“This is one of those rare short movies that proves how utterly enthralling good cinema can be.”
"BEAUTIFUL BY NIGHT"
Duration: 28 min 52 sec
Featuring: Olivia Hart, Collette LeGrande, Donna Personna
Director / Editor: James Hosking
Director of Photography: Vanessa Carr
Re-Recording Mixer: Miik Dinko
Producers: Jeremy Lybarger & James Hosking
Beautiful By Night follows a trio of older drag performers who work at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, a bar in San Francisco’s gritty Tenderloin neighborhood. Both the film and its accompanying photo series explore these performers’ ritualistic transformations, along with themes of aging, labor, and self-acceptance.
The film has been featured on Out, Slate, Feature Shoot, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Beautiful Decay, The Bold Italic, Dangerous Minds, Mother Jones, Paper, and was chosen as a Staff Pick on Vimeo.
“This film highlights the power of performance and resilience found at all ages. It speaks to how our city organizes to inspire one another and fosters freedom of self-expression as a political act.”
The film was included in the 2020 group art show Come to Your Census: Who Counts in America? at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
The film was also part of several special sold-out screenings with performances and a panel discussion presented by the Tenderloin Museum at the Museum and at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco.
Collette LeGrande at home.
Olivia Hart at home.
Donna Personna at home.
Collette LeGrande hails a cab.
Olivia Hart performs at Aunt Charlie's.
Donna Personna performs at Aunt Charlie's.
Olivia Hart after the show on Market Street.