Kristof West is a born storyteller. So it was no wonder when one of his assignments for a documentary filmmaking course at university turned into something that highlighted an often neglected area of the culture there – queer identity.
West, 21, is doing a bachelor's degree with a focus in media and performance at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands.
“As part of this course we were instructed to form ‘crews’ for the purpose of filming and editing our own documentary. I joined a group with seven students, of which a few identify as queer. But collectively we were interested in highlighting queer culture on a whole.”
He and his team – Julius Mosseray, Nia Alexieva, Lucas Areal-Coulombe, Ivan Ryan, Defne Filiz Epikmen, Anne Jasmijn Steneker – worked hard on the assignment and the result was Stargazing, a 27-minute-long documentary that explores queer expressions through the lives of five artists living in the Netherlands.
[caption id="attachment_907087" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Julius Mosseray, Nia Alexieva and Lucas Areal-Coulombe interview and film a subject. -[/caption]
“From a spectrum of diverse backgrounds, ages, and sexual and gender orientation, these individuals share their experiences and insights as to how their queer identities influences their work.
“From poets, to dancers, to teachers, they all exude immense talent and vulnerability in sharing their passions and visions for the future. As an extension of the needed representation in the performing and fine arts, these artists also wish to extend this affirmation throughout society as a whole… They are all stars in their respective disciplines and as a viewer we are gazing at them in amazement.” West told Newsday.
Now, the students plan to develop Stargazing into a full-length feature that can be screened at various film festivals. The BFI London festival , BRIFF Brussels international festival, European festival, and TT film festival are among the list at which they hope to screen.
[caption id="attachment_907086" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Lucas Areal-Coulombe and Anne Jasmijn Steneker prep for an interview. -[/caption]
Because it started off as a student project, they were allowed to borrow equipment such as cameras, lighting equipment and microphones through university resources. But with plans to develop the film, they will have to source funding for other expenses, and have turned to crowdfunding.
“My team and I need your support so we can allow this documentary to reach its full potential and to get it viewed across the world,” West said. “We believe that these artists’ message is important and will be an inspiration to many.
"But this requires money, as many festivals have a submission fee, and as students, we will need assistance with this. We ask that you share our story and donate what you can. A little can go a long way.”
He said queer identity is a part of mainstream culture in many parts of the world, and many people who identify
