SAN FRANCISCO—Pink & White Productions has announced the premiere of A Body Like Mine by director Maja Classen, co-written by Classen and the movie's protagonist Puck, on its platform PinkLabel.TV.
A Body Like Mine is a poetic portrait of a young artist and activist who created the character of Puck (they/them) to transform into during performances. "It's a body in this middle ground; not always acknowledged, but that still has relatability," said Puck.
"As co-writer and protagonist of the film, Puck’s existence helps them to feel more grounded in a world they experience as overwhelming. While Puck dares to do wild things, such as queer post porn and wrestling, Puck’s creator themself shares their vulnerability. In the film they contemplate the discrepancy between themself and their character: They talk about how they are often misunderstood, judged, and fetishized. How they are assigned gender stereotypes they don’t want to conform to. Puck’s activism consists of their visibility as a proud Black person and of staging themself as part of fantasies and images that bodies like theirs traditionally have been banished from," a plot synopsis says.
"A Body Like Mine challenges the typical stereotypes surrounding sex work often depicted on television,” said Classen in FinalCut Magazine. "Puck, the protagonist, defies the usual red-light clichés. They are a graceful, highly intellectual artist and activist whose vulnerability makes them relatable while resisting any attempts at categorization."
"While there was a bold risk of losing authenticity, the audience feedback, reviews and awards indicate that we successfully left enough space for reality to permeate the fairy tale," Classen explains of the reasoning behind creating an artificial, mystical world within the documentary. "The metaphors have effectively allowed audiences to connect, identify and be deeply moved by Puck. This achievement fills me with great pride and satisfaction."
A Body Like Mine was awarded Best Underground Film at the QueerCine International Film Festival, Best German Documentary Film at the Doc.Berlin Documentary Film Festival, Best LGBTQ+ Documentary Film Award at the Ghent Viewpoint Documentary Film Festival, and Best Documentary Short Film at the Verona International Film Festival. It has screened at the BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival and the BLUSH San Francisco PornFilmFestival, among others.
A Body Like Mine is available now on PinkLabel.TV.
