Veteran documentary filmmakers Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI and Citizen Ashe) and Daniel Junge (Challenger: The Final Flight and A Lego Documentary) come together to direct I Was Born This Way. Borrowing the title name from the 1975 song by Valentino, globally famous through the voice of Carl Bean in 1977. The film is a biographical documentary about the latter singer, who, being a classical disco artist, was also a crucial advocate for the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the church. In this sense, the directorial duo presents an overall view of his artistry and how it led to his work becoming a church leader in Los Angeles in the final years of his life. Sam Pollard decided to use interviews instead of the typical archival work for which he is known, especially in the groundbreaking MLK/FBI.
In this sense, the directors tell the story of a man who dedicated his life to preaching the gospel. In structure, the film borrows from the conventional structure of documentaries about a famous person, which usually starts in media res, narrating a moment in their late career, and retraces to capture the whole biography. The ignition point is Billy Porter encountering the son of Bunny Jones, a hairdresser salon owner who loved to write disco songs. Their conversation sets up the context of the writing of the classic hit right before we get to learn more about Carl Bean. Therefore, the director tries to distance the song from the individual as his sole achievement in life. Yes, Bean is the voice of a song played through decades, and people dance around the world to it. However, his efforts after the hit song are even more impressive and worthy of praise.
Hence, context is the key to the emotional core of the film. The song has a strong substance to it, but it gets even stronger when compared to the before and after of his life. Bean understands he loves music, but he also loves being in church. In the history of Black America, the church has been a crucial element in the socialization of individuals. It is essential to understand the importance of the church as an institution in gathering a community for individuals to share their lives in groups. The directors expose the contradictions of Bean’s attachment to the church when he knows he is not welcome there as a Gay man. Dogmas and traditions based on hundreds of years-old rules are the justification for erasing LGBTQ+ individuals in the churches as active members. The film highlights the singer’s desire to unite both his passion for the church and the gay community.
Thus, the most engaging segments of I Was Born This Way are the ones that focus on his groundbreaking participation as a man of faith. Bean would support the brothers and sisters sick of HIV when society would tell them they were dangerous and unworthy of care. Regarding the documentary formalities, the film incorporates a darker tone to its narrative. The archival footage shows a compassionate man who does not worry about what the media and public opinion say about those with the sickness. Nevertheless, it shifts its focus from the singer and icon Carl Bean to the churchman. It becomes the arch of Archbishop Carl Bean, the founder and leader of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a modern institution that welcomes lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. Additionally, his church focused on welcoming and caring for the Black community, LGBTQ+, and other communities.
Ultimately, the film does provide enough substance to engage in a moment during the middle section. It does not add much to the main story about the construction of the reverend. Yet, its potential and emotional impact expands by the last act, an emotional, hopeful, and impressive arc. It is bigger than Bean’s musical career and his Motown years because of his crucial work in the AIDS epidemic. The film understands that. Bean is important because he rewrites what the religious dogma could be, and he creates a blueprint for more inclusive reverends in churches. In this sense, the Billy Porter epilogue of a recording of the B-Side of I Was Born This Way is an unnecessary extension of this story that does not fit the whole.
In the end, I Was Born This Way succeeds more as a fascinating examination of an unorthodox leader rather than a musical documentary. It is a compelling look at someone who took care of those in need during one of the scariest moments in the community.
I Was Born This Way recently played at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Learn more about the film at the Tribeca site for the title.
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