''Gen Silent'' is a 2010 documentary film, directed and produced by

Stu Maddux Stu Maddux (born 1965) is American freelance writer, editor, and cinematographer. He is a movie producer and director of his own non-fiction independent films. He is best known for his work '' Gen Silent'', a documentary about gay, lesbian, bi ...

. The documentary follows the lives of six LGBT seniors living in the Boston area who must choose if they will hide their sexuality in order to survive in the long-term health care system. It has been screened at numerous colleges and universities as well as in front of government agencies and healthcare organizations. It premiered at the Boston LGBT Film Festival and has won numerous awards at others. The title of the film is a reference to the generations of older LGBT people who remain in the closet or reenter the closet out of concern for their safety or quality of life. As a result of the documentary, the term Gen Silent has increased in use as a way to refer to this group.

Synopsis

''Gen Silent'' was filmed in the Boston area over a one-year period. During that time, director Stu Maddux followed six LGBT seniors through their decision to either stay open about their sexuality or hide it so that they can survive in the long-term health care system. In the documentary a gay man named Lawrence Johnson searches for a nursing home where he and his partner can be open about their relationship while still receiving quality care. It also follows a transgender senior by the name of KrysAnne. She searches for people to care for her because she is estranged from her family. The story of an LGBT couple named Sheri and Lois is told, including how they spent their lives fighting for LGBT rights. While Sheri states that she refuses to hide her sexuality, Lois states that she will if that is what it would take to protect her in the health care system. Mel and his partner are the final couple followed in the documentary. Mel's partner gets sick and he finds care from a welcoming agency where he feels comfortable and safe to speak openly for the first time about his sexuality and their 39 year relationship together.

Notable screenings

''Gen Silent'' premiered at the Boston LGBT Film Festival in 2010. It was also screened at numerous other film festivals including the Frameline Film Festival, the Provincetown International Film Festival, the

New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival put on by The New Festival, Inc., is one of the most comprehensive forums of national and international LGBT film/video in the world. Founded in 1988, The New Festival, Inc i ...

, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and the North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. It was also screened for health care staff at Duke University Medical Center, to lawmakers at the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and Yale Universities have also hosted screenings of the film.

Awards and Recognitions

''Gen Silent'' has won multiple awards including the ''Audience Choice Best Documentary'' at the Frameline Film Festival in 2011 and the ''Audience Choice Best Documentary'' at the Image+Nation Montreal International LGBT Film Festival.

Select awards

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 1605721 2010 films LGBT and ageing American LGBT-related documentary films 2010 documentary films LGBT culture in Boston Healthcare in Boston Documentary films about health care Films directed by Stu Maddux 2010 LGBT-related films 2010s English-language films