“Concussion” Just Might Be The Lesbian Independent Film That Breaks Through

Buzzfeed covers this break through lesbian film, stating:

“The ‘concussion’ in director and writer Stacie Passon’s debut film is more than a plot point setting the story into motion”

While only a handful of films tell stories that follow lesbian characters, countless films explore prostitution. Working Girls, Risky Business, My Own Private Idaho, and Belle de Jour are a famous few. What separates Concussion from its predecessors, in both queer and mainstream cinema, is its ability to transcend the categorizations of prostitute, queer, mainstream. Instead, it builds on and combines those genres in a way that is rarely seen. Concussion explores sexuality and sexual independence through a lens specific to its characters, giving the traditional story line of “housewife seeks escape from her bourgeois lifestyle” a queer perspective.

In contrast to a large number of films starring LGBT characters that have come before it, Concussion is not about the consequences of homosexuality. The consequences the protagonist faces are not treated as a result of whom she loves. They are treated as a result of the risks she takes at this point in her life. A recipient of this year’s Adrienne Shelly Foundation Director’s Grant and the Teddy Award Jury Prize at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, Passon has already received much praise for her film — the release of which will take place in New York and Los Angeles on Oct. 4 and then spread to more cities from there. Rose Troche, known for her work on The L Word and the landmark Go Fish, produced Concussion, with Robin Weigert giving a resonant performance.

See full story on buzzfeed.com