait of civil rights injustices and the right to respectful privacy, as told through the lens of two old-fashioned love stories.\u00a0 \u201cEveryone needs to have the experience of interviewing Chris Perry,\u201d remarked White, \u201cbecause she has this way of articulating her feelings, delivering her words in such a plain yet heavy manner.\u201d However, while there is no doubt that the plaintiffs and their stories provide the real heart and soul of the film, one cannot help but be reminded of the extensive vetting process that led to the selection of these two couples.\u00a0 Solidly middle class, these four constituted the \u201cabsolutely safe choices\u201d in emphasizing that LGBTQ values and \u2018traditional\u2019 family values are identical.\u00a0 As pleasant as they are, it\u2019s hard to overlook the starchy, just-ordinary-folk message in the way they\u2019re represented in the film.\u00a0 Kate Amend\u2019s fluid editing does a nice job of maintaining tonal consistency: splicing moments of raw emotion with humor, while preserving a level of anticipation and suspense that is sufficiently engaging.\u00a0 However, the film sometimes teeters that dangerous territory of redundant sentimentality: being one hug and tear away from a Made-for-Lifetime docu-special.<\/p>\n

\"last\"<\/a><\/p>\n

An intimate argument in favor of humanity, The Case Against 8 pulls at your heartstrings without ever coming off as propaganda.\u00a0 But isn\u2019t there some middle ground between propaganda and being stiflingly neutral and stoic?\u00a0 While the film makes seldom digs at some of the more absurd attempts to validate Prop 8 (such as a ridiculous \u201cGender Disorientation Pathology\u201d study and a \u201cYes on 8\u201d commercial), there\u2019s an otherwise extreme lack of the key element: the opposing side.\u00a0 There is a brief testimonial inclusion from Dr. Tam; a witness on the opposing team who in a moment of divine stupidity testified how \u201cit\u2019s been proven that the promiscuity of gay individuals would influence future generations of young children to lead the same sexually irresponsible lifestyle\u201d.\u00a0 When asked where the evidence for such claims lie, his response was \u201cthe Internet\u201d.\u00a0 As ludicrous as his and similar perspectives are, it would have been nice if the film had at least shed some more light on the efforts of the opposing legal team.\u00a0 Not enough to suggest an even-handed treatment or equal screen time, but their stingy screen presence robs the doc of some needed dramatic contrast and tension.\u00a0 After all, wouldn\u2019t it be interesting to have some form of follow-up on Dr. Tam; if nothing else than to at least see if he has since expressed a semblance of humility or open-mindedness?\u00a0 Unfortunately, with all of the angles the film attempts to explore, there are some elements that get short shifted; one of them being Blankenhorn.\u00a0 Removing the veil of misguided ignorance and prejudice that captures the essence of the film\u2019s purpose, \u201c\u2026[he] made people rethink their pre-conceived notions by bravely admitting he was wrong.\u00a0 And for me, that was a profound experience\u201d, noted Cotner.\u00a0 Indeed, it is the experiences of those like Blankenhorn that provide the most un-clich\u00e9d emotional heft and possibility for further progress in equality: with the potential of taking this case out of landmark territory and into the terrain of momentous historic significance.\u00a0 So why include his story as a mere footnote?<\/i><\/p>\n

Coinciding with the first anniversary of the landmark DOMA Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, The Case Against 8 debuts on HBO Monday, June 23rd<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Featured image from left: plaintiffs Paul Katami, Jeff Zarrillo, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier are shown outside of the Supreme Court in \u201cThe Case Against 8.\u201d (AFER\/Diana Walker\/HBO)<\/em><\/p>\n

Twitter: @DemionFilm
\nFacebook:\u00a0facebook.com\/demionfilm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One year ago today, history was made with the two landmark Supreme Court rulings that restored marriage equality: both in California with the overturn of Proposition 8, as well as with the repeal of The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which ended federal discrimination against gay couples.\u00a0 Seeing as we have approached the one-year anniversary\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2065],"tags":[77,1015,1020,1023,335,105,831,1963,39,413,1017,1018,76,82,81,1016,509,135,189,134,38,1019,1014,1022,1013,1021,62,352],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-4688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-bisexual","tag-case","tag-civil-rights","tag-david-boies","tag-demitra-demi-kampakis","tag-documentary","tag-editor","tag-film","tag-gay","tag-human-rights","tag-jeff-zarrillo","tag-kris-perry","tag-lesbian","tag-lgbt","tag-lgbtq","tag-paul-katami","tag-politics","tag-posture","tag-posture-mag","tag-posture-magazine","tag-queer","tag-sandy-stier","tag-sundance-film-festival","tag-ted-olson","tag-the-case-against-8","tag-the-defense-of-marriage-act-doma","tag-trans","tag-transgender","post_format-post-format-image"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/cover2.jpg?fit=1296%2C730","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6QBV8-1dC","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4688"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11211,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4688\/revisions\/11211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4688"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=4688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}