Alison Bechdel, carabiners, Flickr, documentary films, and me

 A couple of months ago, I got a request to use this photo I took of the great cartoonist Alison Bechdel at Politics and Prose on May 4, 2012 in a short documentary.

 

 Alexia Lafeuille, the film's producer wrote, "I'm reaching out on behalf of WaterBear (www.waterbear.com), a digital media publisher and free streaming platform dedicated to social-impact content. I'm currently producing a short documentary called 'This History of the Carabiner'. This multimedia film celebrates the significance and history of the carabiner as a symbol of queer identity and belonging for women and non-binary people."

 Since I shoot these pictures to capture the history of comics and cartoonists, I said yes, and now the film is out. Alexia informed me, "[The History of the Carabiner is] available to stream on WaterBear (you will have to create an account to access, but it's completely free): www.waterbear.com/watch/the-history-of-the-carabiner."

The film is described on the site as follows: "Through a creative blend of mixed-media and charismatic narration balancing humor, sass and historical gravity, discover the queer history of the carabiner in this latest WaterBear Original, directed by Gianna Mazzeo and made in partnership with Nikon. Follow the carabiner’s story, from its humble 1911 climbing roots (thanks, Otto "Rambo" Herzog), to empowering butch mechanics and postal workers in the 60s, becoming a potent signal of identity and attraction in the 80’s (think Tinder, but with hardware) and as a TikTok fashion sensation today."

 Here's my pic, de-colorized, at 4:12:

 

 

and I got a credit in the end. Trust me, it's there...

 

 

I'm absolutely, completely NOT the target audience for the film, but I quite enjoyed it.  I'm glad I said yes, because now I know this film exists AND I may know something about lesbian sexuality if they aren't having us on. Give it a watch.