Blackstar: Autobiography of a Close Friend (1976)

(0) based on 0 votes
In this experimental, self-ethnographic documentary, Tom Joslin blends breathtaking, moving snapshots from the natural world, filmic cultural touchstones, and cutting (pseudo) cinéma vérité to dissect and reassemble his gay identity despite constant warnings to stay in the closet. Blackstar sees Joslin and partner Mark Massi fleshing out their enduring commitment and obvious love for one another amidst the insecurity that a self-conscious documentary lens instills. As interviews with Joslin’s mother, father, and brothers attempt to break down the legitimacy of Joslin and Massi’s romance, the pair use everything at their disposal, including inspiration from gay revolutionaries and painfully honest conversations, to hold up their ​“abnormality” as a point of pride rather than shame. – Shayna Warner
Directors
Release Date
Feb 11, 1976
Runtime
01h 25m
Genre
Available in streaming on

In this experimental, self-ethnographic documentary, Tom Joslin blends breathtaking, moving snapshots from the natural world, filmic cultural touchstones, and cutting (pseudo) cinéma vérité to dissect and reassemble his gay identity despite constant warnings to stay in the closet. Blackstar sees Joslin and partner Mark Massi fleshing out their enduring commitment and obvious love for one another amidst the insecurity that a self-conscious documentary lens instills. As interviews with Joslin’s mother, father, and brothers attempt to break down the legitimacy of Joslin and Massi’s romance, the pair use everything at their disposal, including inspiration from gay revolutionaries and painfully honest conversations, to hold up their ​“abnormality” as a point of pride rather than shame. – Shayna Warner

Movies like Blackstar: Autobiography of a Close Friend

Pavements

'90s indie-rock band Pavement reunites for their sold-out 2022 tour. But as preparations get underway, surreal tributes emerge: an off-Broadway musical adaptation of their songs, a museum devoted entirely to the band’s legacy, and a shamelessly awards-baiting Hollywood biopic.
Search similar movies
6.9
Pavements
Dysphonias

After a premonition of an unusual bird, a father loses his voice. His daughter undertakes a search to rediscover him, through an intimate narrative that explores the past, the new facets and the silences of a man who is no longer the same.
Search similar movies
Dysphonias
Dysphonias

2024

Search similar movies
With Sea Views

After consolidating itself as a tourist destination in the mid-1960s, this small coastal village has become the dormitory town for the workers of a Nuclear Power Plant. With the liberal promise of prosperity and socioeconomic wellfare, many workers left their homes to move to the small city and started working at the new Nuclear Power Plant. The collective unrest and the silence, cut off by the great gusts of wind, articulate the landscape of the village that is now under the aid of the Nuclear Power Plant.
Search similar movies
With+Sea+Views
With Sea Views

2021

Search similar movies
Home Movies

In this home movie collection of gay men, memory serves as an act of hope, power, and above all, resilience.
Search similar movies
5.9
Home+Movies
Home Movies

2017

Search similar movies
24 Hour Sunset

This film portrait of a new kind is a deep dive into the heart of the art scene of Los Angeles. From a ride on Sunset Boulevard in a convertible car at the sunrise, going through a lunch with the art dealer Patrick Painter and a visit to Peter Shire's studio... Having a beer and a deep talk with Paul McCarthy, calling Raymond Pettibon stuck in New-York or searching for Ed Ruscha in bars.... From Ariana Papademetropoulos opening exhibition to the visit of a car wreck with Umar Raschid... From the old house of Cary Grant to the dodgy underground of Downtown passing through Eugenio Lopez's private art collection on the Hollywood hills... Through intimate conversation, 24 Hour Sunset gives us access to the thoughts, inspirations and practice of legendary artists, world famous art dealers, appraised curators and collectors, as well as the young up coming scene of artists living in Los Angeles.
Search similar movies
8.0
24+Hour+Sunset
24 Hour Sunset

2023

Search similar movies
maɬni—towards the ocean, towards the shore

An experimental look at the origin of the death myth of the Chinookan people in the Pacific Northwest, following two people as they navigate their own relationships to the spirit world and a place in between life and death.
Search similar movies
5.0
ma%C9%ACni%E2%80%94towards+the+ocean%2C+towards+the+shore
maɬni—towards the ocean, towards the shore

2020

Search similar movies
Khomkham

Grandma Kham, an 87 year-old-woman, lives lone and is still strong enough to burn charcoal and weed out grass. But what does she have to go through along the way? And how will she prepare for her own final moment?
Search similar movies
Khomkham
A Secret Love

Amid shifting times, two women kept their decades-long love a secret. But coming out later in life comes with its own set of challenges.
Search similar movies
7.3
A+Secret+Love
A Secret Love

2020

Search similar movies
It's Not Me

This free-form film is a self-portrait, which revisits more than 40 years of the author’s filmography and questions the major stations of his life, while capturing the political tremors of the time.
Search similar movies
7.2
It%27s+Not+Me
It's Not Me

2024

Search similar movies
Mama Rainbow

For Chinese parents, finding out that their kid is gay usually presents a major tragedy, with the big majority utterly unable to accept the homosexuality of their son or daughter. However, during recent years a fresh rainbow wind has been blowing over the Chinese mainland: a pioneer generation of Chinese parents has been stepping up and speaking out on their love for their gay kids. This documentary features 6 mothers from all over China, who talk openly and freely about their experiences with their homosexual children. With their love, they are giving a whole new definition to Chinese-style family bonds.
Search similar movies
6.5
Mama+Rainbow
Mama Rainbow

2012

Search similar movies
In, out and about

An exploration of the interconnected experiences of queerness and illness, this film navigates personal and collective journeys through medical spaces, sexual violence, and survival, displays the profound impact on body and identity.
Search similar movies
In%2C+out+and+about
In, out and about

2024

Search similar movies
Me & You

Jackie Miller adopted her son, Scott, in the early 1970s. In 2008, Scott brought his mom to StoryCorps to ask her about that decision.
Search similar movies
8.0
Me+%26+You
A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint

Drag Race star Peppermint takes center stage in this up close and personal documentary about her journey with fame, identity, and the art of drag. Sharing her story alongside a close network of trans individuals, one of the world’s favorite drag performers takes you inside her rise from humble beginnings to her current reign as outspoken trailblazer for the trans community.
Search similar movies
A+Deeper+Love%3A+The+Story+of+Miss+Peppermint
A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint

2025

Search similar movies
Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life

A group of individuals who came out as LGBTQ+ later in life reflect on the emotional and often complicated paths that led them to finally embrace their true identities. After years of living in secrecy—some as long as decades—they share personal stories of internal conflict, family tension, and the courage it took to step into the light. From a nonagenarian to a former priest and a military veteran, each narrative reveals the unique challenges of coming out in midlife, while celebrating the profound freedom and self-acceptance that can emerge at any age.
Search similar movies
Late+to+the+Party%3A+Coming+Out+Later+in+Life
Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life

2025

Search similar movies
The Man Who Went Beyond Manga: Fujio Akatsuka

The late Fujio Akatsuka is revered by many Japanese artists and scholars for his developments to early comedy manga, but his contributions aren't just limited to the world of print media. Featuring commentary from family, friends, colleagues, and celebrity fans, Fujio Akatsuka's story is told with archival footage and animation, showcasing the life of the man who went beyond manga.
Search similar movies
The+Man+Who+Went+Beyond+Manga%3A+Fujio+Akatsuka
The Man Who Went Beyond Manga: Fujio Akatsuka

2016

Search similar movies
Bitter Lake

An experimental documentary that explores Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S. and the role this has played in the war in Afghanistan.
Search similar movies
7.6
Bitter+Lake
Bitter Lake

2015

Search similar movies
All Light, Everywhere

Filmmaker Theo Anthony offers a far-ranging look at the biases in how people see things, focusing on the recorded image.
Search similar movies
6.7
All+Light%2C+Everywhere
All Light, Everywhere

2021

Search similar movies
Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know

Boys on Film presents ten encounters from across the globe, where the dangerous allure of a risky attraction yields emotional results — proving that the age-old adage of taking the plunge is as relevant — and sexy — as ever before. The 10 short films are: My Uncle's Friend [O Amigo do Meu Tio] (2021); Budapest, Closed City [Budapest, zárt város] (2021); Eden (2020); Chaperone (2022); Break Me [Knus meg] (2018); By His Will [שעשני כרצונו] (2021); Red Ants Bite (2019); Jim (2022); Hornbeam (2022); Too Rough (2022).
Search similar movies
7.0
Boys+on+Film+23%3A+Dangerous+to+Know
Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know

2023

Search similar movies
Liam

Just after Isidore moves to France to study filmmaking, his best friend dies back in the US. Through documentary, performance, and animation, a ghostly portrait emerges, prompting Isidore to question his relationships with his parents and his boyfriend in Paris.
Search similar movies
Liam
Variations on Iserois Landscapes

Thirty-three shots based on the landscapes of the Isère region near Vienne. A work of observation on light, the dilation of Time, wind, calm and storm.
Search similar movies
Variations+on+Iserois+Landscapes
Variations on Iserois Landscapes

2024

Search similar movies
Es Para Un Videodiario

Mike is a young film student who is tasked with creating a video diary for his Fiction Production class during his fifth semester of university. With only a cellphone in hand, he begins documenting his daily life, without imagining that he will capture important and emotional moments which will be remembered forever.
Search similar movies
7.0
Es+Para+Un+Videodiario
Es Para Un Videodiario

2024

Search similar movies
Heartbreakers Beach Party

Documentary that captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the “Long After Dark” album (their final with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine). It aired only once on MTV in 1983. After the long lost 16mm reels were finally found, a restored version with 19 minutes of extra footage was released in 2024.
Search similar movies
6.0
Heartbreakers+Beach+Party
Heartbreakers Beach Party

2024

Search similar movies
Nothingness

The Eye explores silent landscapes where nature and absence coexist. Between the memory of places and resilience in the face of time, the film oscillates between beauty and existential vertigo, capturing what persists and what fades.
Search similar movies
Nothingness
Nothingness

2025

Search similar movies
Homos en politique, le dire ou pas ?

“Being French in 2024 means being able to serve as Prime Minister while openly gay.” With these words closing his policy speech on January 30, 2024, Gabriel Attal made history. The documentary *Homos en politique: le dire ou pas?* uses this milestone — the appointment and visibility of France’s first openly gay Prime Minister — as a springboard for a broader inquiry. Journalists Jean-Baptiste Marteau and Renaud Saint-Cricq travel across France to meet LGBTQ politicians of all generations, from Paris to rural towns. Eleven years after the protests against same-sex marriage, has France really changed? Through interviews with figures like Bertrand Delanoë, Sarah El Haïry, Jean-Philippe Tanguy, Franck Riester, and others, the film explores how coming out intersects with politics, homophobia, and representation — questioning whether saying “I’m gay” in politics is still an act of courage or simply a sign of the times.
Search similar movies
8.0
Homos+en+politique%2C+le+dire+ou+pas+%3F
Homos en politique, le dire ou pas ?

2025

Search similar movies
Invisible Homo

Until 1982, when homosexuality was decriminalized, homosexuals were caricatured, insulted and even condemned. They had to live hidden from the gaze of others and create their own spaces of freedom: balls, the night and especially art. Artists have contributed to making homosexuals visible, first through words, then through images, and finally by investing popular culture.
Search similar movies
7.0
Invisible+Homo
Invisible Homo

2022

Search similar movies
Piece by Piece

A unique cinematic experience that invites audiences on a vibrant journey through the life of cultural icon Pharrell Williams. Told through the lens of LEGO® animation, turn up the volume on your imagination and witness the evolution of one of music's most innovative minds.
Search similar movies
7.3
Piece+by+Piece
Piece by Piece

2024

Search similar movies
MozikMoro

Faced with an assignment to film something personal, Cem begins a quiet search for what that really means. A casual conversation with a close friend leads him to turn the camera toward the people who already shape his life. Through moments with his grandmother, spontaneous talks about family, and reflections on his dream of becoming a filmmaker, MozikMoro slowly transforms into a portrait of connection and self discovery. Between the ordinary and the intimate, Cem captures a world that is both deeply personal and universally human.
Search similar movies
MozikMoro
The Salt of the Earth

During the last forty years, the photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He has witnessed the major events of our recent history: international conflicts, starvations and exodus… He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, of the wild fauna and flora, of grandiose landscapes: a huge photographic project which is a tribute to the planet's beauty. Salgado's life and work are revealed to us by his son, Juliano, who went with him during his last journeys, and by Wim Wenders, a photographer himself.
Search similar movies
8.1
The+Salt+of+the+Earth
The Salt of the Earth

2014

Search similar movies
Jaripeo

Set against the vibrant spectacle of the jaripeo, a symbol of Mexican cowboy tradition and machismo, this story unveils a hidden world of queer desire and quiet rebellion. As glances and gestures disrupt the rigid norms of masculinity, the rodeo becomes a stage for our protagonists to navigate identity, community, and the search for belonging in an oppressively traditional space.
Search similar movies
Jaripeo
The Last Angel of History

An examination of the hitherto unexplored relationships between Pan-African culture, science fiction, intergalactic travel, and rapidly progressing computer technology.
Search similar movies
6.6
The+Last+Angel+of+History
The Last Angel of History

1996

Search similar movies
A.

Having lost her memory, A. could barely recall glimpses of her childhood in Argentina. After her death, her son visits the empty house for the last time. A sensory journey through a house without objects but filled with memory.
Search similar movies
6.8
A.
STRATA INCOGNITA

STRATA INCOGNITA, is a trans-scalar and trans-temporal journey across the geographies that articulate soil as an agro-industrial infrastructure, but also as an ecosystem and a somatic archive of crimes, memories and myths.
Search similar movies
STRATA+INCOGNITA
STRATA INCOGNITA

2023

Search similar movies
Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me

Tom Daley visits the most homophobic countries in the Commonwealth to explore how gay athletes are facing extreme persecution. What can the Commonwealth Games do to help?
Search similar movies
4.5
Tom+Daley%3A+Illegal+to+Be+Me
Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me

2022

Search similar movies
The Enigma of HeDonism

The Enigma of Hedonism are profile documentaries that tell the life of Heri Dono. His attitude and view as an artist that transcends canvas and time has had an important impact on artists and artists in other fields in their work. Not only that, his exploration of the various and types of working mediums and the experience of participating in various prestigious exhibitions in the world has made him dubbed as the greatest artist of Indonesia today.
Search similar movies
The+Enigma+of+HeDonism
The Enigma of HeDonism

2021

Search similar movies
Narcissus

A quirky deep dive into the mind of a confused young man struggling to balance personal ambitions and family responsibilities.
Search similar movies
Narcissus
Tale of Time

Fajar Suharno was a theater maestro from the 80's to the 90's. He was imprisoned because his theater activities were considered against the New Order government. At its peak, he made a show entitled "Geger Uwong Ngoyak Macan" about the events of crushing people who were considered thugs/criminals (Petrus). The show was held exactly the day before the massacre took place
Search similar movies
Tale+of+Time
Tale of Time

2021

Search similar movies
A la porra

Plot unavailable
Search similar movies
A+la+porra
A la porra

2023

Search similar movies
the post-feminist dissonance project

The Post(?) Feminist Dissonance Project uses a quote by Kathleen Hanna as a prompt, a voicemail box as an interviewing device, found footage as a tool, and text as a character. it is a study in the cacophony of the inner life tuned against the perception of reality. i made this piece to see if i was alone, and i discovered that for better or for worse, i am not. this is above all about the process, not the resolution.
Search similar movies
the+post-feminist+dissonance+project
the post-feminist dissonance project

2013

Search similar movies
Naturally... A Woman

Through a careful selection of images and sounds extracted from various archives, the director of this short film offers a profound reflection on the process of discovering and blossoming her identity. In this personal journey, moments of stumbling, uncertainty and beauty are intertwined, revealing the complexity and richness of the search for authenticity and acceptance.
Search similar movies
Naturally...+A+Woman
Naturally... A Woman

2024

Search similar movies
Blanket Song

A grandmother faintly narrates her quilts, as seen through the warped glass lens of a broken camera, a laptop webcam, and a clunky Xerox scanner.
Search similar movies
Blanket+Song
Blanket Song

2022

Search similar movies
It Kinda Scares Me

It Kinda Scares Me is a documentary about a drama coach and the “delinquent” boys he teaches. In their world, bravado is everything and Friday nights are for getting into fights. Tomer Heymann, both filmmaker and drama coach, encourages the boys to create something from their pain and marginalization, while they struggle in rehearsals to preserve their much-prized Israeli machismo. When Tomer announces to the group that he is gay, they are shocked, but his commitment to their play wins the day as they prepare for a performance that will give voice to the lives of disaffected Israeli youth.
Search similar movies
It+Kinda+Scares+Me
It Kinda Scares Me

2001

Search similar movies