Our Dance of Revolution (Documentary) (Canada)

The documentary tries to build a timeline of Black queer activism in Toronto. Opening with a canonical scene of the disruptive strength of the women-led Black Lives Matter sit-in at the 2016 Toronto Pride Parade event, the documentary flashes back to the lesser-known beginnings of black queer resistance and gives us an opportunity to widen our understanding of the roots of the Black Lives Matter movement in Toronto.

Our Dance of Revolution begins in the '80s at 101 Dewson Street. During that decade, writer/activist Makeda Silvera and her partner at the time turned the house into a collective residence for queer folks. Against the backdrop of the feminist movement, protests against police violence, the bathhouse raids and the rise of the AIDS epidemic, this collective of mostly queer women organized, worked, lived, loved and partied together. It became the birthplace for groups such as Lesbians of Colour (LOC) and Zami (the first Canadian group for Black Caribbean queer people). We get a privileged glimpse into the joys, struggles and lives of many activists including Niki Redman’s fight with Toronto Pride over its unjust treatment of the popular dance event Blockarama; spiritual leaders Rev. David Peart’s unique and community-driven Sunset Service; DJ Black Cat’s struggle to enter the Gay Village’s music scene; drag queen and community icon Michelle Ross; and many others. Angela Robertson and Douglas Stewart stand out as the important commentators throughout the film, and their combined perspectives give historical, political and cultural context to the energetic and busy documentary.

The film is very dynamic: it is full of archival footage that pays homage to those no longer alive as well as a visual memory of the extraordinary political organizing and activist work done by Black queer folk over the last forty years in Toronto. It shows how a group of about a dozen politically organized lesbians and their allies can make a difference that leaves a dignified legacy for future generations of black queers. These women, who appear throughout the documentary, talk of ethical self care as an essential part of revolutionary activism because activists who put their minds/bodies at risk every day have greater physical and mental health complications which contributes to them dying younger. The movie’s talking heads also remind us of the issues that affect black LGBT people more heavily than their non black counterparts. Things like unemployment, cancer, HIV, and police brutality. These affect them more than non black people do regardless of sexual orientation. Black LGBT activists have dealt with these problems in a two fold manner. They have both tried to heal each other’s pain while confronting the people oblivious to the weight of these problems. The film embodies those two approaches. These approaches were effective then as it is now, and this doc hopes we do not forget. (5/10)