Before Stonewall
1984 · Movie · Unrated · 87 min · ★ 6.5 · 89% critics
This documentary traces the lives, culture, and struggles of gay and lesbian people in the United States across the early to mid 20th century, leading up to the 1969 uprising at a New York City bar. Using archival footage, film clips, and firsthand recollections, it builds a vivid history of a community finding visibility and pushing back against repression.
Where to watch
Streaming on Dekkoo and Cineverse.
1 hour to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1984
- Release date
- 1984-09-15
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Unrated
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Critic score
- 89/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.5/10 (32 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want an informative, human-focused history built from archival clips and personal stories, similar in spirit to Paragraph 175 or Paris Is Burning; Not for you if you want a light, purely celebratory watch.
Pros: rich archival footage; moving firsthand interviews; eye-opening history | Cons: feels a bit frayed; limited to pre-1969; uneven sense of closure
Themes
- civil rights
- male homosexuality
- oppression
- lgbt
- stonewall riot
- woman director
- gay history
Cast & crew
- RB
Rita Mae Brown
as Narrator (voice)
- RA
Red Jordan Arobateau
as Self - Writer
Ann Bannon
as Self - University Professor
- LB
Lisa Ben
as Self - Former Secretary
Allen Ginsberg
as Self
- MD
Martin Duberman
as Self
Directed by Greta Schiller, Robert Rosenberg