Monday April 30

U.S, 2006, video, 70 min.
EAST COAST PREMIERE

Directed by: Marc Huestis

San Francisco drag legend Lulu coyly puts her age between 40 and 60. Treating Marc Huestis’ camera as her own personal mirror, she shows us exactly what those 40-60 years have done to her face.  She tugs at the excess flesh of eyelids and cheeks, and when it doesn’t snap back, she molds it into lumps.  See, Lulu’s face has sagged so much that she’s retired from the stage, and if she’s ever going to make a comeback, she’ll need a little “work.” In the breezy tradition of “aging sex-kitten memoir,” Huestis lets Lulu tell her own story, frolicking on the bed in jungle-print panties and dispensing hilarious pearls of sex and beauty wisdom. A bevy of Lulu’s friends and fellow performers chime in on her surgery decision, including a New Agey skeptic who begs Lulu to reconsider, and an an aging hipster hunk who doubles as a recovery nurse.  Mercifully skimping on the nip-tuck gore, Huestis has us laughing and cheering Lulu on, from her home-movie drag debut at age 3 all the way to her high-on-painkillers scary-swollen Kabuki act right after surgery.  Once the swelling goes down, will Lulu be ready for her close-up again?

Subject Lulu will attend the screening to discuss the film with the audience.

Marc Huestis, Filmmaker, is co-founder of the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. In 2002, Huestis was given the Frameline Award for accomplishment. Huestis is now currently incarnate as the Castro Theatre impresario, producing a myriad of events.

Louis Biedak (Lulu) moved to California in 1974 to pursue dance. He was a contestant on televisions "Gong Show" and won in 1978. As a dancer he still performs many disciplines with various companies including Butoh with Ankoku Butoh, belly dancing with Hahbi Ru, and afro-haitian dance with Petit La Croix. As a performer he has worked with 'Angels of Light" and 'Strangefruit". HE has appeared in various short films, including “Whatever Happened to Susan Jane” (1982), Beauties Without a Cause (1986) and “976 Dish” (1987), and “Sex is” (1993). He first performed as Lulu in 1977, and still performs drag on stage, film, and for special events.

Gateway
7:45 pm Screening
$13 Non-Members/ $10 Members